Planning Volunteer Events
for Groups
There are many different ways to create service projects for a
group. This guide will serve to outline a few of them, as well as
give you up-to-date information on the local agencies with whom
you can connect. Specifically, this is information on how to find:
- Pre-organized events and activities where groups of volunteers
are needed.
- Agencies to contact who can easily set up a one-time volunteer
opportunity for a group.
- Ways to create and organize your own special service project for
your group.
Pre-Planned Events and Opportunities- CUVolunteer
Search our website, www.cuvolunteer.org, to find specific information
on projects for which agencies need volunteers' help.
- Click the "find an opportunity" link.
- Search for one-time opportunities in the near future by searching
by month or searching "What's New?" along the sidebar.
Many of these are great, easy ways to get your organization involved
in one-time or annual community events.
- Search for ongoing opportunities by searching by area of interest,
agency name, or day of the week. This is a great way to find an
activity your group could participate in once a month or once every
couple weeks. Doing so would allow you to develop a relationship
with an agency and thus increase the extent to which your group
can make an impact in the community. This is also a good way to
find a specific issue your group may be interested in.
- Also use the information about the agencies on CUVolunteer to
contact them to see if they have any volunteer needs that are not
listed on the site.
Working with Agencies to Organize Opportunities
Certain types of organizations generally need large groups of volunteers.
These tend to be agencies that do not require an application or
much training for the task. Typically, environmental agencies or
food shelters can accommodate a group much more easily and quickly
than many of the agencies that work with children. For example:
If you want to work outside with the
environment…
- Champaign Park District
Contact Kristi Bolton at 398-2550 or kristi.bolton@cparkdistrict.com
- Urbana Park District
Contact Derek at 367-1536
- Champaign County Forest Preserve District
Contact Wendy Israel at 586-3360
- Allerton Park
Contact Kimberly Petzing at 244-1035 or kpetzing@uiuc.edu
- Prairie Rivers Network
Contact Jane Li at 344-2371 or info@prairierivers.org
If you want to work with food or clothing
pantries…
- Eastern Illinois Foodbank
Contact Timothy Lightfield at 328-3663 or tlightfield@eifoodbank.org
- Goodwill
Contact 356-4021
- Salt and Light
Contact Jenny Montgomery at 355-5654 or saltandlight1@sbcglobal.net
- Salvation Army
Contact Mjr. Theresa Turner at 373-7832 or Theresa_Turner@ salvationarmy.org
- St. Jude Catholic Worker House
Contact Nancy Olson at 359-6424
- The TIMES Center
Contact Gail Elkins at 398-7785 or gelkins@soltec.net
Creating Your Own Event
Another great option is to approach an agency with your own event
already in mind. Many times, agencies that don't have large events
planned already will be very welcoming to the idea of students coming
to put on their own event.
This is even a great way to start an annual or biannual event for
your organization. This will allow your organization to establish
a relationship with an agency, thus greatly deepening the impact
your group can have on the community. It will also make it easier
for those who follow you in the organization to continue this already
established service project.
Host a fun activity!
- Host a Karaoke or Holiday party at a shelter, nursing home, hospital,
or daycare!
- Play Bingo or Jeopardy, paint nails, or have a "sugar-free
dessert day" at a nursing home!
- Dress up as clowns or host a mini-carnival at a hospital!
- Or think of your own fun event to hold in the community!
See the list of nursing homes, health centers, and daycares at the
end of the handout for ideas on where to host the event.
Hold A Drive!
