Potential Employee Volunteer Opportunities

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley serves as the local leadership and resource organization for volunteering. As an organization we believe business initiatives that give back to the communities in which they operate and where their employees live are reinforced by their alignment with an excellent volunteer and philanthropy program. One way to accomplish that is to be part of the VCCV's Partner in Volunteerism Program. See here for a review of the program. Through the program projects are aligned with a company's objectives yet tailored to fit specific markets and community needs.

Here’s a variety of potential ways to get employees engaged in service experiences:

·     The VCCV has compiled a list of potential onsite volunteer opportunities which can be found at www.vccv.org. A few examples include:

o   Literacy Kits - Volunteers will prepare activities for age kindergarten through second grade to go along with youth books, Julius, Baby of the World and Amazing Grace. Literacy kits give youth the opportunity to match keywords from book with spelling cards to develop vocabulary, story-telling, and inference skills. Estimated cost: $12.50 per literacy kit.

o   Fleece blankets – Volunteers cut fleece material and tie the edges to make soft, comfortable blankets for care facilities in the Cedar Valley. Estimated cost: $10 - $20 per blankets depending on location.

·     Let the VCCV plan and manage a day of service experience for your employees. Just last year, a group of 25 gathered at Hickory Hills Park to stain the Lakeview Lodge. The business provided not only the volunteers, but purchased the supplies! The VCCV organized everything by working with the park staff to order materials, take photos, and providing surveys to help business realize the impact they’ve had on their employees and the community!

·     To simply have employees hear about service projects and volunteer opportunities, simply forward the weekly volunteer opportunity list that the VCCV sends out each Thursday.

This is just a start to the endless list of potential ways to get employees engaged in volunteerism! For questions or to get more information contact: Lauren Finke, (319) 272-2087, lauren_finke@vccv.org