Be A Volunteer

Packing and Assembling Crew. Four teams of 8 people will be needed, in late February or early March, date TBA shortly.

On The Street Crew Members. Between 10 – 18 team members will be needed per shift, over four nights and one day, in late February or early March, date TBA shortly.

It’s important our volunteers treat everyone with dignity and respect. Our crew goes out in teams of no less than three people, along with a team leader. It’s important that you be comfortable interacting and talking with people living on the street, understanding that a person’s circumstances do not make them any less deserving of kindness and compassion.

It’s pretty amazing the difference a smile and friendly conversation can do to someone who’s homeless, and often feels invisible to the world.

PLEASE NOTE: Volunteers who are going out with the backpacks need to attend a mandatory 30-minute orientation before their shift.

If joining our team interests you, please fill out the form on the right, and our volunteer coordinator will contact you. For more information, email us.

To see what our volunteers are saying about Backpacks For The Street and their experience, check out our volunteer testimonials.

As our mantra goes: a person’s circumstances does not make them any less worthy of kindness and compassion or to be treated with dignity and respect. We are all in this together.

BFTS is an inclusive organization, providing a safe space for all its volunteers and clients, regardless of age, gender, gender identity, religion, politics, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, disability or musical tastes. As such, we have a zero tolerance policy regarding harassment or discrimination, and bullying, of any kind, as well as any inappropriate behavior or contact, especially of a sexual nature, or verbal abuse.

Don’t Live In NYC. No Problem.

Here are some awesomeways YOU can Be A BFTS All-Star!

• Be an BFTS Ambassador, and help spread the word.
• Join our BFTS Affiliate program, and start a BFTS chapter in your town.
• Become a BFTS Social Media Maven, sharing our posts and photos across your social media channels.
• Share our Amazon Wish List.
• Share a link to our donation page. Every dollar matters, whether it’s $5 or $500.
  • 100% of every donation goes directly to helping the homeless.