Opportunities From: United Way of Central Ohio

Volunteer with Village in the Ville this winter season to help an aging adult in the Clintonville, Beechwold, and University District neighborhood shovel their sidewalk, driveway, and stairs.

By shoveling their sidewalks, driveways, and steps, you're helping to ensure that our aging neighbors will have safe access to our community. Ensuring safe accessibility to our community is fundamental for ensuring that our older neighbors can age in place - that is, in their home and in our community - for as long as possible. So, please don't underestimate the value of providing a service that's as simple as shoveling some snow.

Once you sign up to shovel snow, you'll be matched with an older adult from the Clintonville, Beechwold, or University District area. (We try out best to match our volunteers with an older adult that lives close to them.) Once matched, we ask that our volunteers reach out to their matches whenever it snows (more than two inches) to see if and when they might need their driveway, sidewalk, and stairs shoveled.

If you're someone who enjoys the winter weather and helping to make a difference in your community, this opportunity is for you! Not only will you get the satisfaction of making a difference by ensuring an older adult has safe accessibility to our community, but the satisfaction of friendship as well. That's because you'll have the opportunity to really get to know your match, as you help them for the rest of the winter season!

If you have any questions, please contact William Jones-Kline at 614-390-4827 or william.jones-kline@clintonvillecrc.org. He'd be happy to answer any outstanding questions you might have!

The Mission of the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio is to reduce the impact of poverty by providing furniture to central Ohio families and individuals struggling with severe life challenges.

Our Vision is for all central Ohio families to live in furnished homes, thereby strengthening family units, improving quality of life and building a better community. Community collaborations and resource sharing make this possible on an ongoing basis.

How You Can Help

We currently need:

To ship or drop-off donations call 614-297-0533 or e-mail groth@furniturebankcoh.org.

One of our biggest in-kind needs is non-perishable and toiletry items for our Groceries To Go pantry (which supports clients undergoing treatment for active cancer).

Those items can be dropped off at our distribution center (670 Harmon Ave) or we have Amazon Wish Lists where you can purchase items and have them shipped to us directly!

Groceries To Go Wish List:  https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/genericItemsPage/2REVM4PJIU2KQ

Helping Seniors and their Closest Companions

Senior PetCare provides eligible clients with assistance in taking care of their pets, helping to maintain the client’s ability to remain in their own home. Volunteers deliver pet food to clients’ homes, and the program also assists with veterinary care.

LONG-TERM RESULTS

HOW YOU CAN HELP

One of LiifeCare Alliance’s biggest In-Kind needs is wet dog/cat food for our Senior Pet Care program. 

These items can be dropped off at our distribution center (670 Harmon Ave) or we have Amazon Wish Lists where you can purchase and have shipped to us directly!

Senior Pet Care Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/genericItemsPage/R579D0APF51Y

For more information on this program, call 614-444-MEAL.

Volunteers are our biggest need! If you are able to deliver Meals-on-Wheels to homebound seniors and people with medical challenges in Franklin, Marion, Madison, Champaign, or Logan counties, we would love to have you join our volunteer ranks!

Volunteers deliver a hot or frozen nutritious meal to our homebound or medically challenged clients. Each hot route delivers meals to 12 – 15 clients. Frozen routes deliver a week's worth of meals to about 5 clients.  Routes take approximately 1.5 hours to deliver.  Volunteers would drive their own vehicles and training can be provided in person or via a pre-recorded video that volunteers can watch at their leisure.  

Volunteers MUST complete our online application at https://www.lifecarealliance.org/volunteer/apply/ and include a copy of their driver's license and auto insurance card. 

Two additional waivers are also required by our funders.  Completed copies can be returned to us at volunteer@lifecarealliance.org:

HIPPA Form:  https://www.lifecarealliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/HIPAA-Training-Outline.pdf
Volunteer Waiver: https://www.lifecarealliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Volunteer-Release-and-Waiver-of-Liability-Form.pdf

The holidays can be a difficult time- both financially and emotionally, for the women we serve.  Each year we put together a holiday gift bag for the ladies of CATCH Court, Freedom's Butterflies and Freedom a la Cart's Workforce Development program in encouraging them throughout the season!

See the below link for more information on items collected, and walk alongside survivors this season as they lead new lives of Freedom & walk towards self-sufficiency.

Holiday Gift Donations Needed

Asian American Community Services (AACS) is a nonprofit organization which has been serving the needs of our Asian and Pacific Islander community since 1976. Throughout the years, we have produced a fair number of video cassettes and taken hundreds of photos. We would love to send some VHS tapes and photographs home with you to digitize. We would like to make the media available on our website for the public. If you have a passion for history and have your own equipment, we would love to work with you!

