The perfect match
Volunteering is all about service to others, but the best volunteers are enthusiastic about the work they do. If you’re looking for a way to get involved in the community, find the right fit for your skills and interests from this list of Homewood-based organizations below.
For the adventurous
Friends of Red Mountain Park
2011 Frankfurt Drive
Indulge your love of the outdoors by spending some of your weekend time with the Friends of Red Mountain Park. The first Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to noon is a work day, where volunteers clean the park, mark trails and work on new projects like the dog park.
From October to April, the group also hosts guided hikes on the third Sunday of each month, and volunteers can lead the hikes or help the guides by carrying water and first-aid kits. However, volunteers are welcome to help out at other times, too.
“We try to have a lot of flexibility so people can be involved for as long or short a time as their schedule allows,” said Friends of Red Mountain Park member Mike Mahon.
The Friends also welcome youth groups, corporate teams, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts to set up their own workdays. Its goal is to have 100 Eagle Scout projects in the park over the next five years.
Get involved: Email Mike Mahon at mike@friendsofredmountainpark.org.
For the sports fan
The Lakeshore Foundation
4000 Ridgeway Drive
For those whose favorite time is spent in the pool, on the field or in the court, the Lakeshore Foundation brings together athletics and service to people with physical disabilities.
Volunteers can help with youth programs, athletic teams, recreation and fitness programs. The foundation’s sports include swimming, archery, rugby, basketball, track and field, flag football, and wheelchair and ambulatory sports. Volunteers can also work at the front desk, help with special events such as the Lakeshore Amazing Race, give tours, assist in research or produce photos and videos.
Amy Belcher, the foundation’s volunteer coordinator, said the ideal Lakeshore volunteer is “outgoing, energetic [and] willing to pitch in and help.” Adults can volunteer at the foundation year-round, but teens ages 15 to 18 must first attend the Leader in Training summer program in order to volunteer. There is also a special college student program that requires a 36-hour commitment per semester.
Get involved: Email Amy Belcher at amybel@lakeshore.org.
For the animal lover
Greater Birmingham Humane Society
300 Snow Drive
If four paws set your heart aflutter, you can help make abandoned and rescued animals happy and healthy as they wait for a permanent home.
Humane Society volunteers can work with cats or dogs to give them exercise, training and entertainment, or by producing photos and personality descriptions to encourage visits from potential owners. Volunteers can also help with the adoption process by assisting potential adopters, creating packets, cleaning the adoption rooms and doing everything possible to make the adoption process run smoothly. The Humane Society also needs people willing to work from home following up with recent adoptions or to drive the adoption bus to partner shelters and events around Birmingham.
Mary-Grace Wilson, the volunteer coordinator, said there are roles for anyone who is “passionate about the mission” of the Humane Society. Volunteers can choose to work mainly with pets or interact more with people, as long as they are committed to improving the lives of animals in the shelter.
“We take and we need all types of personalities,” Wilson said. “An upbeat, positive personality is number one across the board.”
Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and commit to working eight hours per month for six months. There is an orientation and training program to properly prepare volunteers for their roles, and the cost of the program and supplies is $20.
Get involved: Apply online at gbhs.org.
For the fun-loving
The Exceptional Foundation
1616 Oxmoor Road
Time flies when you’re having fun at the Exceptional Foundation. The foundation’s goal is to provide activities and socializing for people with mental and physical disabilities, and it’s a good time for both volunteers and participants.
You can help the foundation by playing board games, making arts and crafts projects, coaching or playing sports, putting together a puzzle or just enjoying Wednesday karaoke with the participants. Volunteers also help with field trips to places around Birmingham.
Community Outreach Coordinator Caroline Sparrow said the Exceptional Foundation has volunteers of all ages as well as groups from local businesses, schools and organizations. These volunteers help the foundation to offer more to its participants, and Sparrow said that she tries to connect volunteers with the activities that interest them.
Volunteers do not have to commit to a schedule or certain number of hours. The foundation allows volunteers from 8 a.m. to noon and 2:30 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday during the school year, and those same hours Monday through Friday during the summer. Volunteers can come in any day during those hours and stay as long as they want.
To work at the Exceptional Foundation, volunteers must be at least 16 years old and participate in a 45-minute orientation session. The sessions are held the first and third Monday of every month at 4 p.m.
Get involved: Call Caroline Sparrow at 870-0776 or email her at volunteer@exceptionalfoundation.com.
For everyone
Amedisys Hospice Care
2204 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 110
Not sure where your talents fit in? Your place might be at Amedisys Hospice Care. In helping the hospice patients and caregivers, Volunteer Coordinator Diane Rogers said there are a variety of opportunities for anyone with “a heart for the elderly and terminally ill [and] a willingness to help families out in trying times.”
Volunteers can participate in activities such as reading, watching movies, playing games or creating art projects. They can also simply sit and talk to patients and their families. They can cook and deliver meals, clean homes, run errands or provide a respite for caregivers. Rogers said some volunteers give their time as massage therapists, cosmetologists, musicians and more. Any talent that can bring a smile to a patient’s face or help to their families is welcome.
“Our opportunities for volunteers are really endless,” Rogers said. “It truly is anybody who has a gift and wants to share it.”
Amedisys asks for a once-a-week commitment, but Rogers said the hospice is flexible in scheduling to fit its volunteers’ needs. Training in handling hospice patients’ needs is required before beginning to volunteer.
Get involved: Call Diane Rogers at 868-9221.
For the child at heart
The Bell Center
1700 29th Court S.
Bring light and learning to a child by volunteering at The Bell Center. Through a toddler program called All About Me, volunteers at The Bell Center work one-on-one with children at risk for developmental delays. For two hours per week, therapists and special educators work with the volunteers to help each child reach individual goals in fine motor skills, speech skills and learning. Much like a regular preschool, the children and volunteers also participate in snack time and creative activities.
“Anything that they need, the volunteer is there to help with,” said Marketing and Projects Coordinator Mary Ashley Canevaro. “The classrooms really are a good time and very rewarding.”
Canevaro said the center is looking for anyone “who’s willing to donate their time to spend a couple hours with a baby.” Volunteers must commit to two hours per week for a semester or year if they want to do hands-on work with the center’s children. However, Canevaro said The Bell Center also accepts students volunteering for internship hours and volunteers at special events and fundraisers.
Before working with the center, potential volunteers must pass a background check and attend a training session, which is held the first Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old.
Get involved: Email Volunteer Coordinator Gina Henley at ghenley@thebellcenter.org.