The mission of Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is to promote and support effective volunteerism and to serve as the resource and coordination center for volunteers and community partnerships.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley serves 142 member agencies with over 150 volunteer opportunities throughout Waterloo, Cedar Falls and the Cedar Valley.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Families and Children as Volunteers
Many volunteer jobs are
perfect for families with children. Decide whether you're interested in a
onetime project like collecting children's books and donating them to a
hospital, or consider a longer-term commitment such as serving dinner at a
homeless shelter once a month.
An easy way to find out
about volunteer opportunities in the Cedar Valley is to call the VCCV and
describe your location, interests, and ages of your children. The Volunteer
Center of Cedar Valley has a database to match you with an appropriate
volunteer project. If you've decided on an ongoing volunteer job, talk to the
agency's volunteer coordinator about training and orientation. Make a visit
before making a commitment, and trust your instincts about whether you think it
will be a comfortable environment for you and your children.
Once you've decided on
a project, explain to your children exactly what to expect. Be enthusiastic
about what you're doing and explain why the job is important. Answer your
child's questions about the work and the people you'll be interacting with.
Above all, have fun.
You might consider teaming up with another family, inviting one of your child's
friends to help out, or stopping for a picnic in the park or ice cream on the
way home to discuss your experience. What initially may seem like another task
on your to-do list can become a wonderful bonding moment within your family.
10
Ways Kids Can Help:
- Donate food to a food pantry. Have your child
pick out one item each time you go to the store. When you get a bagful,
take it to a local food pantry.
- Walk to fight disease. Many
organizations use walks to increase awareness and raise funds. Kids 5 and
up can walk a few miles, and you can push little ones in a stroller.
- Put together activity boxes. If your child is
a preschooler, decorate shoe boxes and fill them with a deck of cards,
small games, puzzles, and books for kids at the local hospital.
- Visit a nursing home. Your family can
be matched with one person to call on regularly.
- Clean up. Pick up litter at
a local park or while you take a walk in the neighborhood. (Wear gloves
and supervise your children closely.)
- Befriend someone with a disability. Call a residential
center who meets the needs of people with disabilities and ask to be
matched with someone whom you can include in family events, holiday
activities, and outings. The center will select someone who can interact
well with children.
- Deliver meals. You and your
child can bring both hot food and companionship to homebound people
through a local charity food service.
- Offer a lift. Take your kids
along to drive elderly people to their medical appointments, or take
nursing-home residents or isolated seniors to the grocery store or to
visit friends.
- Share story time. Read your child's
favorite books to children in the hospital. Your child can sit next to you
and turn the pages.
- Be kind to animals. Volunteer to care
for dogs or cats that need love and attention.
The
Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley represents 142 nonprofit agencies with
approximately 165 volunteer opportunities. Call or visit the Volunteer Center
of Cedar Valley at 319-272-2087, email or www.vccv.org for a complete listing of volunteer opportunities in the
Cedar Valley.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Volunteering with children
Many
volunteer jobs are perfect for families. Decide whether you're interested in a
onetime project (collecting children's books and donating them to a hospital,
for instance) or a longer-term commitment, such as serving dinner at a homeless
shelter once a month. Then call the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley to ask how
you can help.
An easy
way to find out about volunteer opportunities in your area is to call the VCCV
and describe your location, interests, and the ages of your children. The
center will probably have a database and be able to match you with an
appropriate volunteer project. If you've decided on an ongoing volunteer job,
talk to the agency's volunteer coordinator about training and orientation.
Visit by yourself before making a commitment, and trust your instincts about
whether you think it will be a comfortable environment for you and your
children.
Once
you've decided on a project, explain to your children exactly what to expect.
Be enthusiastic about what you're doing and explain why the job is important.
Answer your child's questions about the work and the people you'll be
interacting with.
Above
all, have fun. You might consider teaming up with another family, inviting one
of your child's friends to help out, or stopping for a picnic in the park or
ice cream on the way home. What initially may seem like another task on your
to-do list can become a wonderful bonding experience for your family.
10 Ways Kids Can Help:
- Donate food to a
food pantry.