At Freedom a la Cart, we bring hope to survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation so they can build new lives of freedom and become self-sufficient. We believe that giving a woman practical job skills and developing strong work ethic is vital for creating a pathway to freedom. So, we’ve created a safe place of restoration where survivors can heal, learn and grow as they prepare for sustainable employment and reintegrate into our community.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Rake and bag leaves for an older adult. This is a great opportunity for groups, families, and even individuals looking to help out. Rakes, leaf bags, and gloves can be provided. Every yard is a little different but generally raking can be done in 2-4 hours. Leaf raking will occur October-December on an ongoing basis, so we can easily accommodate your schedule. 

Volunteers will assist with the sorting of donated clothing or the placing on hangers the clothing. If comfortable with computers and willing to interact with the shoppers, we also need people who will help check out the shoppers. All items are free to the shoppers.

We all know that winter in Ohio is no walk in the park. Snow and frigid temperatures are common from November all the way through March. By taking the time to create these thick fleece blankets, you can help keep someone warm this winter.

Add comfort and warmth during this time and make no-sew, fleece-tied blankets for homeless families and formerly homeless women residents. 

Materials:

Instructions: 

1. Use the scissors to cut two fabric sheets with pleasantly contrasting patterns into 60 x 54 rectangles. This can be done before the activity so that you can simply provide the fabric to the volunteers.

2. Use the scissors or roller cutter to cut a 3 x 3 square out of each corner of both sheets.

3. Use the scissors to cut slits 3 inches in and 1 inch across. It will look similar to the pink fabric pictured above. Make sure both fabric sheets have an equal number of strips and that each strip lines up with a strip on the other sheet.

4. Tie each strip to its corresponding mate on the other sheet. A simple square knot is enough. 

Additional Resources:

Downloadable Instructions 

Instructional Video

Finished products can be mailed or delivered to 360 S. 3rd St, Columbus, OH 43215. Please call Brandi Davis at 614.227.2714 to make arrangements.

Village in the Ville provides support to older adults hoping to stay in their homes and remain connected to community as they age. One of the major ways we support older adults is by helping them to maintain the outsides of their homes, through yard work, leaf raking, gardening, and more. This is a fun way to interact with an older neighbor and offer a very helpful service. Bring along friends or family and make it a social activity as well! 

Volunteers may sign-up individually or as a small group. Once volunteers sign-up, an email with the address of an older adult that needs assistance and an outline of tasks will be sent. Tasks may include weeding, raking, moving patio furniture or other large items, clearing yard waste and other similar tasks. Timing is flexible, but volunteers should plan to set aside 2-3 hours for volunteering. Prior to the volunteer date, Village staff will make sure all tools and necessary yard waste bags are at the older adult's home. 

Our volunteers and mentors are a part of a caring community who work with our agency youth and assist our staff at our intake, assessment and investigations department. Through the power of one on one relationships, we are committed to nurturing the youth involved with our agency by offering them fun childhood experiences they may have never received.

Who are we looking for?

If so, please consider joining our team by attending a volunteer orientation and learning about our five volunteer programs.

Help us reclaim our youth’s childhoods, while you revisit your own.

Click the link below to sign-up.

http://childrenservices.franklincountyohio.gov/programs/volunteers-and-mentors.cfm

Through the Our Lady of Guadalupe Center, we are working to reduce poverty by addressing its root causes within the immigrant Hispanic community concentrated on the west side of Columbus—a population that is growing and experiences disproportionate poverty.

At the Center, we provide services including a food pantry, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, nutrition classes, preventative health screenings, legal and immigration consultations and referrals, and comprehensive case management.

If you are interested in volunteering at the Center, please contact Alma Santos at (614) 340-7061 or asantos@colscss.org. 

*Please note, we are following all recommended CDC COVID-19 safety guidelines.

There are over 30,000 kids waiting in the nation for a Big Brother or Big Sister! In Central Ohio we make it simple to learn about all of the different engagement opportunities to mentor with our agency! Stand with us today and become a Defender of Potential! Please register for our mentor orientation today to learn more!

https://bit.ly/3majaRN

Cornerstone of hope exists because, in this life, the unthinkable sometimes happens. A child dies before his parents. A husband or wife dies, leaving their spouse and children at a loss for how to go on living. A student dies, leaving a school reeling over the shock and sorrow. In your loneliness, you desperately need to give hope and connect with those who understand. When we are left without the smile and the touch of the one whom we loved so dearly, we need a hand to hold, to pull us out of the pit and the pain.

