Where to Start

  • We are lucky to have so many charities in the Chattanooga area that have opportunities for us to volunteer. Click on the ’Volunteer Categories’ list below to discover all the great local ministries we work with and then checkout our ‘Charities’ page to discover details about the great organizations serving our community.

  • If you are interested in identifying your Spiritual Gifts to help narrow down volunteer areas that are a good fit for you, click on the ‘Spirtual Gifts’ tab to complete a short personal survey and match your gifts to volunteer opportunities

    1. Pick: one place to Volunteer

    2. Plan: Sign-up on ‘Charity’ website.

    3. Post: Share your experience on ‘Facebook’ or ‘Instagram’ to inspire friends and family to volunteer

Volunteer Categories

  • Our Chattanooga Community has Rehabilitation, Rebuilding, and Recovery needs … our neighbors rebuilding their lives after crisis—whether from unsafe environments, addiction, health challenges, or exploitation. Many families need practical support, safe environments, and pathways to long‑term stability. Local charities provide critical services, but they rely on volunteers to help restore safety, dignity, and hope.

    Click on the + below to see the categories of local Charities helping provide for our neighbors’ health and safety needs and check-out volunteer opportunities you can help with by clicking on the > next to name of Charity.

  • > Choices
    > Volunteers in Medicine (VIM)
    > Lifespring Community Health
    > Her Song

  • > Adult & Teen Challenge
    > House of Refuge
    > Transform Ministries

  • > Love’s Arm
    > Bethany: Safe Families for Children
    > Room in the Inn
    > Her Song


Volunteer Resources

Discover how to match your

AGE (Abilities, Gifts, Experiences)

to volunteering opportunities

  • God has given all Christians Spiritual Gifts to utilize for helping others. Click the link below ‘Spirtual Gifts’ for a short personal survey to match your gifts to volunteer opportunities.

  • We are all equipped with unique abilities and skills. Some are natural talents we're born with, while others are developed through school, work, hobbies, and everyday responsibilities. The skills you've developed through your career, education, hobbies, family life, and personal interests can become powerful tools for helping others. Whether you're good with people, numbers, tools, technology, teaching, or creativity, your abilities can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

    Explore the examples below to discover how your Abilities and Skills can be used to serve our community.

  • We all have experiences that shape who we are. The lessons we've learned through life's victories and struggles can help guide, encourage, and support others facing similar circumstances.

    Explore the examples below to see how your experiences can be used to make a difference in our community.

Click Here to Discover your Spiritual Gifts

Click on your specific Spiritual Gifts to see how to utilize for Volunteering Categories and then Click Local Charity > Links to see Volunteer Opportunities

Spiritual Gifts

Match your gifts to Volunteer Opportunities

  • The gift of giving is the divine ability to give time or financially for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom of God on earth. This gift is a great match to those volunteering opportunities that need support for a mission.

    Volunteer Example: Sponsoring meals, beds, or emergency housing for families in crisis. Donating supplies for school drives, hygiene kits, or food pantries

    Local Charities to Consider:
    > CHATT Foundation (Community Kitchen)
    > Habitat for Humanity
    > Chattanooga Area Food Bank

  • The gift of healing is the divine ability to act as an intermediary in faith, prayer, and by the laying-on of hands for the healing of physical, mental and spiritual sickness. This gift is a great match for volunteering opportunities to pray for or provide care for sick individuals.

    Volunteer Example: Serve or visit with patients in Hospital

    Local Charities to Consider:
    > Volunteers in Medicine
    > Choices
    > LifeSpring Community Health

  • The gift of helps is the divine ability to work in a supportive role for the accomplishment of tasks. This gift is a great match for volunteer opportunities to help meet basic needs of others, serve behind the scenes, or transportation.

    Volunteer Example: Sort food, pack boxes, distribute meals to families in need. Stock food pantries help organize Thrift Store, serve a meal, help with kiddos.

