Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Utah AIDS Foundation. You can make a difference for people living with HIV/AIDS and help increase HIV education in our community. Each person who is touched by this disease can be part of the solution.
Please be aware, we will not be taking new Test Site volunteers until Summer 2023!
Step One: Watch Volunteer Orientation Video
Because of the importance and often sensitive nature of volunteer work, we require new volunteers view the online Volunteer Orientation Video.
Volunteer Orientation Video
Step Two: Complete Volunteer Application
After viewing the Volunteer Orientation Video, please complete the Volunteer Application.
Complete our Volunteer Application
Step Three: Wait To Hear From Program Staff
Please allow two weeks for your application to be processed. You will soon be contacted by a staff member about getting your volunteer work underway!
If you have further questions, please email
Volunteer Opportunities
The Utah AIDS Foundation has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities available. Browse through the opportunities listed below to find the opportunity that best suits your interests and schedule.
The opportunities listed here are just a sampling of the many opportunities that are available at the Utah AIDS Foundation. Keep in mind that we are always interested in creating new volunteering opportunities that utilize the interests and skills of our volunteers. If you have professional skills, such as therapeutic social work, photography, or graphic design, that you would like to utilize in your volunteer work, please let us know and we will be happy to work with you.
Internships
Steps to becoming a Utah AIDS Foundation intern:
- Set up an appointment to discuss your internship proposal.
- Call or email Jared Hafen at (801) 487-2323 to set up an appointment. Bring your ideas and we'll chat about your ideas and our needs, and work out the details for your internship.
- Meet with the direct supervisor for your internship. After determining exactly what your internship will entail during your initial meeting, you'll need to schedule one more meeting with the UAF staff member who will directly supervise your internship. During this meeting you'll talk about specific time commitments, the exact scope of your project, any requirements of your school, and other relevant details.
- Attend a New Volunteer Orientation. This orientation is required for all new volunteers. At this orientation you will learn the basics about HIV/AIDS and a bit more about the logistics of volunteering at UAF.
- Begin your internship!
Season's Givings
Program Description: The Utah AIDS Foundation provides holiday meal baskets, gifts, and personal care stockings to individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS during the holiday season. Volunteers are needed to be on the Season’s Givings committee, which runs the entire program, from preparing publicity and promoting the project to the community, organizing wish lists for clients, procuring holiday meal basket donations, and much more.
Skills Needed: Volunteers must be organized, enthusiastic, and energetic. Self motivation is a must!
Hours Available: Commit specific hours, offer volunteers a flexible time commitment to this program. Volunteers must be able to attend evening meetings, and devote some outside time to this as the holidays approach.
Why This Program: Season’s Givings is a great way to get involved with the Utah AIDS Foundation because there are many opportunities to volunteer at many different commitment levels and capacities. Because it happens during the holidays, it’s a great "feel good" project that involves giving people food and presents.
MSM Outreach Team
Program Description: Volunteers provide condoms, safer sex materials, and other party favors to bars, clubs and public sex environments. In addition, volunteers collect information using surveys and socializing with club goers, as well as answering questions about HIV/STI prevention as appropriate.
Skills Needed: Volunteers must be team oriented. They must be sociable, with above average communication skills, as well as excellent listening skills, and must be comfortable and outgoing in social environments. They must be comfortable discussing all aspects of sex and be non-judgmental.
Hours Available: Outreach is done late in the evenings, when the bars and clubs are crowded. Volunteers commit to approximately 2-6 hours of outreach per month. This is one of the few weekend volunteering opportunities we offer.
Why This Program: If you love to work with people in a social environment and impact HIV/STI prevention and education at the same time, this is the volunteer opportunity for you!
HIV Test Site
Note: We will not be taking new Test Site volunteers until Summer 2023.
Program Description: The Utah AIDS Foundation offers HIV testing on Monday and Thursday evenings and at multiple outreach locations throughout Salt Lake City. The test site is completely staffed by volunteers who are trained to do both HIV prevention counseling and result sessions.