Cornerstone of Hope is a center for grieving children, teens, and adults, offering individual counseling, support groups, workshops, memorial ceremonies, and youth camps.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Below are the in-kind needs we currently have:

·  150 individual packaged tissues

o   Used for support groups & camps

·    30 individual bottles of hand sanitizer

o   Used for camps

·    150 reusable water bottles

o   Used for camps

·    500 individually packaged snacks (chips, crackers, fruit snacks, granola bars, etc.)

o   Used for camps

·      Printer paper

o   Used for office needs

·    Stamps

o   Used to sending marketing material

Items can be dropped off at 1550 Old Henderson Road, Suite E-262 Columbus, Ohio 43220

VANTAGE Aging’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) - Columbus

Are you a senior looking for safe, socially distant volunteer opportunities? Become an RSVP volunteer and we will connect you with variety of opportunities in the community. We are your "one stop shop" for finding volunteer opportunities in the community, such as:

Join one of the largest volunteer networks in the nation for people 55 years and over. By being an RSVP volunteer, not only would you get to volunteer at your favorite organization, you will receive additional unique benefits such as liability, car insurance and more, as well as being a part of a nationally recognized AmeriCorps Senior network. If you’re interested, contact us to learn more.

Requirements:

Time Commitment:

Training:

VANTAGE Aging’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) - Columbus

Are you a senior 55 and older looking for safe, socially distant volunteer opportunities? Become an RSVP volunteer and we will connect you with variety of opportunities in the community. 

We are looking for volunteers to help with our Card Making, virtual and TeleCare opportunities. You can write greeting cards, virtually share your talents (storytelling, play instruments) or make calls to fellow seniors or adults with disabilities who are homebound, feeling isolated, living alone and/or just looking for companionship. These opportunities are meant to give encouragement to the recipient. This can be a one-time, seasonal activity during holidays or performed monthly throughout the year as a “pen pal” type of arrangement.

It is a safe way to make a big difference in someone’s life. You can do these flexible opportunities in the comfort of your own home. This could be a great way to spend your leisure time during Covid, doing something safe, exciting and rewarding.

Requirements:

Become the best part of someone's day. Volunteer with RSVP!

VANTAGE Aging’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) - Columbus

Are you a senior 55 and older looking for safe, socially distant volunteer opportunities? Become an RSVP volunteer and we will connect you with variety of opportunities in the community. 

We are looking for volunteers to help with our Card Making, virtual and TeleCare opportunities. You can write greeting cards, virtually share your talents (storytelling, play instruments) or make calls to fellow seniors or adults with disabilities who are homebound, feeling isolated, living alone and/or just looking for companionship. These opportunities are meant to give encouragement to the recipient. This can be a one-time, seasonal activity during holidays or performed monthly throughout the year as a “pen pal” type of arrangement.

It is a safe way to make a big difference in someone’s life. You can do these flexible opportunities in the comfort of your own home. This could be a great way to spend your leisure time during Covid, doing something safe, exciting and rewarding.

Are you a young professional looking for opportunities to give back to the community? Do you want to help individuals become independent?

At Goodwill, our mission is to transform the lives of individuals with disabilities and other barriers through pathways to independence and the power of work. We offer Adult Day Services for individuals with disabilities, work and community services programs training individuals for career placement, and Workforce Development programs helping individuals facing all types of barriers find jobs.

If you have time to lend your time and talents to help advance our mission, consider joining the Goodwill Service Board!

The Service Board is a Goodwill affiliate made up of volunteers - both men and women - who raise funds and participate in community service to support Goodwill programs that help individuals with job placement, learn life skills and get involved in the community. The group meets Virtually at 6:30 the third Wednesday of every month to help plan an annual fundraiser.

Ability to actively participate in the planning and execution of a yearly fundraising event, make connections with colleagues, friends and associates, market the event to the community, and post information on social media are needed.

*Community Service hours: At this time, we cannot accept court-appointed requests.

Are you a Buckeye nut? Do you love all things Disney? The Beatles your favorite group? Marvel comic book fan?

Whatever your passion, Goodwill Columbus is looking for trivia games to play with individuals with disabilities in our Adult Day Services. Due to COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines, Goodwill is now hosting many program activities virtually with individuals at home and at our sites throughout central Ohio. Our individuals love trivia, so what better way to connect and share your passion and knowledge than through trivia. 

You can create these games through PowerPoint, video, or whatever creative way you can come up with. So that our individuals can get to know you, we ask that you include an introduction of yourself (name, where you work/go to school/job title and why you are so passionate about the subject of the game you created).

