Opportunities From: VolunteerWNY

Be a BIG - there is a child waiting to meet YOU!!

Being a volunteer mentor, a Big, with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie, Niagara and the Southern Tier is both fun and rewarding!

YOU can make a big difference in the life of a child in your community!

To be a mentor, you must be at least 18 years old and be able to commit to at least one year of consecutive mentoring.

Your time as a volunteer is flexible. You'll meet with your Little on weekday evenings or weekends, for a few hours, just 2-3 times per month. Bigs and Littles are encouraged to share simple, everyday activities that focus on building a friendship and having fun while developing interests, skills and feelings of self-accomplishment for the Little.

You will have to support of a Big Brothers Big Sisters staff member for any questions you may have about the frequency or types of these interactions.

At Big Brothers Big Sisters we believe that all children have incredible potential. As a Big, you will ignite the power and promise within your Little to help them achieve their full potential! 

Volunteers are needed to deliver meals to our homebound neighbors in need throughout Erie and Niagara counties, especially within the City of Buffalo! As a home-delivered meal volunteer, you will help to enrich the lives of homebound seniors and disabled individuals by enabling them to maintain their dignity and independence.

It takes approximately an hour of your day to deliver meals, and you can volunteer as frequently as you wish. Depending on the home-delivered meal site you are placed at, your volunteer shift will begin anywhere between 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., FeedMore WNY has home-delivered meal opportunities Mondays through Fridays in both Erie and Niagara counties.

All volunteers, who are 18 or older, will be required to fill out a background check, which will be sent electronically after application approval. Volunteers under the age of 16 will need to be accompanied by an adult, and those 16 or older are able to participate on their own.

To take a look at what meal delivery looks like please watch our training video (please, note that no masks are being worn as this video was made prior to COVID) Click here!

The health and safety of our volunteers are top priorities. To ensure that we are keeping all of our volunteers safe we are asking anyone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19, or who is symptomatic to please stay home for the recommended five day period or until symptoms subside. As well as we ask that if you were recently exposed to someone with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 and you are unvaccinated, or vaccinated and showing symptoms, that you stay home for the recommended five days and please reschedule your volunteer shift.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who should volunteer?
A: Anyone looking to make a difference! Volunteering is a great opportunity for retirees, college students, business professionals, teachers, shift workers, stay-at-home moms and dads, church groups and others.

Q: Are there any requirements for volunteers?
A: Volunteers must be 16 years old or older, unless accompanied by a parent. Also, FeedMore WNY runs a basic background check on all volunteers prior to their starting to help ensure the safety of the clients.

Q: Do I have to have a car?
A: No. Both drivers and servers are needed. With COVID a lot of individuals are choosing to deliver on their own, so there may be a wait time if looking to just serve and be paired up with someone. 

Q: When is volunteering?
A: The primary volunteer assignment – assisting with meal delivery – is done on weekdays only between the hours of 11 am to 1 pm. Note that each site has a defined start and end time and that a route generally takes an hour or less.

Q: Where are delivery sites located?
A: Our delivery sites are located throughout Erie County, including the City of Buffalo and surrounding suburbs.

To sign up directly, you can visit our website at the following link:

https://www.feedmorewny.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-signup-form/ 

We are grateful for your support!

Volunteers are needed to deliver meals to our homebound neighbors in need throughout Erie and Niagara counties, especially within the City of Niagara Falls! As a home-delivered meal volunteer, you will help to enrich the lives of homebound seniors and disabled individuals by enabling them to maintain their dignity and independence.

It takes approximately an hour of your day to deliver meals, and you can volunteer as frequently as you wish. Depending on the home-delivered meal site you are placed at, your volunteer shift will begin anywhere between 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., FeedMore WNY has home-delivered meal opportunities Mondays through Fridays in both Erie and Niagara counties.

All volunteers, who are 18 or older, will be required to fill out a background check, which will be sent electronically after application approval. Volunteers under the age of 16 will need to be accompanied by an adult, and those 16 or older are able to participate on their own.

To take a look at what meal delivery looks like please watch our training video (please, note that no masks are being worn as this video was made prior to COVID) Click here!

The health and safety of our volunteers are top priorities. To ensure that we are keeping all of our volunteers safe we are asking anyone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19, or who is symptomatic to please stay home for the recommended five day period or until symptoms subside. As well as we ask that if you were recently exposed to someone with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 and you are unvaccinated, or vaccinated and showing symptoms, that you stay home for the recommended five days and please reschedule your volunteer shift.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who should volunteer?
A: Anyone looking to make a difference! Volunteering is a great opportunity for retirees, college students, business professionals, teachers, shift workers, stay-at-home moms and dads, church groups and others.

Q: Are there any requirements for volunteers?
A: Volunteers must be 16 years old or older, unless accompanied by a parent. Also, FeedMore WNY runs a basic background check on all volunteers prior to their starting to help ensure the safety of the clients.

Q: Do I have to have a car?
A: No. Both drivers and servers are needed. With COVID a lot of individuals are choosing to deliver on their own, so there may be a wait time if looking to just serve and be paired up with someone. 

Q: When is volunteering?
A: The primary volunteer assignment – assisting with meal delivery – is done on weekdays only between the hours of 11 am to 1 pm. Note that each site has a defined start and end time and that a route generally takes an hour or less.

Q: Where are delivery sites located?
A: Our delivery sites are located throughout Niagara County, including the City of Niagara Falls and surrounding suburbs.

To sign up directly, you can visit our website at the following link:

https://www.feedmorewny.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-signup-form/ 

We are grateful for your support!

