67 volunteer opportunities in Cape Town for Mandela Day and every day!

It’s time to get active! Greenpop has put together a list of ways you can spend your 67 minutes of service this Nelson Mandela Day – and beyond! There are so many incredible volunteer opportunities calling to you here in Cape Town, all you have to do is pick one and get stuck in! Share your actions and join the global community of changemakers who are making every day Mandela Day.

VOLUNTEER EVERY DAY: DOMESTIC ANIMAL WELFARE

21. Animal Anti-Cruelty League (AACL): The AACL is an organisation where you can get involved with all aspects of animal welfare.

22. Dassenberg Horse Rescue Center: Every Saturday morning you can have the opportunity to join Dassenberg on the farm to interact with amazing rescue animals, dogs, and horses.

23. Domestic Animal Rescue Group (DARG): DARG is a pro-life, non-profit organisation that rescues, cares for, sterilises and rehomes previously abused, neglected and abandoned cats and dogs. Volunteer your time to help animals in need.

24. The Emma Animal Rescue Society (TEARS): TEARS is a non-profit organisation that aims to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home lost, abandoned or abused dogs and cats. Volunteer at TEARS to help make a difference.

25. Uitsig Animal Rescue Center: Assist at the Uiisig Animal Rescue Center where you can, from the Saturday Walk Club to Canine Competence!

VOLUNTEER EVERY DAY: WILDLIFE

26. Cheetah Outreach: Cheetah Outreach is an education and community-based program created to raise awareness of the cheetah and to campaign for its survival.  Help volunteer with Cheetah Outreach, only a 25-minute drive from Cape Town.

27. Monkeyland: Volunteer at Monkeyland rehabilitates! They free previously captured animals and home wide range of primates all happily living in a wide-open forested area.

28. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA): Make a difference in the lives of rescued and homeless furry and feathered friends.

29. South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB): Volunteer at this non-profit rehabilitation centre in Cape Town aimed at conserving and protecting seabirds.

30. Two Oceans Aquarium: Discover the wonders and volunteer your time at the Two Oceans Aquarium.

VOLUNTEER EVERY DAY: WORK WITH KIDS

31. Alnoor Orphanage: A registered non-profit to protect orphans; HIV/AIDS infected, affected and abused children by providing them with accommodation, education, medical, cultural and basic needs. Volunteer to give children the care they need.

32. Friends of the Children’s Hospital Association (FOCHA): FOCHA is a volunteer support group to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. Volunteer by reading and playing with the young patients.

33. Help2Read: This initiative aims to recruit, train and support literate adult volunteers from local communities to help disadvantaged primary school children who struggle to read.

34. True North: True North has a desire to bring meaningful change to vulnerable and underprivileged communities through education, research and sharing of technology. Volunteer to be events coordinator, graphic designer, architect, or SEO specialist.

35. Nazareth House: Nazareth House aims to provide a loving, stable and secure home environment for abandoned and disabled and orphaned children as well as the last resting place for children with terminal conditions who are unable to return home due to sociable ills. Volunteer your time to help the children in need.

36. Christine Revell Children’s Home: Christine Revell Children’s Home provides full-time care for up to 49 babies and children from birth to five years of age who have been referred by social workers and placed by order of children’s court. Volunteer for at least two months to help care for a child.

37. Home of Hope: Home of Hope is a registered non-profit organisation that provides care services for abused and abandoned children and those affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Volunteer your time today to help a child in need.

38. Ubuntu House – Place of Safety: Ubuntu House takes care of babies from birth to two years who have been abandoned, orphaned, neglected or who was born out of an unplanned and crisis pregnancy. With a simple registration form, you can volunteer to help make a difference.

39. St. Josephs Home: Volunteer at St. Josephs Home. They help children who come from poverty stricken communities who have life threatening/limiting conditions.

40. Sisanda FunDaytion: Sisanda FunDaytion is a non-profit organisation working with volunteers to influence the lives of disadvantaged children through recreation, education and inspirational fun.

41. Bottom up: Become a volunteer teaching children and providing technical support.

42. Afrika Tikkun: Volunteer your time to help provide comprehensive educational opportunities beginning with early childhood development through job placement programs.

43. Sozo Foundation: Sozo Foundation is a non-profit organisation with a vision to see the community of Vrygrond living with dignity, purpose, and hope. Volunteer to help Sozo create opportunities for holistic development through education, skills, youth and well-being.