    Local Charities to Consider:
    > Bethel Bible Village
    > Chattanooga Area Food Bank
    > Room in the Inn
    > Rescue Mission
    > Union Gospel Mission
    > House of Refuge
    > Isaiah 117 House
    > TN Baptist Children’s Home
    > YCAP
    > Lifespring Community Health
    > Northside Neighborhood House

  • The gift of hospitality is the divine ability to create warm, welcoming environments for others in places such as your home, charity or church. This gift is a great match to volunteer opportunities that involve welcoming guests into a new environment like a …

    Volunteer Examples:
    Welcome centers, guest services, family housing support, meal hosting, event greeting

    Local Charities to Consider:
    > Isaiah 117 House
    > Safe Families for Children
    > Ronald McDonald House
    > Shepherd’s Arms Rescue Mission

  • The gift of intercession is the divine ability to stand in the gap in prayer for someone, something, or someplace, believing for profound results. This is gift is a great match to volunteer opportunities that need prayer for their guest, mission, & staff.

    Volunteer Examples:
    Prayer ministry, prayer teams, hospital prayer, recovery support, pregnancy center prayer, spiritual care

    Local Charities to Consider:
    > Choices
    > TN Baptist Children’s Home
    > Lifespring Community Health
    > Her Song
    > Child Evangelism Fellowship
    > Shepherd’s Arms Rescue Mission

  • The gift of knowledge is the divine ability to bring truth to a situation by supernatural revelation. This is often accompanied by a word from God. This gift is a great match to volunteer opportunities to help others with understanding and sharing helpful information. Sharing biblical insights to help others understand the truth

    Volunteer Examples: Teach budgeting classes at a community center; Help charities organize data, systems, or training materials for job readiness programs; Lead a workshop (financial coaching, job skills, parenting).

    Local Charities to Consider:
    > Hope for the Inner City
    > Room in the Inn
    > Momentum
    > FCA Chattanooga
    > Bethlehem Center
    > Child Evangelism Fellowship

  • The gift of leadership is the divine ability to influence people at their level while directing and focusing them on the big picture, vision, or idea. This gift is a great match to volunteer opportunities mentoring kids or guiding a service project.

    Volunteer Example: Help organize a community-wide service project; Lead volunteer team; launch a new community outreach program; Equip other volunteers for community engagement, Coaching Kids

    Local Charities to consider:
    > Chattanooga Foundation (Community Kitchen)
    > FCA Chattanooga
    > Habitat for Humanity

  • The gift of mercy is the divine ability to feel empathy and to care for those who are hurting in any way. This gift is a great match to volunteer opportunities that involve comforting someone who’s hurting, lonely, or in a crisis.

    Volunteer Example: serving a meal at homeless shelter learning people’s names & stories; sitting with a single Mom as she waits for Charity to process her, visiting seniors in assisted-living who have no family, talk with foster care families or survivors of human trafficking.

    Local Charities to Consider:
    > Volunteers in Medicine
    > Safe Families for Children
    > Family Promise of Great Chattanooga
    > Rescue Mission
    > Isaiah 117 House
    > Choices

  • The gift of miracles is the divine ability to alter the natural outcomes of life in a supernatural way through prayer, faith, and divine direction. This gift is a great match when believing and praying boldly for God’s power to breakthrough impossible situations

    Volunteer Examples: Participate in outreach events focused on prayer; Join crisis response teams where needs are urgent; Serve in ministries working in extreme poverty

    Local Charities to Consider:
    - Widows Harvest
    - Her Song
    - Loves Arm

  • The gift of pastor/shepherd is the divine ability to care for the personal needs of others by nurturing and mending life issues. This gift is a great match to volunteer opportunities that need caring people to check on others well-being.

    Volunteer Example: checking in regularly with families receiving benevolence support, help with a small group for addiction recovery, walking with a foster family through a difficult season, visiting with widows.

