Check out some of these great upcoming volunteer opportunities!
Kent County Parks and Rec
Friday, August 24, 2012 - Trail Building at Knapp Valley Forest County Park (9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) Volunteers will be enhancing the trail system at Knapp Valley Forest by building new trails and helping to prevent erosion by re-routing some of the existing trails. This project opportunity includes a trail building orientation, and all tools and supplies are provided.
September – Luton Park’s Native Prairie Seeding Project. Throughout the summer, young volunteers have been making Native Prairie Seed Balls to support new plant growth for the Native Prairie at Luton Park. The best time to distribute these seed balls and to plant new native prairie species seeds is in September. Project days and times are flexible according to volunteer preference. Great for students, Master Naturalists, or anyone who enjoys supporting native habitats! Contact Elway Pegg at elway.pegg@davenport.edu for more information!
Grace Hospice Volunteers
Grace Hospice is seeking compassionate individuals who are willing to provide companionship and support to our patients and their family members. Volunteers are a vital part of our hospice team because family members often become overwhelmed and need the assistance that our volunteers can offer. Grace Hospice Volunteers also provide friendly visit to our patients, and offer them additional companionship and solace during a time when they it the most. We are looking for volunteers to help us with the following tasks:
- Companionship
- Support for the caregiver
- Running errands for the patient/caregiver
- Administrative (office) Support
Volunteers need to be 18 years or older and have reliable transportation. We provide free training for those interested! Please feel free to contact the Volunteer Coordinator at Grace Hospice-Muskegon, 800 Ellis Road, Norton Shores, MI 49441. (231) 638-5080 or by email abeene@ghospice.com.
Comstock, Michigan Community Learning Center
Volunteers are needed to assist the Commmunity Learning Center after-school reading-tutoring program in the Comstock Public Elementary Schools. This program is designed specifically for kindergartners through fifth graders. We need volunteers who desire to make a difference in a child's life. The time commitment would be one to four hours per week.
For more information, contact Jamie Goodell, Tutoring Coordinator, at clctutor@communitylearningcntr.com
ArtPrize
September 17-October 7 2012
Help serve your community as ArtPrize hosts 1517 entries at 162 different venues across 3 sq. miles! Join the 1,000 volunteers who work behind the scenes to make this great event possible.
http://www.artprize.org/get-involved/volunteers
Harvest Festival
Sat, October 20th 11-5pm we will need a lot of students.
Invasive species Control Sat., July 21st 9:30-12;30pm Volunteer Open to families and students 13+ Let's uncover some natives under all those invasive plants. Learn about the beneficial native plants that can replace those aggressive non-natives as we control the invaders.
Contact Blandford Nature Center (616)-735-6240
Email Coordinator at jschulte@blandfordnaturecenter.org
Invasive Species Control
Volunteer Open to families and students 13+ Let's hunt down those pesky glossy buckthorn sprouts. We will learn more about why buckthorn is such a problem plant for birds and help pull saplings to prevent the spread of this anthraquinone filled pest.
Sat., Sept 8th 1-3pm
Aug 4th 1-3pm
Sat., Sept 22nd 9:30-12:30
Contact Blandford Nature Center (616)-735-6240
Email Coordinator at jschulte@blandfordnaturecenter.org
Bioblitz
Sat., Aug 18th 1-5pm Free Family program for ages 7+ Come out and participate in Blandford's first Annual Bioblitz. Activities will include live specimen viewing, citizen science, scavenger hunts, and more.
Contact Blandford Nature Center (616)-735-6240
Email Coordinator at jschulte@blandfordnaturecenter.org
Military Care Packages: Support Our Troops
Military care packages bring the comforts of home to our troops, and there are many men and women who would appreciate such a package. For directions on where to send the packages click here. Some package ideas may include
- Pre-packaged, non-perishable food and powdered drink mixes
- Phone cards - Not every unit has access to phones, so only send phone cards if requested
- Toiletries - Keep both male and female soldiers in mind
- Books, magazines, DVDs, CDs and other entertainment items
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
Imagine running out of sunscreen in the desert, or just wanting a little taste of home instead of the usual MREs. A package of wet wipes may be the closest thing to a shower the troops have had all month. A book or magazine will help a soldier relax and escape reality for a few hours. Military care packages can take care of these needs and more while showing the troops that people back home are thinking about them.
Habitat For Humanity
Through the work of Habitat, thousands of low-income families have found new hope in the form of affordable housing. Churches, community groups and others have joined together to successfully tackle a significant social problem―decent housing for all.
Today, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 500,000 houses, sheltering 2.5 million people worldwide.
To sign up by yourself or with a group go to the Habitat for Humanity website, remember GET INVOLVED!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED at Kent Health Plan
Very flexible schedules & Volunteer any weekday(s) from 8:30am to 5pm
Potential duties include, but are not limited to: Assisting with case management and health coaching, Helping with administrative tasks, Scheduling clients for classes and workshops, Facilitating applications and orientations, Bilingual skills a plus, but not required.
Contact: Paul Hazen, Phone: (616) 726-8204, ext. 257, Email: phazen@kenthealthplan.org
Volunteer: Steepletown Neighborhood Services' Learning Lab is seeking volunteers!
Our Learning Lab provides assistance to students seeking their General Education Diploma (GED).
Volunteers would assist students with questions about online course work/homework.
Some benefits:Opportunity to work closely with a non-profit community based organization, Work with Grand Rapids area community youth/young adults, Flexible hours/ schedule, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Morning and late afternoon, Long term and short term arrangements can be made, and Each volunteer will need to fill out a background check form provided by Steepletown.
If you have any questions, please contact me. Thank you so much for your time!
Contact: Melanie Straub
Education Coordinator
(616) 451-4215 (ext. 110)
Volunteers need to prepare taxes for low income individuals.
What is VITA?
- VITA stands for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
- The IRS partners with communities and universities to provide free tax preparation services for low income families, seniors, and the disabled.
- Last year our collegiate partnership served over 2500 clients who received over $4.6 million in refunds.
Students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to participate in this year's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for the 2012 tax season. We need volunteers to prepare taxes, greet clients, translate for Hispanic clients, and distribute flyers to prospective clients. Our tax season will officially begin on January 24th and run through April 17, 2012 but we advertise in advance of the season. To become a VITA, simply fill out a volunteer application and submit to Judy Knapp.
Contact: Judy Knapp judy.knapp@davenport.edu; 616-871-3979
Judy can also answer questions about VITA opportunities across the state. Many accounting and finance students have found their VITA experience helpful in increasing their tax knowledge and skills and it has been beneficial in securing internships and
jobs. Although we love our accounting and finance students, anyone can volunteer for VITA and provide
this useful community service.
Volunteer Resources
Check out our highlighted volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups
Search for volunteer opportunities.
Click here to search! Davenport offers many rewarding opportunities to volunteer your time working with worthwhile organizations through the Heart of West Michigan United Way. You can volunteer on your own or with a group - the possibilities are endless!
Community Service Honor Roll
Click here to check out the CS Honor Roll. Here you can download a handy tracking sheet to jot down your volunteer hours for you to report in April. If you can complete 25 volunteer hours by then--you're in.
