Join residents across the region for Montgomery County's annual celebration of community service by volunteering for one or more of the wide range of activities planned for this year's Community Service Week,  coming up Oct. 21-28. 

No matter what your interests, there's a service project you'll enjoy--everything from making scarves for homeless residents to helping with a bike donation drive to restoring trails and other activities in the park.

Check out the online volunteer calendar to see the latest list of volunteer activities already planned (and check back frequently as projects are being added daily). Many meet the guidelines for MCPS SSL hours and are marked with the graduation cap banner on the opportunity details page. Pick one activity, or pick many, and help our community thrive!

 

If your nonprofit or school is planning or would like to plan a project during the week, let the Volunteer Center know by completing Community Service Week Project Form. Please fill it out even if you already have all the volunteers your need so that we can track all the great service being performed around the county during the week.

Questions? Email us or call 240-777-2600.

Taking care of one's mental wellness is as important and necessary as taking care of one's physical wellness. That's the philosophy that guides EveryMind, a Rockville-based nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening communities and empowering individuals to reach optimal mental wellness.  Founded more than 60 years ago and known as the Mental Health Association for most of that time, EveryMind relies on hundreds of volunteers annually to assist the organization's staff in providing community education, advocacy, and direct services that empower children, teens, families, older adults, and the entire community to achieve their peak mental wellness. 

Friendly visitors age 21 and up are paired with homebound, isolated, and lonely older adults living in Montgomery County. Volunteers visit clients once a week to exchange stories, play board games, read, watch the news, or discuss current events and build a friendship. 

Crisis prevention and intervention volunteers serve as emotional support and crisis intervention specialists for a 24/7 hotline. After completing and passing a free training program, Hotline volunteers provide confidential and supportive listening, crisis prevention, intervention, information, referrals, and resources. The next training session starts on Saturday, Nov. 3. Hotline volunteers must be at least 18 years old.

Other volunteer opportunities with EveryMind include  Montgomery County Thrift Shop volunteers , who staff the Bethesda store every Saturday, and special event volunteers, who assist with projects such EveryMind's recent 5K fundraiser. Both of t hese types of volunteer opportunities are generally open to students and meet the guidelines for MCPS SSL hours.

Clients are not the only ones to benefit from EveryMind's volunteer services. Volunteers often feel that they are the ones on the receiving end. As one Hotline volunteer shares, "My time with the Hotline was the most challenging -- yet most rewarding -- volunteer work that I have ever done. I came away from this experience with an ability to listen to, empathize with, and support others, a greater acceptance of all individuals, and an appreciation for people's unique strengths and perspectives. I will carry this with me for the rest of my life."

To learn more about the organization and its volunteer opportunities, visit Every-Mind.org, call 301-424-0656 X 541, or email Rameela Tuladhar.

The Volunteer Center's 50+ Volunteer Network provides one-on-one guidance to help county residents ages 50 and above find skilled volunteer jobs that match their experience, interests, and availability.  The network is constantly expanding its partner agencies and opportunities, including these recently added listings:

• A Wider Circle Partnership to Independence (new program!) advocate
• Asylum Seeker Assistance Project volunteer manager
• Bethesda Help executive director
• Community Health and Empowerment Through Education and Research (CHEER) housing and community development volunteer
• Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland ReStore retail outlet volunteer
• International Rescue Committee (IRC) health care advocate/case management assistant, career development program assistant, economic empowerment services provider, anti-trafficking program assistant
• Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Holiday Giving Project manager/assistant
• Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office Truancy Prevention Program tutors
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center customer service and office support assistant
• Phoenix Computers videographer, public relations specialist, corporate relations manager, and front desk assistant
• RSVP/AARP Tax-Aide Program counselors, greeters, and schedulers
• Senior Planet Montgomery trainer, lecturer, and class assistant 
• Street Entrepreneurs grants manager, event planner, marketing/PR writer, outreach coordinator 
• Upper Montgomery County Assistance Network board member, grants writer/researcher, and intake and referral specialist
• Voices for Children Montgomery court appointed special advocates

To learn more about these nonprofit and government agencies and their volunteer needs--as well as other of our nearly 100 organizations and more than 200 opportunities that may be a great fit--email the program managers.

Do you volunteer with a nonprofit organization that deserves recognition for its positive impact on our community? Nominate it for Nonprofit Village's 2018 Making a Difference Awards. 

Nominees should demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively, provide programs and services that have measurable impact, and work to ensure the nonprofit sector as a whole is sustainable through best practices that can be shared. Nominators can nominate their own organization or others by completing the online nomination form by Friday, Nov. 9, 5 pm.

You can also stay connected through these links: