Provided by Volunteer Prince William
Every week, Volunteer Prince William provides a list of local volunteer opportunities. Here are some of this week’s options:
Shining Star Awards
Do you have a “Shining Star” volunteer at your organization? Please consider nominating them for the 2023 Virginia Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Service Awards! Nominations are open until 5:00 p.m., June 19, 2023. Ten categories are available for individuals and organizations to recognize outstanding service! Please visit bit.ly/3qa8ri5 for more information and to submit your nomination. For more information, please email VirginiaServiceInfo@dss.virginia.gov.
Passionate about Fighting Hunger?
If you’re passionate about fighting hunger, the staff at Action in Community Through Service (ACTS) wants to meet you! They have a need for volunteers to help in their Hunger Prevention Center with food donations, assembling food packages and helping with client intakes. You’ll feel great knowing you are helping food insecure neighbors get the help they need to feed their families! Please email scouteau@actspwc.org for more information.
Befriend a Wounded Veteran
You can be a friend to a wounded veteran! Brain Injury Services is looking for a PALS volunteer (Providing a Link for Survivors) to be a friend and pickleball player to a combat wounded veteran with a brain injury. The volunteer would travel to McLean one to two times a month. Please email mthyen@braininjursyvcs.org or call 703.451.8881, ext.232 for more information.
Volunteer Opportunities at Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities! Volunteers are needed to welcome new immigrants, become a friend/support to older immigrants, support youth services, interpret/translate languages between clients and staff, deliver critically needed items to immigrant families, manage donations and more! You’ll get a warm feeling as you help welcome immigrants from other countries into our culture! Please email volunteer.newcomer@ccda.net to learn more.
Working with Special Needs Children
If you enjoy working with special needs children, here’s a fantastic opportunity! Evan’s Voice Community Center is holding their iCanSwim program June 19 to 23 at Prince William County Schools Aquatic Center, and they need volunteers age 15+ to help conduct the sessions. Volunteers will work with swimmers for 45 to 60 minutes. No experience with the disabled necessary, but volunteers must be comfortable being in the water. It’s a terrific way to teach swimming and water safety to a population who otherwise might not receive this critical training! Visit icanshine.org/ican-swim-manassas-va/ for more information. Please call Yukiko at 571.409.1158 or email icanswimpwc@gmail.com to learn more.
Dog Lovers!
Dog Lovers! Guiding Eyes for the Blind needs volunteer Puppy Raisers in Prince William and Stafford County to care for adorable, purpose-bred puppies during the first 14 to 18 months of their lives. Raisers provide the pup with the love, socialization, house manners and basic obedience they will need to succeed in guide dog training. You’ll meet other dog lovers, while learning life lessons and taking pride in knowing you’re doing something extraordinary! No previous dog experience is required, and current pet owners are welcome. Please visit bit.ly/3pc9wpb for more information on this family-friendly opportunity; email agoodwin@guidingeyes.org to learn more.
Translators Needed
Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area needs volunteers age 18+ to assist as Translators for spoken/written languages of refugees and Asylum seekers. Volunteers must be fluent in one of the following languages: Ukrainian, Spanish, Pashto, Dari, Swahili and other languages as needed. This need can be done virtually or in-person depending on client needs. You’ll feel wonderful as you help a refugee get resources and become active members of their new community! Please email hughesk@lssnca.org for more information.
“Busy Bee” Volunteers Needed
The Manassas Bee Festival will be held June 24 at Liberia House, 8601 Portner Avenue, Manassas, and volunteers of all ages are needed to make this a “honey” of an event! The day begins at 7:30 a.m. and wraps up by 3:30 p.m. Duties include help set up the evening before (June 23), help the day of the event (June 24) with assisting vendors, water for farm animals, assist and guide experts/music acts, direct parking, greet people, safely assist the beekeepers with supplies and help with any last-minute set-up and other jobs as needed. Volunteers of all ages welcome, although volunteers aged 15 and under should volunteer with an adult. Please visit manassasbeefestival.com and click on Contact to sign up. Questions? Please email ManassasBeeFestival@gmail.com.
Working with Children
Northern Virginia Family Service’s Healthy Families program is holding a Summer Picnic for their client families, and volunteers are needed to make this a fun afternoon for everyone. The picnic will be held June 7, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Signal Hill Park, 9300 Signal View Drive, Manassas Park. Duties include engaging kids and their guardians at fun activity stations such a water play area, chalk area, obstacle course, grill food, infant tummy time tent, etc. Volunteers age 16+ welcome, volunteers aged 13-15 must volunteer with a parent or guardian. Volunteers must be available to work the full shift and are asked to be vaccinated. You’ll feel great and have loads of fun as you provide an afternoon of activities, games and tasty food for vulnerable families! Please email ncannon@nvfs.org to learn more.
Do You Have Mondays Off?
If you have Mondays off, the staff at Northern Virginia Food Rescue has a great volunteer opportunity for you! Starting at the end of May, they need volunteers on Monday mornings, 8:00 to 11:00 a.m., to help sort through the donations of produce they’ll be receiving from the Dale City Farmer’s Market. Their warehouse is located at 10535 Battleview Parkway, Manassas. Your work will help make healthy fruits and vegetables accessible to food insecure families in our local community! What better way to enjoy summer than by eating some fresh, healthy produce? Please email info@nova-fr.org for more information.
Food Pantry
St. Thomas UMC Food Pantry needs volunteers age 18+ to help with weekly pickups of donated food from area grocery stores. Donations are typically picked up between 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Monday to Saturday and delivered to the food pantry at St. Thomas UMC, 8899 Sudley Road, Manassas. A larger vehicle/minivan is recommended due to the amounts of donated food. Volunteers should be prepared to lift boxes weighing approximately 40 pounds. You’ll feel great as you help deliver food which will be given to food insecure families in our community! Please email rebecca.runkles@stthomasumc.org to learn how you can fight hunger.
If you are looking for other opportunities, please call Volunteer Prince William at 703.369.5292 or visit volunteerprincewilliam.org. Thanks so much for all you do in our community.
