Group Volunteer Opportunities
Nothing Brings People Together Like a Common Cause
Doing good is always a fulfilling exercise, and even more so when the effort is multiplied by group numbers. Through One Beach, One World, Virginia Beach gives groups the chance to realize their own potential for good. As part of the Live the Life Adventure program, One Beach, One World helps participating groups make a difference and students reach their service goals through:
- meaningful experiences that delegates and attendees value
- shared enrichment that strengthens bonds among collaborators
- the chance to make an impact through volunteer efforts
Volunteering in Virginia Beach is special. Our coastal location and the area’s thriving military community lead to unique ways to give back. Activities range from participants rolling up their sleeves – and pants legs – to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay, to working on behalf of our troops, to providing care and assistance to people in need.
OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES
Restoring & Protecting our Environment
Lynnhaven River Now
Agency Focus: The goal of Lynnhaven River Now is a clean and healthy Lynnhaven River. Their objectives are to identify and reduce sources of contamination in the river; and to reduce nutrients, sediments and chemicals running off of our lawns, parking lots, roadways and out of our septic systems. LRN also strives to educate and engage the community and partner organizations in restoring and protecting the Lynnhaven River; and to restore lost habitats such as oyster reefs, salt marshes, and other buffers that help to filter polluted runoff and protect the river and its marine life.
LRN’s committees gives many and varied opportunities for citizens to participate in a meaningful way in the development and execution of education and restoration projects in the Lynnhaven watershed. Individual projects are dictated by season and the size of the volunteer group.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Agency Focus: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is the only independent 501(c)(3) organization dedicated solely to restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers. Since their founding 40 years ago, their goal has been to improve water quality by reducing pollution. Volunteers are always needed for projects ranging from tree planting to collecting litter.
Supporting the Armed Forces
USO of Hampton Roads
Agency Focus: The USO lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families. The USO of Hampton Roads provides enhancement of the quality of life for US Armed Forces personnel and their families worldwide and create a cooperative relationship between U.S. Military and civilian communities.
The USO of Hampton Roads is continually in need of volunteers to work at one of the South-side service centers. The role of the volunteer is to greet military service members and/or family members who are traveling through or live in Hampton Roads and provide light snacks and information. Arrangements can be made for large volunteer groups for special events. The USO of Hampton Roads presents annual Quality of Life events such as, Military Appreciation at the Virginia Zoo, Patriotic Festival and a Holiday Party. These are major events that are attended by thousands of military personnel and their families. The USO of Hampton Roads needs many volunteers for these event to assist in light manual labor and to help man Information and Referral booths.
Books for Soldiers
Agency Focus: Books for Soldiers is a non-profit organization, operated as a ministry of the non-denominational, interfaith Order of the Red Grail Church in North Carolina. Books for Soldiers is an online bulletin board which posts requests from U.S. soldiers, airmen, sailors, marines, and coast guardsmen. Requests range from books and magazines to hygiene care package and pen pals. BFS relies on supporters to individually to search through the requests and decide on which to reply. Members then choose the request they’d like to contribute to filling, and handles mailing the item(s).
Vetshouse, Inc.
Agency Focus: Vetshouse, Inc. is a unique, private, nonprofit organization which has been assisting homeless Veterans in Hampton Roads since 1992. Our mission is to provide housing, food, clothing, counseling and other assistance to homeless veterans of the U. S. Armed Forces in order to facilitate their return to an independent, responsible and productive lifestyle.
Volunteers needed for: assistance with home repairs, general groundskeeping, assistance with the vegetable garden and working at the produce stand.
Combating Homelessness, Hunger and Domestic Violence
Virginia Beach United Methodist Church : The Potter’s House
Agency Focus: Potter’s House is one of several urban outreach ministries of the Virginia Beach United Methodist Church. Potter’s House provides services to the homeless, the working poor, and those in crisis situations, who are residents of Virginia Beach. Assistance is available for sack lunches, food order, rent, utilities, personal hygiene items, haircuts, clothing and bicycles/bicycles repair. Help with paperwork to obtain birth certificates and a Virginia ID card is also available. Volunteers and donations are always needed.
Virginia Beach United Methodist Church : Care by Community
Agency Focus: Care by Community (CBC) is VBUMC’s after-school program for children from the homeless and working poor community. This outreach focuses on the children of nearby Cooke Elementary School and runs from mid-October through May on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed to work with kids one-on-one with homework, reading, school projects and playing games. In addition, snack donations and dinner sponsors are always welcome.