Check out the wishlists that local agencies have sent to us. The
"general items" are great to collect for a drive! http://www.union.uiuc.edu/ovp/resources/agencywishlist.htm
Other ideas…
- Canned goods (see above list of food pantries)
- Clothes, suits, or socks (see above list of clothing pantries)
- Toys
Big Brothers, Big Sisters: Corey Burrows at 355-2227 or bbbscmi@aol.com
Crisis Nursery: Kim Gollings at 337-2731 or volunteer@crisisnursery.net
Center for Women in Transition: Diana Dudzienski at 352-7151 or
dudzie83@hotmail.com
SWANN Special Care Center: Leonora Byram at 356-5164 or Leonora@swanncare.com
Don Moyer's Boys and Girls Club: Paul Luu at 352-5229 or pluu@dmbgc-cu.org
The Pavilion: Sally Corby at 373-1772 or sally.corby@uhsinc.com
Other hospitals or daycare centers
- Animal food and/or supplies
Champaign County Humane Society: Katie Davis at 344-7291 or 2.volunteer@cuhumane.org
- Books
Local schools
Champaign Public Library: Chiawen Liu at 403-2076 or cliu@champaign.org
Urbana Free Library: reference@urbanafreelibrary.org
Champaign County YMCA : Brook Pankratz at 359-9622 or brook@ccymca.net
Big Brothers, Big Sisters: Corey Burrows at 355-2227 or bbscmmi@aol.com
Don Moyer's Boys and Girls Club: Paul Luu at 352-5229 or pluu@dmbgc-cu.org
- Office Supplies
Many agencies would need and appreciate supplies to keep their offices
running.
Sponsor or Co-sponsor a Blood Drive!
Several organizations exist which would love to help you with this.
Contact:
- Community Blood Services of Illinois- Lisa Wright at 367-2202
or lwright@bloodservices.org
- American Red Cross- Deb Fruitt at 344-2800 or dfruitt@soltec.net
- Volunteer Illini Projects (co-sponsor)- Deepthi Yeturu at 333-1020
or yeturu@uiuc.edu
Make and Donate a Craft!
Donate homemade gifts to a hospital, nursing home, shelter, or daycare.
Look online or in books for good, cheap craft projects! Some suggestions:
flower pots or vases, holiday-themed crafts, scarves, cards, quilts,
t-shirts, pillowcases, teddy bears, dolls... See the list of nursing
homes, health centers, and daycares at the end of the handout.
Run a fundraiser!
Raise money to donate to a charity of your choice!
Set up an awareness/fundraising walk! Host a walk/run/dance-a-thon!
Have a raffle! Sponsor a car wash! Hold a candy sale! Organize a
benefit concert!
Organizations to keep in mind:
o A Woman's Fund: http://www.awomansfund.org
o American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp
o American Red Cross: http://illiniprairie.redcross.org/
o Arthritis Foundation: http://www.arthritis.org/
o Champaign County Humane Society: http://www.cuhumane.org/
o Developmental Services Center: http://www.dsc-illinois.org/
o Girl Scouts- Green Meadows Council: http://www.gsgmc.org/
o Generations of Hope: http://www.generationsofhope.org/
o Habitat for Humanity: http://cuhabitat.org/
o The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: http://www.lightthenight.org/hm_ltn
o Make-A-Wish Foundation: http://www.wishes.org/
o March of Dimes: http://www.marchofdimes.com/
o Muscular Dystrophy Association: http://www.mdausa.org/
o National Multiple Sclerosis Society: http://www.msillinois.org/
o The Reading Group: http://www.readinggroup.org/index.asp
Important Points to Remember When Planning
Your Event
Health and Safety: Ask the agency representative
about specific safety concerns at the site you select. Also, be
sure to find out if your group members have any special needs, and
if so, be sure to clearly communicate that to your contact at the
agency.
Transportation: Make sure that all members of
the group have transportation. It is often helpful to plan to meet
at one location and travel together. Plan to arrive early.
Confirmations: Be sure to contact the agency a
couple days in advance to confirm your volunteer numbers and the
details of the project (Remember things change!). You should also
be sure to send confirmation and reminder emails to your volunteers
to be sure that they do not forget.
Supplies: Although most projects have their own
equipment, it is always best to check that the equipment will be
available and there is nothing you need to bring.
Appropriate Attire: Be sure to ask what to wear.
For clean-up and painting projects, you will want your volunteers
to dress warmly and in clothes that may be damaged.
Rain Dates: Check if the project is a rain-or-shine
project. If not, plan for a rain date.
