Have a little extra time and want to get more involved with your community? The city of Austin has many interesting and unique volunteer opportunities. For starters, you could volunteer with the Austin Public Library, sharing your love of books and reading in the BookSpring program. Or, the Central Texas Food Bank‘s mobile pantry always needs volunteers to prepare food donations on weekdays or weekends. You might share your sense of style by volunteering with Dress for Success Austin, where you can sort clothing donations, put together clothing packages or help women assemble outfits for job interviews. Check out some of the many other ways to volunteer in your city here.

Have room for a kitten or two in your home and heart? If so, you’re in luck: This time of year, there’s no shortage of kittens – quite the opposite, in fact. A new crop of kittens has just popped up at the Austin Animal Center, fresh from their fosters and ready to be adopted into their furever homes at this festive, Hawaiian-themed event. All kittens are spayed or neutered, microchipped, have had at least one round of vaccinations, and are guaranteed to be criminally cute. Get ’em while they’re hot! Saturday, Aug. 13, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Austin Animal Center, 7201 Levander Loop.

Today, Aug. 8, marks the 30th anniversary of the passing of the Save Our Springs ordinance that protects the quality of Barton Springs. The anniversary will be marked by a free swim day at Barton Springs Pool and a ceremony just outside the front gate at 6 p.m. The ceremony will feature appearances from City Council Member and SOS co-founder Ann Kitchen, SOS co-founders Mary Arnold and Bill Bunch, and former state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, as well as live music. Read headlines from the day here.

Pollster and political prognosticator Mark Littlefield has put together an impressive series of statistics about all the people signed up to run for mayor and for five seats on City Council this November. After Littlefield posted his tweets, Craig Allen Blanchard III designated himself as his own treasurer to run for mayor. Blanchard, 37, told the Austin Monitor he is a Democrat but has friends who are Republicans. He said he would be focusing on the environment and helping the homeless. That makes eight candidates for mayor, though only three – Kirk Watson, Jennifer Virden and Celia Israel – have either the money or the name recognition to be considered real contenders. In District 9, where Council Member Kathie Tovo is stepping down after 11 years, there are nine contenders to date, while District 1 Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison has just one opponent so far. The filing deadline for all of these races is Aug. 22.

Austin Public Health, Central Health and their community partners are hosting a roundtable discussion that will cover all things monkeypox, including prevention methods, professional experiences, vaccination and more. Among the health professionals participating in the event are Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County health authority; Dr. Guadalupe Zamora, Central Health; Dr. Michael C. Stefanowicz, CommUnityCare; Dr. Aliza Norwood, Vivent Health; and Danielle Deutschendorf, APRN, MSN, FNP-C, Austin Public Health. Community members will have the opportunity to ask questions during the event. Friday, Aug. 5, noon, on Facebook Live. RSVP here.

The city is holding a virtual meeting to update the community on the state of homelessness in Austin, and everyone is invited. According to the description of the event, presenters will touch on a number of issues such as housing production, implementation of the camping ban, American Rescue Plan Act investment strategies, the HEAL initiative, and cold weather shelters. In addition to getting updates on these topics, everyone who signs up will have the opportunity to ask questions. The meeting will take place online today, Aug. 4, at 6:30 p.m.

Mayor Steve Adler will hold his State of the City address at the end of this month. The speech is an opportunity to talk about Austin a lot, and look back at the past year, and usually, forward to the next. Throughout the years, the event has been private, virtual and open to the public. This year, which marks Adler’s final State of the City, the public is welcome to attend. Tickets, which are free, can be reserved for the speech, which will take place Aug. 25 at 5 p.m. at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

Summer Friday Flicks concludes this Friday, Aug. 5, with a free 25th anniversary screening of Selena at the Moody Amphitheater. Bidi Bidi Banda warms up the crowd with a live performance, followed by activities for the whole family courtesy of the Austin Parks Foundation and others. Bring picnics, blankets and lawn chairs; lots of free cold water will be available on-site. Doors open at 6 p.m., music starts at 7:30 p.m. and the movie starts at sunset.

The Eustasio Cepeda Branch Library is throwing a grand reopening party and you’re invited. Library Director Roosevelt Weeks announced in a press release, “We are thrilled to welcome the Govalle and East Austin community back into this important center for learning, culture and recreation. The improvements that have been made at this location will allow Austin Public Library to continue sustainably providing safe and friendly experiences at the Cepeda Branch for years to come.” The Cepeda Branch has been closed for extensive renovations since January 2021. The party starts with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a performance by the Bronze Band, family-friendly crafts, origami and a photo booth. 651 N. Pleasant Valley Road, Saturday, Aug. 6, 10 a.m.-noon (library stays open until 5 p.m. after the party).

We enjoy looking at it, walking by it and living near it: Now Lady Bird Lake could use a little help from her friends. Saturday, Aug. 13, is the last organized volunteer cleanup of the lake this summer, and there are still a few spots open. This is a sought-after volunteer gig; don’t miss your opportunity. The cleanups are scheduled before noon or in the evening hours to beat the heat. Register here.

The elves – OK, Transportation Department staffers – are hard at work imagining a better design for Austin’s downtown street network, called the Austin Core Transportation, or the ACT Plan. In order to do this, they need your help, or at least your input. This community survey explores community members’ opinions and preferences when it comes to mobility options downtown. The ACT Plan is important because it intersects with several big downtown projects, including Project Connect, I-35 Capital Express Central and the Palm District Planning Initiative. The survey will remain open until Sept. 30.

The lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport continue to astound travel industry watchers and travelers alike. According to the airport’s latest numbers, just released yesterday, “passenger traffic growth for June 2022 was up 44.88 percent compared to June 2021 with 1,985,801 passengers flying during the month.” Not too shabby. You can examine the data – and the exact number of emplanements – for yourself here.