Volunteering during the holidays? Great! Please don’t stop.

Now is the time to find a nonprofit to support.

We are huge advocates for people to volunteer. The help volunteers provide has a major impact on our community by providing much-needed support to nonprofits.

Did you know, the value of a volunteer is $31.80/hour? That is how big of an impact you can make for nonprofits with limited budgets.

The holiday season is a great time to volunteer.

Nonprofits in south central Kansas play a vital role in the strength of our community, and they all need volunteers. You can volunteer at homeless shelters helping people survive the winter cold, or at a children’s home where you’ll bring joy to a child during a hard time.

The holiday season usually lends itself well to volunteering. You may have time off from work or school and want to spread some cheer. If you feel giving back of your time seems like the right solution, you are absolutely right. The holiday season has many fun and unique volunteer opportunities that provide benefit to our community.

Amy Hawley is United Way of the Plains’ Volunteer Center Manager. She helps manage and coordinate volunteer opportunities across south central Kansas.

“For many nonprofits, holiday planning is a big thing,” she shared. “Volunteering with these nonprofits helps them accomplish big projects that take time and resources, and also brings holiday cheer.”

We like to think the holidays are a great opportunity for you to dabble in volunteering. With ample opportunities, you can bounce around from nonprofit to nonprofit, looking for the perfect fit for you.

Holiday hype, year-round need

Once you find a cause or organization you like, don’t stop volunteering. Many of these nonprofits operate year-round and the need for volunteers doesn’t stop.

In fact, nonprofits struggle to keep up after the holidays because volunteerism drops, but it doesn’t have to. Here are some ways you can stay connected:

1. Volunteer in short intervals.

Volunteering doesn’t need to take a full day. Nonprofits often have opportunities that only last an hour or two.

Twice a year, the WSU Community Service Board organizes WU’s Big Event, a Saturday morning for students to volunteer across the community. The student above organizes baby clothes at Treehouse. 

2. Start a workplace volunteer event on a lunch break. 

Encourage your coworkers to take a lunch break to volunteer at a nonprofit.

Allen, Gibbs & Houlik staff volunteer to sort items at United Way’s Give Items of Value Warehouse. 

3. Include volunteering in regularly scheduled corporate employee events.

Ask to see if your company would incorporate on-site volunteer projects during regularly scheduled trainings, all staff meetings or holiday parties. You can even check to see if your company offers PTO for volunteer activities.

Credit Union of America staff  volunteer as part of their annual President’s Day employee training activities. 

4. Get a group of friends together for an evening of volunteering.  

Some nonprofits operate late hours, overnights and weekends, giving professional clubs and social groups opportunity to volunteer after work or school.

American Marketing Association – Wichita board members volunteer together at HumanKind. 

5. Keep an eye on volunteer opportunities through the United Way.  

Local nonprofits list their volunteer opportunities online with United Way of the Plains at volunteertoday.org. You can search for projects, sign up for an opportunity, get notifications about projects that interest you when they become available and more.

Volunteers for United Way’s free tax prep program attend IRS training together. 

Volunteering isn’t exclusively a holiday activity. It is a year-round opportunity to provide support to our neighbors in their time need. Use this holiday season to find a nonprofit to support and give of one of the most valuable things you have: Your time.

United Way’s Volunteer Center is available help you find volunteer projects that match your schedule, interests, talents and group size. Contact Amy Hawley, Volunteer Center Manager, at ahawley@unitedwayplains.org or (316) 267-1321, ext. 4217 for help getting connected to your perfect project.