Food: Check if meals, drinks, or snacks will be
provided to clarify expectations, especially if the event is during
a meal time.
Recognition: Immediately after the project ends,
provide an opportunity for the agency to thank the volunteers. As
team leader, you can also thank volunteers for their time and effort.
You should also be sure to thank and recognize the agency contact
for their time.
Reflection: Every action deserves a reaction.
At the end of the day, bring the group together to help build a
sense of closure and accomplishment. Also, this is the ideal time
to learn about any issues/concerns that occurred on the worksite
during the day. It is important to hold the reflection immediately
after the service project ends. Studies show that people forget
up to 85% of what they learn within 24 hours if they do not re-visit
the material. One way to structure this is to ask:
1. What? These questions review the events of the day.
What did you do today? What did you accomplish? Where? How much?
How many?
2. So What? These questions evaluate the experience of
the day. So, what did you learn? What did this experience feel like?
What did it mean to you? How did it compare to prior experiences,
expectations, or information?
3. Now What? After this experience, what are you going
to do? Would you volunteer again? Are you re-thinking past assumptions?
Follow-up: Be sure to send a thank you to the
agency contact. Also, be sure to send a thank you note or email
to each member of your group. This will increase the likelihood
that they volunteer with you again!
Other Agency Contact Information for
Projects
Local Hospitals, Health Centers, and Care Centers:
- Carle Foundation Hospital
o Contact Allison McLaughlin at 383-4602 or allison.mclaughlin@carle.com
- Christie Clinic
o Contact Kelly Schaudt at 366-5218 or kschaudt@christieclinic.com
- Frances Nelson Health Center
o Contact Andrea Goldberg at 356-1558
- Mental Health Center of Champaign County
o Contact Sheila Ferguson at 398-8080
- Provena Covenant Medical Center
o Contact Mindy Slack at 337-2378 or pcmcvolunteer@provenahealth.com
- Swann Special Care Center
o Contact Leonora Byram at 356-5164 or leonora@swanncare.com
Local Nursing Homes:
- Care Center of Urbana
o Contact Joan Foradori-Cook at 367-8421
- Care Center of Champaign
o Contact Kathy Pickering at 352-0516
- Carle Arbours
o Contact Liz Dunn at 383-6843 or liz.dunn@carle.com
- Champaign County Nursing Home
o Contact Kalah McGraw at 384-3784
- Heritage Nursing Center
o Contact Dawn Taylor at 352-5707
- Inman Plaza- Choice Living Center
o Contact Joanie Gillis at 352-7017 or j.gillis@insightbb.com
- Manor Care
o Contact Heather Berry at 352-5135
Local Daycares and Youth Clubs
- Bottonfield Elementary School Kid’s Plus Program
o Contact Courtney S. Chatman at 351-3726 or cchatman@uiuc.edu
- Champaign Community Unit School District #4, Child Care Program
o Contact Bridgette Thompson at 351-3719 or thompsonbr@cmi.k12.il.us
- Champaign County YMCA
o Contact Brook Pankratz at 359-9622 or brook@ccymca.net
- Children’s Center Daycare
o Contact Evelyn Denzin at 367-0842
- Circle of Friends (Adult Day Center)
o Contact Kathy Rhoads at 359-7937 or adc@advancenet.net
- Community Daycare School
o Vicky Stenger at 356-7184 or CDCSchool@aol.com
- Cooperative Nursery School
o Debbie Burch at 384-1128
- Don Moyer’s Boys and Girls Club
o Contact Paul Luu at
- Girl Scouts- Green Meadow Council
o Contact Deborah Faircloth at 328-5112 or Deborah@gsgmc.org
- Mahomet Area Youth Club
o Shelly Zindars at 586-6323 or mayc_zindars@mchsi.com
- Marilyn Queller Child Care Center
o Kelli White at 344-6364
- Unit 4 Champaign Pre-K Program
o Maggie Rodriguez-Nieto at 351-3711 or rodrigma@champaignschools.org
Copyright 2002 Office of Volunteer Programs.
Send comments to ovp@uiuc.edu |
