Join the joy.

The heart and soul of our organization, our volunteers are essential partners who commit their time and resources to help sick kids feel like kids again.

Change lives as a JoyRx volunteer.

Change lives as a JoyRx volunteer.

The look on a child’s face when they get to focus on being a kid and not their illness is pure magic.

As a volunteer, your efforts will make a powerful difference in the lives of seriously ill children and their families.

Two teen volunteers pose together, smiling in their JoyRx gear.

Types of volunteers.

  • Available in Portland, OR, and Austin, TX, only.

    JoyRx Music draws on the universal power of music to create transformational moments for children in treatment.

    Our volunteer musicians bring their musical talents and generous hearts to the hallways and lobbies of our partner hospitals in order to help create a welcoming and peaceful environment for the kids we serve, their families, hospital staff, and anyone else who walks through the doors.

    We require a minimum commitment of six months for our music volunteers and ask that they come in at least twice a month, prepared to play a two-hour set of hospital-appropriate music that adheres to our music standards and guidelines. 

  • Available in Portland, OR, only.

    JoyRx Mentorship fosters trusted companionship to inspire friendship and offer joyful distraction. Our trained, adult volunteer mentors provide mental and emotional support to children and teens in treatment and critical support to their families.  

    Mentor applicants are thoroughly interviewed, screened, and trained before they are approved to be mentors, ensuring we find the right fit for our program and the families we serve. We require a minimum commitment of one-year from the time a mentor is matched with a child. We also ask that mentors visit their kiddos for six to eight hours per month for the length of their match.

  • Available in Portland, OR, and Austin, TX, only.

    JoyRx Event volunteers support us in our community outreach and fundraising efforts.

    They make themselves available to be an extra set of hands for events such as our Golf For Joy fundraisers, Wonderball Gala, Live from the Heart benefit concert, and many other events throughout the year.

  • Available in Portland, OR, only.

    JoyRx Office volunteers help us with day-to-day tasks in the office.

    During the times we require extra sets of hands for things such as mailings, sending out thank you gifts, organizing our mentorship toy closet, and other tasks, our office volunteers offer their time in order to help us share the joy of our mission and programs. 

If you’re over the age of 18 and would like to get involved, reach out.

A musician shows a young girl how to play guitar.

In the news: Volunteering stories