I’ve been on staff with United Way now for about five months and wow….what a journey it has been so far.! With most of my time dedicated to the Volunteer Center, I’ve delighted in going around to our member agencies to learn more about their organizations and their specific volunteer needs.  Even though I live in this community and have spent my entire career working in the nonprofit world, I continue to be amazed at the diverse organizations that make up our nonprofit sector in Sheboygan County. What a caring and generous community we all call home.

Our Volunteer Center membership has grown over the past several months, adding even more diversity to the types of volunteer opportunities that are available for individuals and groups to get involved.  I am a true advocate for giving back and with our diverse base of members, I can’t imagine that we can’t all take some time out of our lives to help our nonprofits, and the people they serve, thrive.

With that said, the one theme that is common and is urgent among pretty much all of our member organizations is the dire need for long-term volunteers.  The definition I’m assigning to long-term volunteers are individuals who commit several hours per week to a specific organization on an on-going basis.  There is great need for:

• Mentors/Tutors/Teacher Assistants
• Receptionists/Greeters/Customer Service Assistants
• Hospice visitors/Compassionate caregivers
• Drivers
• Thrift Store help
• Hospital volunteers
• Board members
• Professional/Technical/Skilled

And the list goes on and on.  Even just a few hours a week will really have an impact.  All of our current volunteer opportunities are listed at www.uwofsc.org/volunteer – there truly is something that everyone can grab onto.  Just take a few minutes to look at what’s out there and if something moves you, just respond to the volunteer opportunity right through the website. It’s really that easy! Our 50 Volunteer Center member organizations will be thrilled to hear from you and more than happy to work around your schedule to find the right time during the week for you to volunteer.