VOLUNTEER TODAY

VOLUNTEER TODAY2023-01-18T09:46:39-06:00

Why Volunteer? Benefits of Volunteering

How Can I Volunteer?

Giving DuPage is proud to host a Volunteer Platform dedicated to volunteering throughout DuPage County, including 945+ volunteer opportunities, in-kind donations, nonprofit jobs, and community events across 400 local nonprofits, all searchable by cause, keywords, interest, location, and more.

Volunteer Portal by the Numbers

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searchable volunteer opportunities
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local nonprofit organizations featured
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volunteers connected in 2022
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volunteers connected since portal launch

If you have any questions or are a nonprofit organizations looking to recruit volunteers, please contact [email protected].

FAQs

My son/daughter needs volunteer hours for confirmation/National Honor Society, etc. What would you recommend?2023-01-12T13:55:12-06:00

While students are very busy these days, and parents often jump in to help them find volunteer hours, it is recommended that the student find his/her own opportunity. We have the most technologically astute students in history, so they can easily navigate the Giving DuPage website to find opportunities that are interesting and accessible to them.  Once they find the opportunities, they can register on the website. Parents of children under 18 should be available to approve the opportunity selected by the student, but the research should definitely be conducted by the student or by the student and parents together. There is a much greater commitment and sense of accomplishment when students do the legwork themselves.

My group (church, work, school) has 50 or more members who would like to volunteer. Where can a large group volunteer?2023-01-12T13:55:26-06:00

There are very few organizations in our community that can accommodate a group that large. Outdoor projects can oftentimes be a good way to get a large group involved, but it is weather-dependent. You can select a few projects in the community and split the group among the projects, but know that when you commit to volunteer, the non-profit organization is counting on you to follow-through and be there with the number of people you have committed to bringing with you.

Much like kitchen table volunteerism, business/church/school groups can participate in conference room or cafeteria volunteerism, and members of the groups can take part in projects (see above under family volunteerism) that can then be delivered to an agency in need. Or collect items like paper products, toiletries, etc. that can then be delivered to food pantries, food banks or organizations serving the military. A core of volunteers can be involved in the delivery of the items, but the entire group can participate in the office/church hall/school cafeteria in the collection or creation of the items.

As always, finding a project that addresses a cause that is close to the heart of the participants is key to active involvement, and ongoing volunteerism for one non-profit organization helps members of the church/business/school understand the mission of the organization more deeply. One-time or episodic volunteering does not engender that relationship.

The judge has ordered me to complete community service hours. How do I find community service hours?2023-01-12T13:55:41-06:00

Please know that many of our local organizations do not provide opportunities for those completing community service hours. Even among those that will work with community service, there are certain offenses that agencies cannot accept, and this is mainly because they serve a vulnerable client population. A good place to begin when searching for community service opportunities is the Giving DuPage website. Those agencies that are willing to provide opportunities for community service have indicated this on the site, and you can register for the opportunity directly from the website. Be upfront with the agency about your offense and how many hours are needed.

Are there ways that my family can get involved in volunteering? I have young children, but I want them to learn to give back.2023-01-12T13:56:11-06:00

Giving back as a family is a fantastic way to create a culture of giving, and it is typically a positive bonding experience for every one in the family. The challenge is finding organizations that can accept young volunteers. Here are a few ideas:

  • Community clean-ups are great projects for families. Working through your local park district or the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County to learn about their Helping Hands days is a wonderful way to begin.
  • Collection activities also work really well with young children. Ask your children to go through their books and donate those that they no longer read, go through their closets for gently used closed that they don’t need anymore or find toys they could clean and donate and then visit local organizations with the children to deliver these items.
  • Another activity might be baking cookies and delivering them to a PADS site (with the permission of the hosting church). We also encourage “kitchen table volunteerism”, which involves sitting around the kitchen table with your children and completing a project that can then be delivered to an agency. Examples of this might be writing letters to those serving our country in the military, or making valentines for those in a nursing home or in a hospital. On Martin Luther King Day, children in the community made Build-A-Bear®s from kits and they were donated to the pediatric unit at Central DuPage Hospital. These kits can be purchased at various stores in the community.
  • These are just a few ideas. Think about what’s important to your family and create projects that align with those values.
How do I get involved in volunteering? I don’t know where to begin.2023-01-12T13:55:51-06:00

The first step is thinking about what causes are close to your heart. Is it hunger or homeless animals or literacy or one of 20 different causes that are listed on the website?  Once you identify what you are passionate about, you can search for agencies in our community that target that cause. You can search for opportunities by cause, location or specific agency. You can even register for the opportunity on the Giving DuPage website, but feel free to visit the respective agency’s website and learn more about what they do. Most agencies have specific times and opportunities for volunteers.

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