REACH Service Festival
REACH Service Festival
is a new event dedicated to introducing Baylor students to various service opportunities both on campus and in the greater Waco area. In addition to a Q&A session hosting a panel of passionate students and service organization leaders, we are also pleased to provide videos from several organizations in Waco outlining what service opportunities that they have available for Baylor students. We've also attached a link for several other service opportunities both on campus and in Waco.
If you are interested in any (or all) of these opportunities, feel free to contact them and begin your service journey!
Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children
The Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children is a non-profit organization of programs that serve to bring about healing to children and adults who are victims of crime and to facilitate change to end violence through advocacy, collaboration, and community awareness. The organization works in tandem with law enforcement, district attorneys, and medical providers in order to ensure the safety of victimized populations. Volunteers can expect to aid staff in day-to-day operations that help the Center remain effective in its goals.
Cameron Park Zoo
Do you enjoy being outside and teaching others about nature and preserving biological diversity? Get involved in wildlife conservation and research. Live your passion for animals and the natural world by volunteering at Cameron Park Zoo. Prior zoo experience isn’t necessary, as training is provided. Adult volunteers must commit to 48 hours a year. Unless otherwise specified, volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. All volunteers must submit an application, go through the Volunteer Orientation, and pass a background check. Volunteers who are working with animals are required to have a tuberculosis test.
CASA of McLennan County
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) speak up for the needs of a child placed in foster care because of neglect or abuse at home. Applicants must be 21 or older, complete 30 hours free training, possess a Drivers License and proof of auto insurance, and must pass background checks.
CARITAS of Waco
Caritas helps families, individuals, and veterans in need through emergency services and case management programs. The organization is dedicated to fight poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity in Waco. Volunteers are needed to work in the food pantry as well as in the Hidden Treasures Thrift Store.
CIS-HOT
Communities in Schools in the Heart of Texas (CIS-HOT) is is the nation's largest dropout prevention organization, serving 1.5 million at risk students annually. Locally, Communities In Schools of the Heart of Texas serves over 4,000 at risk students across 28 schools and 9 districts. You can mentor and tutor both individual students and groups or volunteer for events.
Global Vision International
International Service Opportunity
This organization runs programs in 13 countries around the world that serve to support sustainable development and educational programs. Students can participate in several different internships and programs, from those focusing on global health to wildlife conservation.
Salvation Army Waco
Volunteers provide much-needed assistance in a variety of areas from social services to office work to character-building activities. If you have a skill or just the heart to serve, The Salvation Army has a place for you. Service opportunities include the community kitchen, volunteering at the food pantry, donating and helping out at the local family store, and several other ways to contribute.
Global Health Organizations
UNICEF
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. The organization works with partners around the world to promote policies and expand access to services that protect all children.
International Medical Corps
The International Medical Corps is a non-profit organization that delivers emergency medical and related services to those affected by conflict, disaster, and disease. The Corps is dedicated to training people in their communities, providing them with the skills they need to recover, chart their own path to self-reliance and become effective first responders themselves.
Straw to Bread
Straw to Bread is an organization focused on sustainable development in one community in rural western Kenya in order to improve health, education, and food security for people living in this area. Members of this group are also dedicated to economical empowerment, such as providing seed money for new businesses and building key infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.
Mothers2Mothers
Mothers2Mothers is dedicated to delivering meaningful employment for women living with HIV as community health workers called Mentor Mothers. The organization works in several African nations, including Angola, Mozambique, Ghana, and Uganda.
Doctors Without Borders
Doctors Without Borders works in more than 70 countries running humanitarian projects and providing aid to people whose lives have been upended by crisis. Its staff is composed of doctors, nurses, logisticians, and other health-related frontline workers striving to provide for the needs of others.
World Vision International
World Vision International (WVI) is an organization focused on humanitarian aid, children's safety advocacy, and development among several other areas. WVI has field and support offices spanning six continents with each working to support vulnerable child populations.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization based out of the United Kingdom that uses research and campaigning strategies to help fight abuses of human rights worldwide. From armed conflict to suppression of free speech, Amnesty International is devoted to bringing about meaningful change.
HHM Health
HHM Health is a North Texas-based nonprofit that is passionate about providing quality primary care and beyond for Texas families. The organization recognizes the status of Texas as the most uninsured state in the nation and has made it a priority to provide accessible and affordable healthcare for its patients.