44. Kidz2Kidz: Kidz2Kidz is a public benefit trust that seeks to spread the central message of the ‘joy of giving.’ Sign up to volunteer on their website and spread the magic of storytelling to children.

45. Children’s Hospice: Children’s Hospice is a charity committed to enriching the quality of life for special needs children and young people with life-limiting or threatening conditions and providing support for their families. Activate your network to support their cause through donations.

46. Matla A Bana – A voice against child abuse: Donate comfort packs to child rape victims given by police officers. This helps assist the police in establishing a relationship of trust with the child.

47. SA Children’s Home: Children’s Home provides a secure, friendly, homely environment for its family of 44 boys and girls. Help donate to benefit children in the home.

48. St. Georges Home for Girls: St. Georges Home is registered to accommodate 40 girls and provide specialised care and education and teaching life skills within a secure environment. Your donation will help make a difference.

49. Ons Plek: Ons Plek provides support for female street children. Volunteer on a regular basis to enrich the lives of the girls.

VOLUNTEER EVERY DAY: WORK FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 

50. Greenpop: Volunteer at our nursery in Woodstock every Tuesday morning. Sign up as a volunteer here.

51. Earthchild Project: Volunteer at this non-profit organisation that works with disadvantaged schools across the Western Cape to teach kids to love themselves and the planet.

52. Zandvlei Trust: This is a registered non-profit organisation that you can help promote the conservation of the indigenous fauna and flora of the Zandvlei wetland in Muizenberg.

VOLUNTEER EVERY DAY: REFUGEES & IMMIGRATION

53. Cape Town Refugee Centre: Cape Town Refugee Centre works hard and so can you, to protect and assist refugees, but the ultimate vision is to act as an integral part of a welcoming and enabling environment, for them to rebuild their lives.

54. Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town: If you have a passion for helping immigrates or refugees, this would be the perfect place for you to volunteer.

VOLUNTEER EVERY DAY: BUILDING SAFE COMMUNITIES

55. Cape Town Research & Conservation Initiative: Volunteers participate in Cape Town’s Community Volunteer Projects to connect and interact with local communities and children in disadvantaged communities.

56. Development Action Group: DAG is an NGO designed to effect redistributive justice, so that all South African citizens, especially the more marginalised urban can claim a ‘right to the city.’

57. Douglas Murray Home for the Aged: Volunteer your time or much-needed goods to the Douglas-Home. Walk-ins are welcome or you can book a specific time.

58. Good Hope Volunteers: Good Hope Volunteers aim to build a better South Africa through a range of community and conservation projects that support those who need it.

59. Haven Night Shelter: The Haven Night Shelter provides temporary shelter, physical care, social welfare and family reunification services to adult homeless people in the Western Cape.

60. Lifeline: Lifeline provides compassionate counselling throughout the community. Volunteer to be a telephone Lay Counselor, but before joining, volunteers must complete a course.

61. Oasis Organization: Oasis mission enables personal with intellectual disability to realise their fullest potential at each stage of their development, and thereby become as independent and productive as possible within the community.

62. Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust: The Rape Crisis Center aims at bridging the gap between survivors of rape and the justice system by advocating for law reform and through intensive counselling.

63. Saartjie Bartman Center for Women & Children (SBCWC): Volunteer at this one-stop centre for women and children who are survivors of abuse. This organisation provides safe accommodation, childcare services, legal advice and research in gender-based violence.

64. Skate-aid: Volunteer at Skate-aid to support kids in areas of conflict and deprivation by bringing skateboarding to their communities.

65. St. Anne’s Homes: Volunteer for St. Anne’s Home to shelter, care, and empower abused and disadvantaged mothers and their children.

66. Triangle Project: Triangle Project is a non-profit human rights organisation that you can volunteer your assistance by offering professional services to ensure the full realisation of constitutional and human rights for LGBTI people, their partners, and families.

67. Volunteer Wildlife Services: Volunteer at VWS and help continue conserving South Africa’s natural heritage.

BONUS TIPS TO BE AN AWESOME HUMAN

68. Give thanks: It can make someone’s day by just saying, “thank you.” Draw thank you cards for your teachers. Bring a cup of coffee to a security guard. Simple tasks of kindness never go unnoticed. Make it a habit for Mandela Day and beyond.

69. Go local: Hire local businesses and individuals in your community for work in your home or office.

70. Make an extra meal: While you’re packing your lunch, pack a 2nd bag to give to someone in need on your way to work. A little thing like a sandwich can mean so much.