The United Way of Greater Greensboro, in partnership with the Volunteer Center of the Triad, and other local community organizations, is promoting a wide number of volunteer opportunities for local residents who want to give back.
The effort is part of National Volunteer Week – which runs from Monday, April 19 through Friday, April 23.
When you’re done giving back to the community, you can take the weekend off and pat yourself on the back for a volunteer job well done.
On Friday, April 2, the United Way sent out a press release to publicize the week – as well as the organization’s 2021 quest for volunteers.
The keyword this is “safe,” since the United Way is making it easy to stay safe from COVID-19 and volunteer at the same time. The group is offering at-home or safe in-person opportunities.
Those looking for ways to contribute can check out www.UnitedWayGSO.org/Volunteer and sign up to help during National Volunteer Week.
Here are some opportunities you can take part in during National Volunteer Week:
- Become a mentor through the United Way’s Mentoring Matters initiative
- Host a “Baby Item Drive,” benefitting members of United Way’s Family Success Centers
- Pack food backpacks for the Backpack Beginnings program
- Unload delivery trucks for the One Step Further food assistance program
In addition to those opportunities, the local United Way and The Volunteer Center also encourage everyone to “create their own safe and meaningful volunteer experience.”
They suggest hosting your own cleanup effort as part of the City of Greensboro’s Great American Cleanup. Additional details for that initiative can be found at www.UnitedWayGSO.org/Volunteer.
According to the United Way, National Volunteer Week is about “inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities.”
How much of the donated money does the United Way actually deliver to charity?
Not much. And from 1st hand experience, they tend to cater to certain demographics. I’m all for charity and helping folks, but only if all the money goes where it needs to and only if it is open to anyone in need. If it says United Way on the poster or the fine print I’ll have to pass. God knows they spend hundreds of dollars in someone’s time just sending me insistent emails all but demanding donations every year which I cannot unsubscribe from, if you open the link don’t give you the option of not donating, and they don’t give you a comment block knowing what the response might be from the countless numbers of us who don’t go for the strong arm robbery tactics disguised as charity.
Right! That was my implication.