Have your child pick out one item each time you go to the store. When you
get a bagful, take it to a local food pantry.
- Walk to fight
disease.
Many organizations use walks to increase awareness and raise funds. Kids 5
and up can walk a few miles, and you can push little ones in a stroller.
- Put together
activity boxes.
If your child is a preschooler, decorate shoe boxes and fill them with a
deck of cards, small games, and puzzle books for kids at the local
hospital.
- Visit a nursing
home.
Your family can be matched with one person to call on regularly.
- Clean up. Pick up litter at
a local park or while you take a walk in the neighborhood. (Wear gloves
and supervise your children closely.)
- Befriend a
mentally disabled adult. Call a residential treatment center for
the developmentally disabled in your area and ask to be matched with an
adult whom you can include in family events, holiday activities, and
outings. The center will select someone who can interact well with young
children.
- Deliver meals. You and your
child can bring both hot food and companionship to homebound people
through a local charity food service.
- Offer a lift. Take your kids
along to drive elderly people to their medical appointments, or take
nursing-home residents or isolated seniors to the grocery store or to visit
friends.
- Share storytime. Read your child's
favorite books to children in the hospital. She can sit next to you and
turn the pages.
- Be kind to
animals.
Volunteer to care for abandoned dogs or cats.
Contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley for more information at (319) 272-2087, email, or visit www.vccv.org.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
The month of July has much to offer for volunteers! Take a few minutes to see where you'd like to participate!
July 6 – 30
Refugee Transportation
Catholic Charities
July 8 – 10
Horsemanship Classes
Aspire Therapeutic Riding Program
July 10
Summer Day Camp: Creature Power
Group Museum District
July 10
Nature Day
The Job Foundation
June 10
Weekly Wonders: Hands on History Assistant
Group Museum District
July 12
Cowboy Breakfast
Aspire Therapeutic Riding Program
July 13 - 17
Summer Day Camp Assistant: Advanced Rocket Camp
Bluedorn Imaginarium
Summer Day Camp Assistant: Advanced Rocket Camp
Bluedorn Imaginarium
July 13 - 17
Summer Day Camp Assistant: Minecraft
Bluedorn Imaginarium
Summer Day Camp Assistant: Minecraft
Bluedorn Imaginarium
July 14 – 17
Weekly Wonders: Honoring Our Veterans Through the Years
Grout Museum and Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum
July 16 - 19
Waterloo Open Volunteers
Cedar Valley Jaycees
Weekly Wonders: Honoring Our Veterans Through the Years
Grout Museum and Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum
July 16 - 19
Waterloo Open Volunteers
Cedar Valley Jaycees
July 21 – 24
On Pluto’s Doorstep
Assistant
Grout Museum
July 27 - 31
Summer Day Camp Assistant: Wild Kratts
Bluedorn Imaginarium
Grout Museum
July 27 - 31
Summer Day Camp Assistant: Wild Kratts
Bluedorn Imaginarium
July 22
RAGBRAI Compost Monitor
Green Iowa AmeriCorps
July 22
RAGBRAI Volunteer: Beer Garden, Campground, and Sanitation
Cedar Falls RAGBRAI Committee
RAGBRAI Compost Monitor
Green Iowa AmeriCorps
July 22
RAGBRAI Volunteer: Beer Garden, Campground, and Sanitation
Cedar Falls RAGBRAI Committee
July 22
Hospitality, Vendor, Information, Campground, Entertainment, or Special Event Volunteers
Cedar Falls RAGBRAI Committee
July 31 – August 2
Volunteers
Iowa Irish Fest
Hospitality, Vendor, Information, Campground, Entertainment, or Special Event Volunteers
Cedar Falls RAGBRAI Committee
July 31 – August 2
Volunteers
Iowa Irish Fest
Weekly Wonders: Beatlemania
Grout Museum
The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley serves 140 member agencies with approximately 165 volunteer opportunities throughout Waterloo, Cedar Falls and the Cedar Valley. To view a full list of available volunteer opportunities, visit www.vccv.org.
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