Contact: Reesee Michalochick at 428-7727 or rm@vbumc.org
Judeo-Christian Outreach Center
Agency Focus: The Judeo-Christian Outreach Center provides a full service recovery program providing food, shelter, clothing, medical assessments, substance abuse referral, education services and job training for homeless men, women and families.Since its beginning in 1986, the JCOC has served the Virginia Beach community by providing a safe place to stay for the homeless and a hot, wholesome meal. During this time, the JCOC has served over half a million meals to those in need and helped those searching for a new start by providing shelter, case management, life skill classes, job placement assistance as well as help to overcome drug or alcohol addictions.
JCOC has opportunities for individuals, families, groups and businesses. Volunteers are always needed to prepare and serve one evening meals to more 90 people who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The JCOC serves 32,000 free evening meals per year.
The Salvation Army - Hampton Roads Area Command
Agency Focus: The Salvation Army Hampton Roads Area Command serves south side Hampton Roads and its surrounding communities with programs and locations that serve families in need with emergency assistance, housing, substance abuse treatment, youth enrichment opportunities, spiritual care and emergency disaster services.
The Salvation Army began its work in the Hampton Roads area 110 years ago, after arriving in America from its official base in London. From the beginning, the Army created programs in Hampton Roads to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and provide counseling and support to those most in need of help. As these needs grew, so did the number of locations and variety of services available to the community.
Since then, the Army has grown with many programs including the Adult Rehabilitation Center, Residential Housing for Young Mothers and their Children, Christmas Assistance programs, The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, Emergency Shelters, Family Services, Disaster Assistance, Volunteer Outreach and more.
The Salvation Army is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Samaritan House
Agency Focus: Samaritan House provides a comprehensive range of crisis hotline, residential, counseling, legal referrals, victim advocacy and outreach services to homeless families and victims of domestic violence. Volunteers are needed in all areas: Hotline Volunteer, Food Shopper, Transportation Drivers, Children’s Program Volunteers, Administrative Office and Maintenance Volunteers, Special Event Volunteers and Education.
Samaritan House also has cell phone recycling program. Working cell phones are collected and given to families in case of emergency; cell phones without calling plans can call 911. For families at Samaritan House, this is often when an abuser trespasses in the home or workplace. All other phones are recycled and help raise money for Samaritan House services.
Assisting Youth and the Elderly
Seton Youth Shelters / Mother Seton House, Inc.
Agency Focus: Mother Seton House offers shelter and counseling for at-risk youth through our residential, youth and family counseling, in-school, mentoring children of prisoners and street outreach programs. Volunteers needed for regular maintenance - groundskeeping, paint and other general repairs. Groups and/or individuals can assist as their time allows.
Community Service - General
Volunteer Hampton Roads
Agency Focus: Community Service Projects are a series of one-day volunteer projects sponsored nationally by Points of Light and the Hands On Network. Locally, VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads coordinates projects with area nonprofits to create fun and meaningful ways for groups to get involved in the community. Through Seasons of Service projects, which are held throughout the year, volunteers can use their time and talents to help solve serious social problems and community needs.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- January
Global Youth Service Day -- April
Family Volunteer Day -- November
International Outreach
Plan International USA
Agency Focus: Founded over 70 years ago, Plan is a nearly $800 million organization ranked among the top 10 international development agencies by reputation, size and scope.
Plan works side-by-side with communities in 50 developing countries to end the cycle of poverty for children by developing solutions to ensure long-term sustainability. Their outreach efforts range from clean water and health care programs, to education projects and child protection initiatives. Community by community, Plan works to promise futures that are worthy of all children’s potential. The VBCVB has a dedicated URL for Plan’s Gift of Hope programs which can track any donations received through the efforts of CVB’s partners. Gifts of Hope are actual items needed by the communities where Plan works; donations are matched to a project that includes the items selected. Gifts range from sock and shoe pledges to donations for purchasing a herd of goats for a village. Donations pledges start at $10.
Rise Against Hunger
Since 2005, our volunteer groups have packaged over 540 million meals, and each year we engage hundreds of thousands of volunteers globally. We rely on groups of any size in locations across the world to package our meals — this is where you come into play.
Our Rise Against Hunger Experience events provide a fun, educational way for groups to literally lend a hand to people facing hunger across the globe. We combine an assembly line process with an educational experience to not only make a huge impact worldwide, but to touch the lives of those in your group.
Learn more about hosting your own Rise Against Hunger Experience here:
Let’s turn good intentions into good deeds. To identify and plan the right volunteer opportunities for your event, we put you in contact with key partners for assistance. Contact us to help connect you with a non-profit partner.
