HELPING HANDS | Volunteering

Volunteer Services Agency, Inc., a United Way Agency, is the local resource for volunteer recruitment, placement, and management for people of all ages and abilities in the Mahoning Valley. Helping Hands is a monthly column that serves to communicate the impact that volunteering can have on our community. To express interest in one of the opportunities below, contact VSA at (330) 782-5877, or visit www.volunteerservicesagency.org. and click on the blue button for (800) Volunteer.org

SHORT-TERM OPPORTUNITIES:

Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way Community Investment Volunteers: Community Investment panels are comprised of members representing nonprofit agencies, government, business, education, health care and community volunteers from Mahoning County focused on a specific area of community impact. It is convened for the purpose of performing organizational and programmatic review of each program requesting funding through the United Way Community Investment process. Volunteers serve an average of 20 hours over a five month period.

Second Harvest Food Bank: Volunteers needed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 10 to fill the food bank’s new truck with food. Second Harvest will unveil its new truck with a community celebration. Visit the food bank on that day and bring canned goods, nonperishables and food items that can be opened without a can opener. Items that are always needed include dry cereal, canned vegetables, canned meats and stew and peanut butter.

Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley: Volunteers are needed for both one-time opportunities as well as long-term opportunities. One-time opportunities require one visit to the classroom and long-term opportunities require five to 10 visits, 45 minutes each, to the classroom during the school year.

Honor Guard-VFW Post 9571: Assist in providing military honors for deceased veterans of all branches of the military at funerals.

Make a Difference Day: The event is Oct. 27. Participation is simple. Get a group together and determine what need you want to address, develop a project and register it with us, and recruit volunteers. Locally VSA will be coordinating numerous one-day volunteer projects to benefit the environment, local nonprofit groups and youths.  

LONG-TERM OPPORTUNITIES:

Mentors/Tutors: 55 and better individuals are invited to share what they know with a young person who could benefit from a mentoring relationship. Mentoring is personally fulfilling and has meaningful impact on the lives of young people. Volunteer opportunities are generally long-term but very flexible (1-2 hours a week). Don’t keep your life experiences to yourself-pass them on to the next generation. 

Teen Action Group representative: Students from Mahoning and Trumbull county high schools can represent their school as a member of our Teen Action Group. Members develop leadership skills while planning and participating in community wide service projects. TAG is a great opportunity to build your resume, enhance college applications, meet service hour requirements, meet new friends from other high schools, and most importantly give back to your community.

Interdenominational Youth Coalition: An opportunity for youth ministers, youth directors and youth participants ages 13-18 from churches, faith congregations and religious organizations to participate in service projects as an extension of faith. The coalition meets the second Wednesday of every month, at p.m. at Volunteer Services Agency.

Art Outreach Gallery at the Eastwood Mall: The Gallery operates through volunteer assistance. Volunteers open the Gallery and welcome the customers. Hours of operation: Friday 5. to 9 p.m., Saturday 1 to 9 p.m., and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. All exhibits are free and open to the public.

Gallery prep: Help prepare the Gallery for shows by cleaning the Gallery and prepping the walls.

Dress for Success Warren/Youngstown: Opportunity for professionals to share their expertise, knowledge, and experience by participating in our Professional Women’s Group training/seminars. Topics of interest include financial literacy, career advancement, work etiquette, balancing work and family, conflict resolution and more.

Help Hotline: Training to use the phone at the Center to provide referrals and crisis intervention. 6 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 24-Oct. 22 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 27. Call VSA for more details and screening process.

Boys and Girls Club of Youngstown: Spend time with youths after school by helping them do their homework.