How Can I Get a Volunteer? CMCA Staff Guide to Finding Volunteer Help

Contact the Special Projects Manager Call or email Kelley-Lucero@showmeaction.org at 573-443-8706, ext. 1916, and give her a description of the task you’re needing help with. She can help you determine the right type of volunteer for the job: Long-Term Volunteers: College Interns, Service Learning Students, or Subsidized Volunteers from SER, AARP, or MWA (still available to us). One semester to 2 years. They cannot be used in lieu of a paid position. Short-Term Volunteers: From 2 days to a few weeks to help get a specific project completed. One-Time Volunteers: Can be 1 volunteer or a group for a one day project.

2. Finding the Right Volunteer for the Job After you’ve worked out the details of the task, there are a few different ways to find the perfect person for the job. The Special Projects Manager will send out an email to the appropriate volunteer listservs, help you write a request for an intern, or arrange for a long term subsidized volunteer if necessary. You already know them! Staff will often have friends or family who’d like to help out. Have them complete our online volunteer application (also on the CMCA website), and then contact the Special Projects Manager to get that process started. Check the “Volunteer Applications Completed” spreadsheet to see if anyone in your area looks interesting .

3. What’s the Process to Becoming a Volunteer? Complete the application. This can be done online or by paper version. All volunteers need to complete the confidentiality agreement and liability waiver. Head Start, Childcare, and PhotoVoice volunteers will also need to complete a background check. A copy of their Social Security card must accompany the background check form, then turned in to CMCA HR. Head Start volunteers will also need to get a physical and TB test within 10 days of their start date. Give the volunteer a time sheet, and then do an orientation with them. All the paperwork needed for volunteers can be found in the Drive folder Volunteer Program that has been shared agencywide.

After the Paperwork - The Orientation Long-term and short-term volunteers should go through an agency orientation. This can be scheduled with the volunteer coordinator, or by having the volunteer watch this 14 minute video Sargent Shriver and the History of the Community Action Movement, and going over the Volunteer Handbook with them. Ask them to sign a photo release. Complete the orientation page with them specific to your volunteer site. For volunteers working with children, have them complete the background check form and make a copy of their picture ID and Social Security card. Turn that into Central Office HR. Head Start volunteers will also need to have a physical and TB test within 10 days of their start date. No orientation is necessary for one-time volunteers.

I Have A Great Volunteer! Now What Do I Do? More Paperwork! At the end of each month, please scan your volunteers time sheet to the Special Projects Manager - Kelley-Lucero@showmeaction.org CMCA tracks the volunteer contributions of their low-income volunteers separately for grant funders. If you know that your volunteer would qualify to receive services from CMCA, please let the Special Projects Manager know. Head Start volunteers sign in and out each day at their sites. Those sign in sheets are sent to Central Office to be scanned for inkind. The Special Projects manager will record the volunteer hours from the scanned inkind, so no additional paperwork needs to be completed for them.

Volunteer Recognition With over 1700 volunteers a year spread out over 8 counties, it can be difficult for the Special Projects Manager to give them all the recognition they deserve. This is how you can help: Be sure to let them know how much you appreciate them. National Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 23 - 29th. Give them a card or other token of your gratitude. Nominate them for Volunteer of the Year at the end of the year if they’ve really done a great job for you.