    Local Charity to Consider:
    > Hope for the Inner City
    > Widows Harvest
    > FCA Chattanooga
    > Shepherds Arms Rescue Mission

  • The gift of prophecy is the divine ability to communicate God's truth and heart in a way that calls people to a right relationship with God. This gift is a great match to volunteer opportunities that need help with speaking the truth with love, especially when others need clarity and conviction.

    Volunteer Examples: Encourage and counsel individuals in difficult life seasons; Speak into youth mentorship programs: Help guide parents with discernment and clarity.

    Local Charities to Consider:
    > Choices
    > Momentum
    > Her Song

  • The gift of serving is the divine ability to do small or great tasks in working for the overall good of the body of Christ. This gift is a great match to volunteer opportunities that need help with events, organizing donations, food pantry and community projects.

    Volunteer Example: Sort donations, pack boxes, distribute meals to families in need, stock food pantries

    Local Charities to Consider:
    > Chattanooga Area Food Bank
    > Rescue Mission
    > Union Gospel Mission
    > House of Refuge
    > Isaiah 117 House
    > Bethlehem Center
    > Salvation Army

  • The gift of teaching is the divine ability to study and learn from the Scriptures primarily to bring understanding and knowledge. This gift is a great fit for volunteer opportunities to tutor or coach others life skills.

    Volunteer Example: Teach literacy or GED classes; Help with Bible studies in prisons or shelters

    Local Charities to Consider:
    > Room in the Inn
    > Chambliss Center
    > TN Baptist Children’s Home
    > FCA Chattanooga
    > YCAP
    > Bethlehem Center
    > Northside Neighborhood House
    > Child Evangelism Fellowship
    > Salvation Army

  • The gift of wisdom is the divine ability to understand and to bring clarity to situations and circumstances often through applying the truths of Scripture in a practical way. This gift is a great match to volunteer opportunities with counselors and social workers

    Volunteer Example: Help with job readiness programs, financial coaching, and education support. Advise or mentor families navigating long-term situations

    Local Charities to Consider:
    > Ronald McDonald House of Chattanooga
    > Transform Ministries
    > The Bethlehem Center

  • We are all equipped with unique abilities and skills. Some are natural talents we're born with, while others are developed through school, work, hobbies, and everyday responsibilities. The skills you've developed through your career, education, hobbies, family life, and personal interests can become powerful tools for helping others. Whether you're good with people, numbers, tools, technology, teaching, or creativity, your abilities can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

    Explore the examples below to discover how your Abilities and Skills can be used to serve our community and advance God's Kingdom.

  • Examples:

    • Accounting / Finance / Bookkeeping

    • Human Resources

    • Project Management

    • Administrative & Data Entry Support

    • Event Coordination

    • Operations Management

    • Technology / Social Media

    • Sales / Marketing

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Charity administration

    • Volunteer coordination

    • Event planning & production

    • Website support / Digital outreach

    • Storytelling

    • Charity marketing & campaigns

  • Examples:

    • Carpentry

    • Plumbing

    • Electrical / HVAC

    • Painting

    • Landscaping

    • Construction

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Home repairs

    • Building projects

    • Facility maintenance



  • Examples:

    • Physician

    • Nursing

    • EMT

    • Physical Therapy

    • Counseling

    • Pharmacy

    • Nutrition

    • Medical Administration

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Community clinics

    • Health screenings

    • Patient support

    • Wellness education

  • Examples:

    • Teaching & Training

    • Tutoring

    • Coaching

    • Public Speaking

    • Literacy Support

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Student mentoring

    • Tutoring programs

    • Parenting classes

    • Life-skills training

  • Examples:

    • Attorney

    • CPA

    • Financial Advisor

    • Insurance Professional

    • Real Estate

    • Compliance & Risk Management

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Pro bono services

    • Financial coaching

    • Board governance

  • Examples:

    • Cooking

    • Baking

    • Catering

    • Customer Service

    • Event Hosting

    • Guest Services

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Meal preparation

    • Community events

    • Shelter hospitality

    • Family support programs

  • Examples:

