New Roots Charlottesville supports refugee food security and aids in their transition to the community through gardening, nutrition education, local food access initiatives and small business farming. IRC currently manages New Roots Farm and a few community gardens around town, in addition to providing training and support to numerous additional locations.
Location: Email in advance or follow New Roots Charlottesville on Facebook to confirm the location for each workday.
- New Roots Farm, 410 Old Lynchburg Road
- The Haven Community Garden, corner of Almere Ave. and Burnet St., next to Oakwood Cemetery
- 5th Street Community Garden, in front of the Greenstone on 5th Apartments on 5th Street SW, between Berring St. and Brookwood Drive
- 4th Street Community Garden, 221 4th St SW
- Michie Drive Community Garden, 2100 Michie Drive
Time Commitment: 9-11 am every other Saturday through November. There are also some workdays on Wednesday evenings from 5-7 pm. Continued commitment is not necessary; drop in whenever you can!
Responsibilities: Help staff and farmers out with ongoing projects (e.g. planting, cleaning, harvesting, organizing, etc). Please bring water, gardening gloves, sun-protection, and dress for the weather. Workdays will be cancelled for inclement weather.
Skills/Qualifications: Volunteers must be willing to work hard and get their hands dirty! Open to all community members (children must be supervised).
How to Apply: No application needed! Just email NewRoots.Cville [at] rescue.org to RSVP for a given week.

Student volunteers hard at work this past fall.
Photo: Elizabeth Moore/IRC
More opportunities in Charlottesville, VA
Summer Internships
The IRC in Charlottesville offers a variety of unpaid internships for students currently enrolled in an educational institution or those who are recent graduates.
Resettlement Store Volunteer
Process in-kind donations and help refugee access needed goods
Apartment Set-up Volunteer
Help to welcome newly-arrived refugee families by furnishing and decorating their apartment.
Youth Mentor
Adult mentors in the Charlottesville community are paired with a mentee and help guide the youth through important life transitions and decisions.