Impact
Five ways to give back and get involved in your community
If you’re searching for ways to give back, the Catalyst’s Impact Connector is here to help. Each week, we feature five organizations in the Tampa Bay area that need your input, whether that’s time, talent, items, funding or simply awareness. We’re certain you’ll find something here that matches your interests and will positively impact the community.
Volunteer with the St. Petersburg Science Festival
The St. Petersburg Science Festival is a free annual event offering a wide range of hands-on science, technology, engineering, art and math-related activities. It is held on the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus and in Poynter Park in conjunction with MarineQuest, the open house of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
This year’s Festival takes place Friday, Feb. 6 (school day) and Saturday, Feb. 7 (public day). Volunteers are needed beginning Wednesday, Feb. 4.
Roles include event set-up and take-down, exhibitor registration, hanging banners and other signage, greeting visitors, distributing programs, driving golf carts, parking attendants and assisting stage performers with equipment.
Shifts are three hours and volunteers are free to sign up for multiple days. All volunteers will receive a festival T-shirt and refreshments during their shifts. Friday and Saturday volunteers will also receive lunch.
Click here for volunteer FAQs, job descriptions and a link to register.
Salty Soul Foundation Dunedin beach cleanup
The Salty Soul Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cleaning our beaches and oceans, inspiring a deeper connection to marine environments and empowering individuals to become lifelong stewards of our planet. Since its inception in 2017, the organization has collectively removed over 33,000 pounds of trash from coastal ecosystems across Florida and California.
On Saturday, Jan. 31, the foundation is hosting a Tampa Tech Beach Cleanup at the Dunedin Causeway, 61 Causeway Blvd., Dunedin from 9 a.m. until noon.
All supplies, including gloves, buckets and trash bags, will be provided.
For more information and to register, click here.
Morean Arts Center volunteer opportunities
The Morean Arts Center, a contemporary art gallery that is free and open to the public daily and offers art classes year-round, is seeking volunteers for various roles.
Opportunities include helping to set-up, strike and work special events; glass studio volunteers who greet guests, collect and verify tickets and lead them to a studio seat; and docents.
Volunteers will be trained so that they can better direct and assist customers.
The Morean Arts Center is located at 719 Central Ave., St. Petersburg.
Click here to view more information about volunteering.
Casino Night benefitting All Children’s Hospital
The Johns Hopkins All Children’s Foundation Guild, Evening Branch presents its 3rd annual Casino Night & Cocktails to benefit the hospital’s Department of Rehabilitation Services – Saturday, Feb. 7 from 6:30 until 10:30 p.m at St. John Bosco Center for the Arts.
“All in for All Kids” will include an evening filled with casino gaming, dancing, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Denis Phillips of ABC Action News will be the event’s emcee.
St. John Bosco Center for the Arts is located at 6333 9th Avenue N., St. Petersburg.
For tickets, click here.
Shriners Children’s Softball Tournament seeks volunteers
The ESPN Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational is the nation’s premier early-season college softball tournament, featuring 16 NCAA Division 1 teams. All games, which help support the mission and message of Shriners Children’s, are broadcast across the ESPN family of networks.
The 2026 tournament begins Thursday, Feb. 12 and runs through Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Eddie C. Moore Complex, 2994 Drew St., Clearwater.
Volunteer roles include outfield usher, tent supporter and greeter, ticket scanner and recycling ambassador.
To view available shifts and register, click here.
By engaging in these five impactful ways to give back, we can empower our communities and contribute to a more compassionate society. If your organization is seeking volunteers, donations or awareness, click here to submit your opportunity. We’ll get the word out to our readers.
