Category: Volunteer Opportunities

Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) engages, encourages and empowers people to achieve social, cultural and economic integration. JVS was established in 1949 to assist Holocaust survivors, refugees and those returning from WWII, enabling them to build better lives in the United States. Today, their programs meet the needs of all who face barriers to employment.

Currently, JVS is preparing to help evacuees and refugees from Afghanistan. Here are ways that you can help:

Level 1: Good for Groups
One-time opportunities for groups of 15-30 people

● Assemble Welcome Kits
● Sort donations at the JVS warehouse
● Host a donation drive for school supplies, winter clothes, first aid kits, etc.

Level 2: House to Home Program

Activities:
● Furnish and set up home
● Welcome the arriving family at the airport
● Provide family with culturally appropriate meal

Participants:
● Groups of 6-8 adults, sign up as a team or JVS will assign individual volunteers to a team
● Children ages 12 and older encouraged to participate

Requirements:
● Participate in volunteer orientation
● Background check for volunteers 18+
● Commitment to work with one family (2-4 week timeframe), may volunteer again

Level 3: Partners in Welcome

Activities:
● Pre-arrival- furnish and set up home
● Day of arrival-welcome the arriving family at the airport, provide culturally appropriate meal
● 90 day resettlement period- assist with navigation activities- bus training, school enrollment, grocery shopping, etc
● After the resettlement period- work with the family to identify one fun activity that would assist in the integration to life in Kansas City, provide financial support for months 3-6 in the United States

Participants:
● Groups of 15-20 adults, teams are encouraged to apply as a group, children may participate in some activities
● Specific roles assigned to each group member

Requirements:
● Six month time commitment
● Participate in volunteer orientation
● Background check for volunteers 18+
● Financial support between $2,500 and $6,500 depending on the size of the family

To find out more, please contact JVS Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@jvskc.org

Happy volunteering!

Lakemary Center is a nonprofit organization that provides educational, mental and behavioral health, and social services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their wide range of child and adult services include psychiatric residential treatment, K-12 accredited school, targeted case management, outpatient therapy, specialized foster care, employment and volunteer opportunities, residential living assistance and business solutions. Each year, their work touches the lives of over 650 individuals and their families from all over the country.

They are currently looking for volunteers for The Lakemary / Will Shields Golf Classic, which will be held on Monday, October 11^th at Shadow Glen Golf Club in Olathe, KS.  They need volunteers throughout the day-long event, beginning at 9:30am and ending about 5:30-6pm.  There are multiple shifts for the day; volunteers are also welcome to spend the entire event with us.  Here are the shifts they currently have open:

9:30 am – 1pm                  Set-up/Serve lunch to golfers (10 volunteers needed)

10 am – 12pm                   Mulligan/Raffle Ticket sales (3 volunteers)

11 am – 2:30 pm              Hole in One (2 volunteers needed)

11 am – 2:30 pm              Longest Drive (1 volunteer needed)

11 am – 2:30 pm               Chik-Fil-A Snack Hole (1 volunteer needed)

12pm – 2:30 pm               Drink Coolers/Ice Cream Bunker (2 volunteers needed)

2pm – 5:30-6pm               Hole in One (2 volunteers needed); help load vans

2pm – 5:30-6pm               Longest Drive (1 volunteer needed); help load vans

2pm – 5:30-6pm               Chik-Fil-A Snack Hole (1 volunteer); help load vans

2pm – 5:30-6pm                Drink Coolers/Ice Cream Bunker (2 volunteers needed); help load vans

Volunteers will be fed lunch before/after their shift, provided the grill is open and there is food remaining. Non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are also available for volunteers. Upon arrival, volunteers will be greeted by Lakemary staff and given an overview of their responsibilities and other important information.

For more information, reach out to Nicole Dickinson at nicole.dickinson@lakemary.org.

Happy volunteering!

Founded in 1956, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is a ministry of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.  Their mission is to  serve their neighbors, of all faiths, through Help, Hope, and Hospitality.

