Photo courtesy Chris Burch Photography.
An Obama-approved D.C. non-profit that provides meals to extremely ill people needs September volunteers.
Christopher Copley, communications manager at Food & Friends, said there’s a critical need for volunteers to pack meals on September 5, 8, 9, 10, 15, 22 and 26. “People are returning from vacation and trying to get back into the swing of things at work,” he said. “Students, teachers and parents are heading back to school which limits their time for other activities. As such, we’re struggling to fill our volunteer shifts.”
(Things that are good for volunteerism? Government shutdowns.)
Up to 25 people may volunteer in a group, which Copley says makes it an ideal opportunity for corporate volunteerism.
Clarence J. Fluker, communications director for Serve DC, says it’s not unusual for groups to “have better times of the year than others.” As one might expect, volunteerism peaks in November and December.
Despite being one of the most well-known non-profits in the city, DC Central Kitchen isn’t immune to dips, either.
“Non-profits like us depend on a reliable base of volunteers, but we’re always subject to seasonal ebbs and flows,” Alexander Moore, chief development officer at DC Central Kitchen, said via email. “In May, when the nice weather finally came, we had between 50 and 75 volunteers cancel each week, and that put a major strain on our operation. Hopefully our sector and our city can get smarter about sharing volunteer resources so one group’s waitlist can fill another’s need.”
The city provides a database called NeighborGood that allows groups to post volunteer needs and residents to find opportunities. Fluker said about 60 organizations have taken advantage of the site since it launched last October. He could not provide a number of people who became volunteers through NeighborGood, but there are currently 131 opportunities available.
Serve DC will also “amplify” volunteerism needs around the city through social media and its newsletter.
“Every day is a good day to volunteer and make an impact in your neighborhood,” he said.