    • Parenting

    • Budgeting

    • Meal Planning

    • Sewing

    • Organizing

    • Gardening

    • Childcare

    • Home Management

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Foster care support

    • Family mentoring

    • Food ministries

    • Children's programs

    • Community gardens

  • Examples:

    • Graphic Design

    • Photography

    • Videography

    • Writing

    • Fitness Training

    • Hiking/Outdoor Skills

    • Golf/Tennis/Soccer/BBall

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Storytelling

    • Charity marketing

    • Events

    • Youth sports coaching

    • Sports camps and clinics

    • Recreation activities for underserved youth

    • Outdoor adventure programs

    • Charity fundraising races and events

    • Health and wellness education

    • Senior fitness and recreation programs

  • Every person has a story. Whether you've experienced success, hardship, loss, recovery, parenting challenges, career transitions, or personal growth, your story may be exactly what someone else needs to hear. The experiences that have shaped your life—The joyful, challenging, painful, or transformative—can become a source of encouragement, wisdom, and hope for others. Often, the people best equipped to help are those who have walked a similar path.

    Explore the examples below to discover how your life experiences can make a meaningful impact through volunteering.

  • Examples:

    • Marriage Enrichment

    • Blended Family

    • Parenting

    • Foster Parenting

    • Adoption

    • Single Parenting

    • Empty Nesters

    • Grandparenting

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Family mentoring

    • Parenting classes

    • Foster family support

    • Adoption support

    • Marriage mentoring

    • Children's ministry

  • Examples:

    • Loss of Spouse

    • Miscarriage / Loss of Child

    • Serious Illness

    • Cancer Journey

    • Caregiver for Aging Parents

    • End-of-Life Care

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Grief support groups

    • Family support

    • Hospital visitation

    • Caregiver encouragement

    • Patient advocacy

    • Compassion ministries

  • Examples:

    • Addiction Recovery

    • Alcohol Recovery

    • Mental Health Recovery

    • Financial Recovery

    • Marriage Restoration

    • Overcoming Abuse

    • Trauma Recovery

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Recovery mentoring

    • Support groups

    • Peer coaching

    • Crisis support

    • Re-entry mentoring

  • Examples:

    • Unemployment

    • Career Change

    • Bankruptcy Recovery

    • Job Loss

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Job readiness programs

    • Financial coaching

    • Career mentoring

    • Resume assistance

  • Examples:

    • Food Insecurity

    • Homelessness

    • Housing Instability

    • Financial Hardship

    • Public Assistance Experience

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Resource navigation

    • Mentoring families

    • Food ministries

    • Community outreach

    • Advocacy programs

  • Examples:

    • Veteran

    • Active Military

    • Police Officer

    • Firefighter

    • EMT

    • Emergency Response

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Mentoring youth

    • Crisis response

    • Leadership development

  • Examples:

    • Living with Disability

    • Caring for Someone with Disabilities

    • Chronic Illness

    • Mental Health Challenges

    • Special Needs Parenting

    Volunteer Applications:

    • Family support

    • Peer mentoring

    • Advocacy

    • Respite care

    • Accessibility initiatives

1 Peter 4:10 -- Use your gifts to serve others

〰️

Ephesians 2:10 -- ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works’

〰️

James 2:14 -- What good is it if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds

〰️

1 Peter 4:10 -- Use your gifts to serve others 〰️ Ephesians 2:10 -- ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works’ 〰️ James 2:14 -- What good is it if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds 〰️

Our Prayer for Volunteers

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving us the opportunity to serve others by volunteering, to demonstrate the love of Jesus in practical ways.

Use our abilities, spiritual gifts, & life experiences to encourage those who are struggling & bring hope to those who are hurting.

May every volunteer experience help us meet needs, grow in faith, and point people to You.

In Jesus' name, Amen.