by Connie Midey - The Arizona Republic
In the decades that volunteer centers have played matchmaker for people who want to donate time and the non-profit groups that need them, community service has undergone a makeover.
As people became busier and lifestyles changed, "we've responded to the change in demand for volunteer opportunities," said Rhonda Oliver, president and CEO of HandsOn Greater Phoenix.
Here are five trends she has seen and examples of volunteer opportunities for each available through HandsOn (www.handsonphoenix.org or 602-973-2212):
Episodic volunteering
For people who can't commit to serving on a regular basis, episodic volunteering offers opportunities to work as time permits.
Opportunity: Volunteers for the American Heart Association's Heart Walk on Feb. 28 will help set up the day before and staff registration and food booths, work along the route and perform other duties on the day of the event. Shifts last as little as two hours.
Family-friendly volunteering
"Parents want to instill the value of service in their kids," Oliver said. They also want to spend time together, and working on a community service project is a way to achieve both goals.
Opportunity: Families contribute to tasks such as organizing donations and pricing items at Hospice of the Valley's White Dove Thrift Store.
Student volunteering
Increasingly, students are getting involved. In the process of creating a "civic transcript" that makes them more appealing to colleges, many learn community service's less tangible rewards.
Opportunity: Students age 16 or 17 with signed permission from a parent can sort, pack and distribute food for the St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance. Those ages 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Boomer volunteering
"There's a lot of research that Baby Boomers don't want to play golf and putz around in the garden every day," Oliver said. "They want to serve and enjoy a second chapter in their lives."
Opportunity: Mesa Public Schools needs Boomers and seniors to tutor during the school year.
Corporate volunteering
Many companies support volunteerism so wholeheartedly that they give their employees time off to work on service projects.
Opportunity: The city of Phoenix's Weedwackers tackle team-friendly projects such as rescuing Piestewa Peak from weeds that crowd out native plants and create fire hazards.
Reach the reporter at 602-444-8120 or connie.midey@arizonarepublic .com.
Sphere: Related Content
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment