Many clubs, activities, and colleges look at a student’s volunteer hours when they are considering that student. Many students don’t have a lot of volunteer hours and wonder how they can get more hours to have a higher chance of being accepted. I decided to dig deep into this and find some local places where people can get more volunteer hours.
The first place that I looked into was the Alliance Recreation Center, which has volunteer days once every year as well as different activities that you can volunteer to help with. I interviewed Sarah Magnuson-Meyer, who is an employee at the Recreation Center. The first question I asked Sarah was if the ARC had a lot of volunteer opportunities, she responded, “They have some. There is a day of service held each year that anyone can volunteer for. People can also volunteer on our board of directors or other committees, be program managers, be maintenance crew, or youth sports program help. Also, they can volunteer in summer camp or after school.” I asked if there is an age recommendation for volunteering and she told me no, any are welcome. The next question I asked was if the Alliance Recreation Center was a great place to get volunteer hours, Sarah answered, “It is a great place to have people volunteer and the community come together.” My final question was if she had any advice for people who wanted to volunteer, she told me, “ If you would like to see how to volunteer here at the ARC please contact the ARC at 762-2201 and see what you can do.”
The next place that we are a great place to volunteer is The Community Table. The Community Table is served every Monday through Thursday from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. It’s a meal that people in need can grab free of charge. They are looking for volunteers to serve the people and help clean up after. At the end of it, you can get four hours of a week for volunteering!
The last place I recommend to get volunteer hours is the Alliance Animal Shelter. If you are a big animal lover and want to help our local community, I recommend volunteering here! I had an interview with one of the volunteers here, who would like to be anonymous but for the sake of clarity, I will be calling her Grace Robb. The first question that I asked Grace was if the shelter needs volunteers, she told me, “Yes, the Alliance Animal Shelter is in great need of volunteers. We are struggling to get enough hours in between everyone.” The next question was what do you do as a volunteer? She answered, “When you volunteer at the animal shelter, there is a lot to do. You let the dogs out to go potty, feed them, refresh their water, clean up any messes if they make them, and give them treats. You also have to take care of the cats, if we have any at the time, which is simple: cleaning their litter boxes, watering them, and feeding them. The extra things you have to do when you are there is change laundry, take out trash, and the dishes.” The final question that Grace had to answer was does she recommend to volunteer at the shelter? She responded with, “I would recommend it if you are great with animals or like animals. If you don’t, you could find more volunteer jobs locally!”
These are only three of several great places to volunteer locally. If you need volunteer hours or just need something to do in your free time, I would highly recommend checking one of these places out!
