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Volunteering
opportunities to match every dream
opportunities to match every dream
This guide is intended to answer some of the following questions for people exploring options in volunteering.
- What organizations offer volunteer opportunities?
- What is the experience of volunteering going to be like?
- Can I find opportunities for seniors to volunteer?
- Can I find opportunities for kids to volunteer?
- Can I find opportunities for online volunteering?
FINDING A VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Web Sites
America's Promise
"A collaborative network that builds on the collective power of communities and partners to help fulfill the Five Promises for every young person: caring adults, safe places, healthy starts, marketable skills, opportunities to serve." Colin Powell is the founding chairman.
Habitat for Humanity
"...nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry" seeking to "eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action."
Peace Corps
Begun in 1961, volunteers in the Peace Corps serve in 71 countries, providing wide ranging services.
Points of Light Foundation
"...mobilizes millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communities." Works with the Volunteer Center National Network.
SERVEnet
"The premier website for service and volunteering." Create a volunteer profile and find matching opportunities or find a range of opportunities by location.
ServiceLeader.org
"Provides information on all aspects of volunteerism" - information for volunteers, volunteer managers, service leaders. Has a document library including a handbook on virtual volunteering for online volunteers.
USA Freedom Corps
Coordinating Council housed at the White House to "strengthen the culture of service and help find opportunities for every American to start volunteering." National programs: AmeriCorps, Citizens Corps, Learn & Save America, Peace Corps, Senior Corps, and more.
Volunteer Match
Nonprofit organization to help anyone who wants to volunteer find a place. Online services include helping to locate local opportunities. Nonprofit organizations can register. Winner of prestigious award by Yale School of Management.
Volunteer Solutions
United Way's volunteer matching service connects individuals to volunteer opportunities in their communities.
Volunteers of America
Provides outreach programs that deal with today's most pressing social needs: "youths at risk, frail elderly, abused and neglected children, people with disabilities, etc. ..." Connects to local programs.
World Volunteer Web
International news, events, and resources for volunteers. Sectors for action include children, disabled people, education, and emergency relief.
VOLUNTEER LOCALLY
Web Sites
SEE WEBSITES ABOVE WHICH ALSO OFFER GUIDANCE TO LOCAL VOLUNTEERING.
Athens Community Council on Aging
ACCA "aims to maintain and enrich the lives of older persons in the 12 counties of Northeast Georgia." A variety of volunteering opportunities.
Volunteer 211
Created by "Community Connection to promote and facilitate volunteer participation in the Athens and North Georgia area." Volunteer 211 helps non-profit organizations recruit and keep volunteers, and helps individuals and groups identify desirable volunteer opportunities.
Volunteer UGA
Campus volunteer center for University of Georgia students, designed to connect students with opportunities in the region.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SENIORS
Web Sites
Citizen Corps
Playing a role in homeland security, volunteers support local emergency responders, disaster relief and community safety, develop community action plans, assess threats and identify local resources."
Experience Corps
"Experience Corps works to solve serious social problems, beginning with literacy." It "...offers new adventures in service for Americans over 55." It is a signature program of Civic Ventures.
Reinventing Aging
A list of organizations that provide numerous ways for seniors to become involved in helping their communities.
Senior Corps
"Senior Corps connects today's over 55s with the people and organizations that need them most. We help them become mentors, coaches or companions to people in need, or contribute their job skills and expertise to community projects and organizations."
VOLUNTEERING FOR KIDS
Web Sites
Big Help
"A nation-wide program driven by local activities. The focus is on kids, as individuals and in groups, volunteering in their own communities. The Toolkit offers advice for kids on organizing, promoting and running a project, as well as a list of partnering organizations."
Family Cares
Operated by a national nonprofit organization, Child Charitable Development Association, which also operates Kids Care Clubs. "We provide children, families, schools, and religious groups with meaningful opportunities to help others in their local and global communities."
Landmark Volunteers
"Landmark Volunteers is a non-profit organization providing high school students with volunteer community service opportunities through two-week summer programs and one week spring programs at 56 cultural, environmental, historic and social service organizations across America."
USA Freedom Corps Kids
"Resources, ideas, and information to help parents and teachers engage America's youth in their communities." The site helps kids find a way to help in areas they care about - animals, their neighbors, the environment.
VOLUNTEERING ONLINE
Web Sites
Online Volunteering
A volunteer arm of the United Nations, the web site helps volunteers serve communities in developing countries. Volunteers translate documents, write articles, research data, build web sites, mentor young people, and accomplish other tasks online.
Service Leader on Establishing Online Volunteer Service
"Virtual volunteering means volunteer tasks completed, in whole or in part, via the Internet and a home or work computer. Virtual volunteering allows agencies to expand the benefits of their volunteer programs, by allowing for more volunteers to participate, and by utilizing volunteers in new areas." This web site is intended to provide resources to help organizations implement a virtual volunteering program.
BOOKS ON VOLUNTEERING
Ausenda, Fabio. World volunteers : the world guide to humanitarian and development volunteering. Milano : Green Volunteers ; New York : US & Canada distribution, Universe, c2005.
NONFIC 361.7091 WORLD
Erlbach, Arlene. The kids' volunteering book. Minneapolis : Lerner, c1998.
JNF 302.14 ERLBACH
Freedman, Marc. Prime time : how baby boomers will revolutionize retirement and transform America. New York : Public Affairs, c1999.
306.38 FREEDMAN Available through PINES
Hall, Colin. Taking time off : inspiring stories of students who enjoyed successful breaks from college and how you can plan your own. New York : Noonday Press, c1996.
NONFIC 378.03 HALL
Kinder, Colleen. Delaying the real world. Philadelphia, Pa. : Running Press, c2005.
NONFIC 650.14 KINDER
Salzman, Marian L. 150 ways teens can make a difference. Princeton, N.J. : Peterson's Guides, c1991.
YA 302 SALZMAN