*Community Service hours: At this time, we cannot accept court-appointed requests.

Help Individuals with Disabilities Gain Independence

Goodwill helps more than 70 individuals with developmental disabilities live independently in 40 Supported Living households throughout central Ohio. Due to COVID-19, many of these individuals are looking for activities they can do at home to remain safe from the virus.

This "Service at Home Opportunity" is for volunteers to collect and donate activities and games for these individuals to work on self-direction and greater independence skills. Items that work to increase sensory integration (like Play Doh, bubbles, sand, slime, crafts), exercise and movement (low impact yard sports like bocce, soccer, basketball, t-ball) and spatial and color integration (like puzzles, adult coloring books) would all be useful in helping these individuals with their individual service plans.

Assemble and drop off snack bags for residents and/or staff. Snack bags can include fruit, vegetables, crackers, trail mix, etc. Please no nuts or nut products.

Please contact us directly for more details.

There are two options:

1) Physically drop off prepared food to our kitchen staff who will serve the food

2) Sponsor a meal by donating $500 for dinner or $300 for breakfast.

Visit our website for more details and to sign up for an open date. 

Village Central provides resources and support to older adults hoping to remain in their own homes as they age, while staying connected to the community. We are looking for volunteers who are interested in providing technology support to older adults that will aid in connectivity during this time of social distancing. Helping an aging adult with tasks as setting up a tablet or connecting to the internet can make a BIG impact while providing a fun way to connect with an older neighbor. If you are interested please sign up here and we will contact you with more information and next steps.

Time commitment: as needed- 2-4 hours

On an average day, NNEMAP gives away a 3-day supply of food for about 250 people. The Stockroom/Inventory Assistant makes sure food is available for guests, accepts deliveries and donations, and helps manage cardboard recycling and trash removal.

Establishing portable grow communities on the Near East Side. Rally for Recovery Week!

Solar United Neighbors is in search of Videographers for the National Solar Tour!

The National Solar Tour is the largest grassroots renewable energy event in the nation. From September 28th to October 4th, hundreds of people across the nation will show off their solar homes and businesses. We need volunteers to help capture solar owners stories through videos.

Solar United Neighbors desires volunteers who are willing to set-up and video solar owners as they share their solar story and more about their solar system. Videographers will need to provide video equipment and set up and run basic video camera equipment. Drone videographers are welcome to share their skills!

If you have videography skills, are looking to develop your video skills or love meeting people, this is the perfect opportunity for you!

Enjoy meeting solar supporters and capturing their stories as a way to spread solar throughout the nation.

Specifically, you will:

Solar United Neighbors is excited to once again partner with the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and thousands of solar homeowners, businesses, and organizations to help spread the word about solar energy as part of the National Solar Tour. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the National Solar Tour and we hope you’ll join us! 

In light of the current health crisis, we’ve decided to bring the National Solar Tour online. During the week of September 28th-October 4th, we will be presenting virtual live and pre-recorded tours, Q&A sessions, panels, movie screenings, and more. 

Solar homes, schools, businesses, non-profit organizations, municipal buildings, farms, religious institutions, and community solar gardens are all invited to submit a pre-recorded video tour, photos, or host a live tour.

If you have solar, submit a video tour of your home!

More than 1,200 people sleep in homeless shelters in Columbus and Franklin County on any given night, while an estimated 600 or more are on the streets. Community Shelter Board is leading a battle to slow the spread of COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness. These efforts including opening multiple new facilities – some to achieve social distancing in crowded homeless shelters, and other facilities for isolation and quarantine of those already infected with the virus.

You can’t stay home if you don’t have a home. Please join the fight to save the lives of those most vulnerable in our community.

You can make two sizes: Adult or Child

For No Sew options or instructional videos click here.

When masks are complete:

They items can be dropped off at
YMCA of Central Ohio
Mon-Tue between 11 am – 12 noon
40 W. Long Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Help feed Linden during these unprecedented times!

We need at least 50 volunteers to help us prepare food and serve it to the community! We are partnering with the Columbus Dream Center and the Children's Hunger Alliance to feed people throughout the area!

This will take place Monday-Friday 5pm-5:45pm

Volunteers will be needed from 4:30pm-6:15pm

If you can help in any way, that is much appreciated! Social distancing will be encouraged during this event. 

To sign up, click here.

Many of us are working from home, and are relying on technology to keep us connected. Some local nonprofits in our community, do not have access to hardware and software items that they need to continue to help those who are suffering during this global crisis.

A donation of any of the following items would make a huge impact for our community:

If you or your business have access to these items or would like to donate to help agencies get access to much-needed tech resources, please reach out to Brandi Davis at brandi.davis@uwcentralohio.org or call 614-227-2714. Thank You!!

