Student Volunteer Opportunities During Covid-19

Guest post by Garrett Educational Consulting.

Between the new reality of online-classes and cancelled extracurriculars, students are developing an unbalanced ratio of more time on their hands and less to do. However, the restricted access to in-person volunteer opportunities doesn’t mean you can’t give back, and during these trying times, local nonprofits are in need of help more than ever. Whether you’re a writer, builder, crafter, listener, teacher, or communicator, there are many organizations you can work with to give back to the community and be productive with your time. Additionally, depending on each organization’s policy and your personal level of comfort with in-person help, there are varying levels of interaction you can engage in. Opportunities featured in this article, along with thousands of others personalized to your interests, can be found on Sharecharlotte.org and Volunteermatch.org. And don’t be afraid to get creative and come up with your own ideas of ways to get involved and give back!

In-person

• Roof Above, formally known as the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte, is a multi-purpose homeless organization that offers shelter and basic services as well as a soup kitchen and substance abuse program for men in the Charlotte area. Through Operation Sandwich, you can volunteer to put together and deliver sandwiches for members of Roof Above. 
• For Loaves and Fishes, an organization that provides self-selected groceries for families in emergency situations, you can sign up to deliver food to homes or to participate in their Pop-Up Food Shares events. 
• Galilee Ministries is an organization that supports immigrants and refugees and provides them with various life classes, care programs, business mentoring, access to food, and available spiritual guidance. You can help by signing up to distribute food and supplies during their weekly parking lot distribution events. 
• Hope Match offers programs and aid for financially struggling families. To get involved with a Hope Match drive-thru event that will celebrate children going back to school, you can sign up here. 

Virtual

With our current situation restricting access to in-person volunteer opportunities, organizations have adapted and come up with ways for service interactions to be just as impactful via virtual meetings. 

• Presbyterian Church and Services needs volunteers for various craft activities including sewing masks and gowns, building craft boxes, writing letters, and joining the group knitting activity with residents. 

• Soldier’s Angels is a non-profit that supports active service members and veterans through various aid and encouragement programs. Due to Covid-19, they have supplemented their service opportunities with virtual and other safe means of interaction that can be found here.
• If you are interested in tutoring, Upchieve is a fully virtual and highly flexible program that connects volunteer tutors to high schoolers in low-income families. You can apply through their website. Keep in mind that acceptances into the program have grown increasingly competitive. 

Donations

Of course, organizations are gladly accepting cash, food, and supply donations. 

• Migrant Assistance Project, a program that provides services to migrants released from detention centers, is taking donations from their Amazon wish list. 
• Roof Above, mentioned earlier, has both an Amazon wish list and a Covid-19 greatest needs wish list that you can order from and later deliver to their drop-off location. 
• Loaves and Fishes accepts financial and food donations.

Garrett Educational Consulting, LLC is a full-service, academic consulting firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina. With over twenty years experience in education and counseling, Katie Garrett guides and supports students and families that are navigating important academic decisions. Services include all aspects of academic advising, comprehensive college planning, independent day school consulting, and boarding school application guidance.