Catholic charities serves through seven Family Support Centers, eight food pantries and two mobile resource buses that assist more than 25,000 times each month, providing food for the hungry, clothing for those in need and shelter for the homeless. Financial literacy and job placement services are available for those who move past the crisis phase and are ready to take the next steps towards self-sufficiency.

Catholic Charities also counsels pregnant women facing an unexpected pregnancy; pairs adoptive families with infants in need of a forever home; resettles refugees from across the world forced to flee their country due to religious or ethnic persecution; and enhances the lives of loved ones facing a life-limiting illness, caring for them physically and providing them and their families emotional and spiritual support through the compassionate ministry of Catholic Community Hospice.

This fall they are looking for help in the following ways:

• Food sorting and distribution at their Food Pantries
• Refugee resettlement
• Cashiering at their Turn Styles Thrift Stores
• Working the front desk at Food Pantries (bilingual volunteers preferred)

For more information about volunteering, click here. For questions contact Aimee Dion at ccnekvolunteers@catholiccharitiesks.org.

Happy Volunteering!

Blessings  Abound Thrift Store is a Christian not for profit organization called  to serve the metro Kansas City Community by selling and recycling donated merchandise in order to provide aid to people in need. 100% of net proceeds benefit local non-profits.

This fall, they are looking for in-store volunteers. They could use help with the below duties:

• Sorting
• Cleaning
• Displaying Merchandise
• Hanging Up Merchandise
• Assisting Customers
• Cashier
• Graphic Design
• Create Flyers
• Clean & Vacuum Store
• Collecting & Organizing Donations

Click here for more information.

Happy volunteering!

Goodwill empowers people to discover their potential and adapt for the future through the power of work.

This summer they are recruiting for the following roles (click each role to learn more):

• Resume Hero
• Job Search Warrior
• Community Outreach Ambassador

For more information, reach out to Kristen Fairbanks at kfairbanks@mokangoodwil.org .

Happy Volunteering!

KC Kansas Angel‘s mission is to to walk alongside children, youth, and families in the foster care community by offering consistent support through intentional giving, relationship building, and mentorship.

This summer they are looking for a videographer to help capture events and use the footage for future marketing.

They also have a mentorship program called Dare to Dream where youth are paired with an adult in their community, who cheers them on, offers a unique perspective on life, and helps them reach their full potential.

For more information and to get started, reach out to Judy Temaat at judy@kckansasangels.org.

Happy volunteering!

Harvesters’ mission is to feed hungry people today and work to end hunger tomorrow.

Harvesters provides food and related household products to more than 760 nonprofit agencies in northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas, including emergency food pantries, community kitchens, homeless shelters, children’s homes and others. They also offer education programs to increase community awareness of hunger and teach about good nutrition.

It’s easy to sign up for shifts across the Kansas City metro on their volunteer webpage – check it out today!

Happy volunteering!

 

Photo cred: Susan Mcspadden

Smiles Change Lives provides access to life-changing orthodontic treatment for children from families that cannot afford the full cost of braces.

This summer, they could use help with blog posts and their social media. platforms.

Reach out to Sarah Keen if you’re interested: sarah@smileschangelives.org.

Loud Light engages, educates, and empowers individuals from underrepresented populations to build community power that has an impact on decision makers.

They aim to transform Kansas through voter registration, informative videos, coalition building, civic engagement, youth voter turnout.

Local elections are upon us and this summer they are looking for students to help with get out the vote efforts. Students could also compile voting records on elected officials, tracking how they voted on big issues. 

If you’re interested, reach out to Anita Austin at anita@loudlight.org.

Happy volunteering!

Shelter KC has been serving Kansas City’s homeless population since 1950.

This summer, they could use help with administrative tasks, some of which can be done remotely.

If you’re interested, check out their volunteer webpage and reach out to Christina Gardner with questions: cgardner@shelterkc.org.

Happy volunteering!