Skills Needed: Basic knowledge of HIV disease and AIDS is absolutely necessary. Volunteers must be extremely comfortable discussing very sensitive subjects one-on-one with people who may be at high risk, without passing any judgements.
Hours Available: Volunteers must be available on Monday and/or Thursday evenings from 4:45-7:30 PM.
Why This Program: The UAF HIV test site is a great place to volunteer because volunteers have the opportunity to directly counsel those who may be at risk for HIV. You will meet many different people, and deal directly with those you are serving. HIV test counseling serves as one-on-one prevention education.
Office Support
Program Description: The front desk is often the first connection the public has with the Utah AIDS Foundation. Warm people are needed to greet the public, answer phones and perform light clerical tasks such as data entry and letter stuffing for UAF staff members. If you aren’t sure where you would like to volunteer, the front desk is a good place to begin. You’ll get to know our staff, our clients, and our programming very well.
Skills Needed: Light clerical and phone skills, warm demeanor and bright smile. Must be comfortable working on the phone.
Hours Available: The Utah AIDS Foundation office is open Monday through Friday from 9AM until 5PM. You must be able to volunteer during these hours. If you have an erratic schedule the front desk might be a good place for you, because your volunteering schedule can be as heavy or light as you wish.
Why This Program: You get the chance to work with the entire UAF public, as well as help with special projects that are happening in the office. Scheduling is flexible, and you can get to know the agency very well.
Team Projects
Program Description: We have many projects that you can do with a group of friends, family, or peers. These projects help the Utah AIDS Foundation by giving direct support to people living with HIV/AIDS and their families, or providing education to the community.
Skills Needed: Must be a self-starter, well organized and enthusiastic.
Hours Available: Flexible. You make your own schedule and choose how large or small you want the project to be.
Why This Project: Team projects are fun and allow you to flex your creativity. This is a great way to spend time with your friends, family and/or peers while giving back to the community. Since you are in charge of the project, you are in charge of your schedule. It's also a great way to get involved if your schedule only permits a temporary commitment to the agency.
Suggested Projects:
- Personal Care/Food Drive: Personal care items such as toothpaste, razors, toilet paper, and shampoo are some of the most expensive items families need to purchase. UAF offers these items in our foodbank, but they are very popular and difficult to keep in stock. We always need food for the food bank. Click here to see a list of our most needed items. Organize a personal care item drive in your neighborhood, school, or church, and then donate these items to the UAF foodbank.
- Season’s Givings: Make holiday meal baskets for people living with HIV/AIDS. These meal baskets ensure that people impacted by the disease have good Thanksgiving and Christmas/Chanukah dinners. You can also "adopt" a family living with HIV/AIDS and help them with holiday gifts.
- World AIDS Day: World AIDS Day is December 1st. Gather a group of friends or family to plan something special for World AIDS Day at your school, office, or church. You might prepare a small program, hold a candlelight vigil, or offer an AIDS Quilt display. We will provide you with our expertise and any technical support you need. Be creative!
Special Events
Program Description: The UAF development department is responsible for fundraising. We have two major fundraising events: our annual Fundraising Gala and Salt Lake AIDS Walk . Other special events are held throughout the year. Volunteers are needed to staff each of these events, as well as serve on committees to plan the events.
Skills Needed: Positions on the day of these events may include: drivers and movers, set up, logistics, food service, team coordinators, registration, ticket takers, crossing guards, hosting, project coordinators, etc... Volunteers are also needed for the planning committees for some of these events as well.
Hours Available: Event specific. Shifts are flexible.
Why This Program: Special events are a lot of fun to plan and scheduling is flexible. Serving on an event planning committee is a great way to meet other volunteers. These committees are temporary: they meet for several months before the event, and are good for volunteers who know they have time to volunteer for a few months, but aren‘t sure what their schedules will be like after that. You‘ll also have the satisfaction of seeing all of your work culminate in an exciting public event.
