Volunteer Opportunities at Our Community Place
We have a growing number of opportunities for volunteers to plug-in every day of the week and throughout the year. Some relate to the day-to-day operation, just helping us to keep the place up-and-running (and clean!!). Others are tied to daily activities, such as me
als and gatherings. The now traditional Free Food For All Soup Kitchen by itself presents a range of ways to help each Monday. Seasonal events, such as the Lawn Jam and Bike Fest, rely on teams of volunteers. And we continue to improve the building with a list of projects.
Our community-based efforts extend from our mission: "Promoting personal growth and community well-being in the north end of Harrisonburg." Programs are being developed to flesh-out these twin thrusts and at best our volunteer efforts would key to them. What this means for you is that you (and your group) can work with us to propose a new project that would excite you to be a part of through OCP.
Volunteer Teams
We've begun an exciting team initiative, creating teams for practically every aspect of OCP life. Some of the ones that are already up-and-running include the computer team, the historian team, the envelope-making team (we make them from magazines for our thank-you notes), and our prison letter-writing team. These have all been really successful so far. The sky's the limit on others we're looking to get going. The one for the kitchen to help coordinate and actually deliver a kitchen area that supports all our food-related aspirations around here. Teams to help with the grounds and gardens are going to be winners, we can just feel it. The vehicles team has already had quite an impact; the photography team is set to go in time for the next Lawn Jam. How about teams for keeping the website(s) spiffed out? Setting up a recycling program to keep the community clean and raise funds? We're also hoping to have teams for organizing and running all our major events of the year, such as the Lawn Jam, Bike Fest, Fall Fest, etc.
Which volunteer teams are you interested in? Take a quick survey to see which ones are right for you.
Getting Started
College and university students may want to hook in through their respective agencies and offices dedicated to this sort of community outreach. We're trying to stay directly tied in with area schools, i.e., James Madison University, Eastern Mennonite University, and Bridgewater College. Please let us know if any other schools out there want to be plugged in.
Churches and church members just let us know how you want to contribute.
Those required to do court-ordered community service hours should certainly stop by; we'll find something for you to do and sign your forms for you.
Best to come by on a Monday for Soup Kitchen noon-ish. That's when we're all here and can chat about volunteering opportunities. We can get you started then. Or send us an e-mail. We're more likely to keep track of those than phone messages, and we can put you on our e-list for updates and requests for assistance. You can always print out the volunteer form, fill it out, and get it to us somehow, or just relay the information in an e-mail.
Let's get started! Please call us if you have any further questions: 540/442-7727.
Food for Thought . .
- Free Food For All Soup Kitchen: This no-strings-attached-free-meal is "for anyone with a belly button." Now that our occupancy permit has been approved, the meal is held at the OCP building (17 E. Johnson Street). We start cooking around 10am, serve at noon, and clean 'til 2pm. Come on in and help out and hang out, and make sure you come hungry! If you are coming as part of a group, please consider that we do have a number of 'regular' volunteers who tend to show up each Monday. This means we can get overloaded if you're bringing a bunch of people. Maybe 3-4 without warning (you might want to call ahead even then in case another group's thinking the same thing).
- Improvements: The building is looking great, but we're only through Phase 1 of our improvements. Just enough to get the occupancy permit, that is. Now we've got a new list--call it Phase 2. Depending on your interests and abilities you may want to plug in this way. Examples of things we're looking at doing now include: flooring, utility space, shelving, etc. Stop on by, or check this space for a more complete list.
- The Friends of OCP is a group of individuals who have an interest in the activities of OCP. Anyone in the world may be a friend of OCP. The Board of Directors will meet with the Friends of OCP once per quarter in order to update those interested on the overall progress of the project. The board will try present all matters of significant importance (e.g. matters pertaining to legal issues, property, election, of board members, finances, etc.) to the Friends of OCP.
- Internships are available. Each summer for the past couple of years interns helped on the building, planning festivals, making the Soup Kitchen happen, and with getting to know folks in the neighborhood. We can put you in contact with previous interns and their supervisors if you so desire.