To ensure that low-income individuals can still access legal help and advice during the COVID-19 crisis, the Legal Aid Society of Columbus and Southeastern Ohio Legal Services have created a new “Virtual Clinic” model, which engages our volunteer lawyers in phone advice clinics. In direct response to the expansion of Unemployment Compensation program, we are also launching a special Virtual Unemployment Compensation Clinic to organize volunteers to help individuals who are struggling to apply for unemployment compensation. If you wish to help, please use this form: https://oslsa.wufoo.com/forms/zx6si961rm5zp6/.

On behalf of the 6,000 youth and families we serve, thank you for your support.  As a mental and behavioral health organization, Directions for Youth & Families strives to improve both individual and family well-being through counseling and educational programs.

We want you to know how much your support means to both the young people in our programs and to our organization. Your gifts allow us to help youth and families who would not have access to these items without your support.

Thank you very much for your commitment to the youth and families in central Ohio. 

All of these items can be purchase through Amazon and sent to:

Attn.: Stephanie Jackson.

Directions for Youth & Families

1515 Indianola Ave.

Columbus, Oh. 43201

Items can be purchased on Amazon and sent to:

595 Van Buren Dr.

Columbus Ohio 43223

Attention: Kristian Tucker or Carolyn Slebodnik

To sponsor a meal for our Guests or for any additional information about how you can help us email: vbvolunteer@ymcacolumbus.org

Play, Learn, & Grow with Our Littles!

Volunteers will play a vital role in creating an enjoyable & educational day of school for our students. Volunteers can choose what they would like to do at SSEL, from helping out in a classroom with birth-three year olds, learning and playing with three-five year olds, to hanging out with a number of our admin. Tell us what you are passionate about and we will make sure you have a great time with us! Ideal volunteer is outgoing, organized, and comfortable interacting with young children. Requested hours 9:30-11:30, or 2:30-4:30. This opportunity is available for ongoing volunteering. For more opportunities visit the South Side Early Learning page on Volunteer United. 

**Please NO COURT ORDERED COMMUNITY SERVICE**

At SSEL at we excited to work with individuals who are interested in giving their time and talent. According to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, volunteers who have regularly scheduled shifts must complete a background check and have a medical statement completed (for more information, please visit this page of the ODJFS website). This is to ensure the health and safety of our students. While these forms are not required for single time volunteer opportunities, please know if you have a great experience and like to volunteer again you will need to work with our Program team to complete the required paperwork.

Work with an E.S.O.L. student once a week to help them master the English language! Act as a teacher's assistant or one-on-one tutor in a classroom. Volunteers should be culturally competent. Former educators are excellent in this role, but prior experience not required.

Central Community House and Village Central are seeking community volunteers to help senior citizens be active and healthy while continuing to live in their own homes and neighborhoods. Volunteers will help meet individual needs of seniors living in the near east and south side neighborhoods of Columbus. There are many ways you can make a difference in a senior's life. Some typical tasks may include:

Timing of volunteer opportunities will vary based on the needs of seniors in the community. We are looking to recruit several volunteers with availability at various times to help meet these needs.  it's anticipated that a typical engagement might require 1-2 hours of time per instance.

The Salvation Army’s provides a drop-in center for trafficked women called The Well. Held each Tuesday from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm, The Well supports the healing and recovery of participants through a healthy meal, trauma therapy groups, Bible study, empowerment programming and social enterprise activities. Female volunteers can engage by providing the meal, leading empowerment programming and/or assisting with the social enterprise activities.

The Salvation Army is seeking volunteers that are open to providing a meal for this program. Meal is 2pm-3pm. We ask that volunteers arrive by 1:50 if the meal is already prepared, if not they need to arrive by 1pm to prepare the meal. We do ask that volunteers clean the kitchen once they are finished preparing the meal. 　

Serving 20-30 women weekly.

We ask that volunteers sign up for complete meals, i.e. pasta, salad and bread, or potato bar. Please include ALL ingredients . Frozen meals are also acceptable, if are unable to stay and serve but want to volunteer.

If interesteed, please contact Nikki Fogg at nikki.fogg@use.salvationarmy.org

GGA is seeking already background checked volunteers who love working with kids. Volunteers will help supervisors read to, feed, and interact with youth ages 6 weeks- 12 years old in Godman Guild's WeePlay program.

Assist pantry shoppers as they select food from our choice pantry. Great job for foodies! Stock shelves, sort deliveries, assist with all of the daily operations at the best food pantry in Columbus!