Anyone wanting to volunteer some time and give back to their community has no shortage of options in Shawano and Menominee counties.
The issue, sometimes, is who to contact to lend a helping hand.
To help solve that problem, Shawano Area United Way has created a volunteer opportunities link on its website.
“The purpose behind the Volunteer Opportunities Hub is to create a one-stop shop for volunteer opportunities in Shawano and Menominee counties so people can find ways to engage with local nonprofits and help their communities,” said Uriah Williams, executive director.
“These are opportunities that can be one-and-done events such as the Take Them a Meal Program through Shawano Area Matthew 25, where individuals or groups can sign up to serve a meal as many times as they would like during shelter season to the guests. It could be ongoing volunteer opportunities like becoming a Big for a local Shawano Little through Big Brothers Big Sisters.”
The Volunteer Opportunities Hub developed out of discussions with local businesses and corporations and by interacting with volunteerwisconsin.org and other United Ways across the Midwest, Williams said.
A United Way in Minnesota executive director shared how they were one of the premier volunteer activity coordinating agencies in their region because of this page and their work with partner businesses.
“Throughout our 2024 campaign season locally, I heard repeatedly from businesses that support the Shawano Area United Way that they wanted to be more involved in the community but had no idea where to start,” Williams said. “I saw this resource from the Minnesota-based United Way and knew it could be a way to meet that need.”
Currently, the local United Way hub has 15 listings composed of two United Way programs and 13 outside organizations. In total, there are 36 volunteer opportunities posted within these organizations in the Volunteer Opportunities Hub.
“My personal goal is to have every nonprofit that has requested funding from United Way be listed, which would make 19, going off of last year’s applications,” Williams said. “But ideally, we would have as many organizations listed as possible, so the 19 is more of a benchmark number to begin with.”
Among those listed are the seasonal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, which needs volunteers as tax preparers and intake representatives. There is the Snuggled with a Hug Diaper Bank that needs volunteers for diaper distribution nights each month and diaper packaging events.
Other opportunities include child care volunteers at Safe Haven, horse care and barn maintenance with Red River Riders, financial literacy instructors with Junior Achievement, English tutors with the Shawano County Literacy Council and hospice volunteers with ThedaCare Hospice.
To see what’s going on around you, check out volunteer listings at https://www.shawanocountyunitedway.org/volunteer-opportunities.
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
United Way launches volunteer opportunities hub
