According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016, Tulsa had over 475,000 adults in the workforce. A scant 25 percent of those adults volunteered their time to a worthy cause at least once. That’s not to say volunteerism isn’t alive in Green Country, but Tulsa, we can do better.

Imagine if together we increased that percentage by 10 to 35 in 2017. An additional 50,000 volunteers would donate their time and effort to all the important issues Tulsa faces. If each new volunteer worked only 10 hours, that would translate close to 500,000 additional volunteer hours.

If you are feeling like getting more involved this year, here are some places to contact and volunteer.

Youth Services of Tulsa
311 S. Madison | Tulsa
 | 918-582-0061 | yst.org

This organization has numerous volunteer projects throughout the year and relies on groups of volunteers to pull them off. You can either join a group already designated to a project or let them know you have a group of volunteers. Through an initiative called YST Project Corps, you can sign
up for a one-time job or even schedule your group for a recurring project.

Hearts of Steel Foundation
6778 E. 130th Place | Bixby
 | 918-230-8820 | heartsofsteelfoundation.org

The Hearts of Steel Foundation is dedicated to helping families suffering from congenital heart defects through awareness and financial relief. You can volunteer for services like lawn care, car servicing, house cleaning, childcare, massage services
and much more. Donating time and effort in this way is unbelievably helpful when
 you consider that one or more parents of children born with heart defects will have
to quit their job to care for loved ones.

Tulsa Area United Way
1430 S. Boulder Ave. | Tulsa
 | 918-583-7171 | tauw.org

There are several ways to volunteer with the Tulsa Area United Way. Disaster relief help after a tornado, flood or another life-altering event through providing food, shelter, comfort and anything else needed is one excellent way. Join the Women’s Leadership Council and make a networking difference in Tulsa’s diverse community. Become a loaned executive by volunteering your sales, leadership and negotiation skills to advance United Way’s many causes.

Oxley Nature Center
3452-3676 Mohawk Blvd. | Tulsa
 | 918-669-6644 | oxleynaturecenter.org

The Mary K. Oxley Nature Center is quietly tucked inside Tulsa’s historic Mohawk Park. Volunteers are always welcome
 and needed. Attend the six-part training and become a volunteer naturalist. 
Serve school groups by teaching them about nature and its invaluable qualities. Choose to be a groundskeeper and 
keep one of northeast Oklahoma’s top wildlife study areas in tip-top shape.

Tulsa Zoo
6421 E. 36th | Tulsa
 | 918-669-6602 | tulsazoo.org

Become a Zooper Trooper, a one-time volunteer who helps with greeting guests, arts and crafts activities, carnival games, zoo mascots, mini pumpkin painting and other awesome events at the zoo. Families can volunteer together, whether the children are in middle school, high school or college. Anyone 13 years and older 
can show up with their adult guardian and help keep the Tulsa Zoo cool.

Tulsa Public Schools
3027 S. New Haven Ave. | Tulsa
 | 918-746-6800 | tulsaschools.org

Serve as a library assistant, a math tutor, a pen pal, an office assistance or any of the other scores of ways to give back to your community by volunteering. It certainly does “take a village” and the children are waiting. Enjoy flexible hours and directly impact the success of Tulsa’s school children through your generous efforts.

Help Heal Veterans
918-637-3878 | healvets.org
When you volunteer through Help Heal Veterans, you serve the men and women who sacrificed their all for the freedom of every one of us. Help make therapeutic craft kits to give to hospitalized and homebound veterans who need to know the support they richly deserve. Helping traumatized veterans improve their motor skills, self- esteem and self-worth is what volunteering your time is all about. The kits help veterans take their mind off their past and pain, so they can live more in the present.

A New Leaf
2306 S. 1st Place | Broken Arrow | 
918-451-1491 | anewleaf.org
Get involved by donating your time, talent and financial support. Their mission is
 to provide life skills and marketable job training to individuals with developmental disabilities, through horticultural therapy. If you love plants and people, this
 could be just the thing for you. Helping someone else become a more productive member of society is always a win-win. Horticultural therapy helps improve hand- eye coordination, enhances attention span and creates greater emotional bonding in those with developmental disabilities.

Reading Partners
110 W. 7th Street, Suite 1800 | Tulsa | 
918-949-1979 | readingpartners.org

Today, only 25 percent of fourth-graders in Oklahoma are reading at a proficient level. We all can do something about that and Reading Partners is ready to facilitate. Strong readers becoming strong leaders someday. You can help Tulsa provide the future leaders of America by helping them learn to read. Through one-on-one tutoring, take the challenge of changing the face of Tulsa’s future. Who knows? Maybe the world.

The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges
815 S. Utica | Tulsa | 918-584-8607 | tulsacenter.org
Organize social, cultural and recreational opportunities for people with physical disabilities. Volunteer at the Center for Individuals With Physical Challenges by putting your talents to good use at events such as holiday dinners, Paralympic events, annual dances and many other incredible occasions. Teach or assist at one of their upcoming classes or workshops in the areas of computers, sewing, art, woodworking, and more. Make a difference in the lives of some of Tulsa’s most amazing individuals.

Mental Health Association
1870 S. Boulder Ave. | Tulsa
 | 918-585-1213 | mhaok.org

You can be a caring and committed volunteer to those in need of mental wellness. Assemble welcome baskets for those previously homeless who now have a place to call their own. Help with yard work or painting and you can help change the life of someone less fortunate. Staff a booth at one of the many events throughout the year to raise awareness of the needs of our neighbors who suffer mental health issues.

Domestic Violence Intervention Services

4300 S. Harvard | Tulsa | 918-742-7480 | dvis.org
Domestic Violence Intervention Services provides comprehensive intervention and prevention services to men, women and children who have been affected by domestic and sexual violence. You can help by becoming a hospital advocate, a child care supervisor, or by donating clerical skills, as well as many other ways. Without dedicated and compassionate volunteers who invest their time, care and talent, DVIS could not serve victims of domestic violence as well as they do.