Volunteer Information

Without our volunteers, Greenhill could not provide its current high level of service to the animals and people of our community!

Volunteer Member Team Values

What our volunteers are saying...

What to expect as a Greenhill volunteer:
 
  • Volunteers are asked to make a regular commitment to coming out for a shift weekly. 
  • Shifts are scheduled in advance and being on a set schedule is highly encouraged.
  • Most shifts are 2 hours in length and available 7 days a week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (depending on what area).
  • Depending on what area you are volunteering, you may need to be able to be on your feet most of your shift, bend, lift, work around cleaning products, provide great customer service and/or get a little dirty.
  • Reliable transportation to the Greenhill Road shelter location is necessary.
  • Volunteers 12-15 years in age can join the team with a parent/guardian see our Youth Volunteers tab for details.
  • Ages 16+ are welcome to come out on their own. 
 

Ready to Volunteer?

Please read this list of volunteer requirements before applying. 

Pay for your volunteer registration fee using the link below. Be sure to select the package that fits the type of volunteering you will be doing! Pay Volunteer Registration Fee

After payment is processed you will receive an email to initiate your background check or with next steps (for those under 18).

Volunteer Spotlight

March 2025

Michelle

Meet Michelle, our Volunteer of the Month for March! Michelle has volunteered with Greenhill since April 2022 and has given more than 230 hours of her time to the shelter animals. As a Cattery Adoption Floor Cleaner and Cattery Tech Assistant, Michelle helps get the kitties’ days off to a great start by cleaning and restocking supplies in the holding areas and adoption floor rooms. She enjoys helping the cats relax and engage with her and describes her volunteer work as “an opportunity to help the cats feel comfortable. And the kittens are each so unique that I can imagine their personality when they are grown up a bit more. Some are shy, some playful, some downright goofy.”
 
Michelle moved to Eugene in 2020 with her husband, Joe, after growing up in the Midwest. In her words, “Joe and I loved the support for the artists in Eugene, and it is located between families on the West Coast so it makes visits easy.” She spent her career as an interior designer, a profession that took her from designing courthouses in the earlier years to residential remodeling by the end. In addition, she has also volunteered her interior design skills for fundraising events for organizations such as the Seniorcare Coalition, which helps seniors with disabilities or in assisted living communities.
 
Since she retired, Michelle has enjoyed spending her time on arts and crafts. She hones her skills through participating in the basketry guild, learning sculpture at LCC, and independently learning to fuse glass and weave on her rigid heddle loom. In her spare time, she is also learning TaiChi Combined 42 Form.
 
Although Michelle does not currently have any pets, she has had dogs in the past, most recently a rescue from the American Hovawart Club named Mika. Mika was one of eight dogs who were rescued at the same time, and after three years, Michelle and Joe also adopted her three-year-old pup, Tulio. Michelle recalls about Mika: “She was extremely fearful and health compromised, but a very gentle dog, so my sons liked her when they were only 6 and 10 years old. They helped her feel safe and encouraged her to play. She liked to eat flowers. She became a big success story among the other owners of the 8 dogs that were rescued together.”
 
Since she started volunteering at Greenhill, Michelle has appreciated the people as well as the animals she has met in the cattery. As a newer member of the Eugene community, she values the relationships she’s built with other volunteers, and working alongside cattery staff has shown her “how dedicated and hardworking the staff are and how much the public benefits from their service. It’s not always apparent to the people who come in to adopt because the animals are so well tended.”