Delivering meals to our neighbors as part of the Adopt-A-Route program is an easy and efficient way for companies and groups to give back to the community. It helps individuals find time to give back—no matter how busy someone’s schedule may be. Plus, it makes people feel good and helps cement relationships within a team.

Our Adopt-A-Route (AAR) partners volunteer in a similar manner to our regular home delivered meal volunteers.  They commit to taking on the same route out of a particular site on a set schedule (i.e. once a week, once a month, etc.).  The great thing about our (AAR) program is that it is a minimal time commitment for each individual within the group. Only two group members deliver each scheduled day, therefore, group members may only have to deliver a maximum of once a month if there are 8 volunteers per group.

 Our Adopt-A-Route program offers flexible scheduling to fit the time requirements of your company or community group. Opportunities are available in Niagara and Erie counties.

Learn more here: https://www.feedmorewny.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-signup-form/, or email Kyle Dillman at kdillman@feedmorewny.org, with any questions.

Volunteers are needed to assist with FeedMore WNY's Angel Card program! Throughout the year we often distribute greeting cards, that community members have made and donated, to our home delivered meal clients. It is a way to lift our clients' spirits and put a smile on their face! This project can be done remotely, and cards can be handmade, created on a computer or even store bought and  then decorated further. We just require that none of the cards are dated, that they do not have any offensive language on them and that they are not addressed to anyone specific.  Cards can be for any holiday or general purpose, but we do ask that cards are not specific to any particular religious holiday (i.e. get well soon cards, birthday cards, cards saying: happy fall, or happy holidays, etc.). If providing envelopes with your cards please do not seal them. 

Once completed, cards can either be dropped off (between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 100 James E Casey Drive Buffalo 14206, or mailed.  Cards can also be dropped off on Saturdays (between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.) at 91 Holt Street, Buffalo 14206.

Learn more about this program by contacting Kyle Dillman at kdillman@feedmorewny.org. 

Volunteers are needed to sort and pack donated food items to be distributed to community members in need. Volunteers may be required to lift light-weight to medium-weight boxes, volunteers have to be a minimum of 12 years of age and all volunteers between the ages of 12 and 15 will need to be accompanied by an adult. Please dress comfortably and wear closed-toe shoes.

Volunteer shifts are Tuesday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (there are no Wednesday afternoon shifts, and Friday afternoon shifts in the summer run from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.). 

Saturday shifts are available from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

To sign up directly, you can visit our website at the following link:

https://www.feedmorewny.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-signup-form/ 

We are grateful for your support!

Compass House is seeking teams of 5+ volunteers to assist in setting up homes for our Rapid Re-Housing clients. Your team will be tasked with collecting new and gently used items to fill an apartment with, assisting Compass House staff to set up the housing, and creating a warm, welcoming environment for our clients to call home.

Volunteers are needed to help make companion calls to our homebound neighbors! Companion Calls are opportunities to check in with FeedMore WNY's home-delivered meal clients to ensure they are staying well, and to provide them with a friendly conversation. Many of FeedMore WNY's clients live on their own and are fairly isolated, and these phone calls help to combat that isolation and provide our homebound neighbors with some socialization. 

Volunteers must be 18 or older to participate in this opportunity, and will be required to come into the Holt Street office to make these phone calls. Training will be provided onsite at the beginning of the shift. All volunteer rules and expectations can be accessed here!  

The health and safety of our volunteers are top priorities. To ensure that we are keeping all of our volunteers safe we are asking anyone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19, or who is symptomatic to please stay home for the recommended five day period or until symptoms subside. As well as we ask that if you were recently exposed to someone with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 and you are unvaccinated, or vaccinated and showing symptoms, that you stay home for the recommended five days and please reschedule your volunteer shift.

If you would like to participate in this project please, feel free to sign up on our website, https://www.feedmorewny.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-signup-form/ , and if you have questions please reach out to Kyle Dillman at kdillman@feedmorewny.org 

Compass House is looking for volunteers to assist with sorting and organizing our donations. We receive multiple donation every week and they continue to grow. We only have so much space here and only so many clients to give supplies to. We are overflowing in all areas of the Resource Center with donations. If you or anyone you know would like to help us sort through them, we would greatly appreciate it. 

Do you have a heart to share the Word of God? Please read further. – A Chapel Speaker at the Alfiero Family Center of Hope and Promise or at Cornerstone Manor is a volunteer service position designed to reach the unreached and encourage and equip the faithful. We are seeking individuals with an endorsement from their pastor or local church to bring a biblical message on a monthly basis. To begin this process please complete the application. Once the application is completed you will be contacted by the Volunteer Department for next steps. Chapel times at AFC are 11am and 7pm every day, and the times at CSM are 7pm to 8pm each day except Saturdays.
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As a volunteer in this service position, you will partner with the Mission’s truck driver to pick up donations from community donors, partners and vendors. This volunteer will partner with staff to load and unload the Mission truck, interact with community donors and complete necessary paperwork to record deliveries. You must be able to lift 75 pounds. This position is a Monday through Friday position from 8am to 4pm
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Do you like an office setting? This may be the service opportunity for you and bring much needed uplifting to the HR team. All needed file, management training will be provided. Human Resource administrative background helpful and preferred. This service role is a short-term opportunity which is available on Tuesday’s from 1pm to 4pm. Confidentiality is essential!
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Join with the kitchen staff and be part of the team by volunteering in the kitchen. We are in need of men and women with a friendly and warm smile to serve and to provide Dining Room clean up. Must wear a mask and a shield will be provided.
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Description: Do you like to talk on the phone? Are you able to utilize Excel for input of basic information? Do you feel comfortable praying with others? Please consider partnering with us in this exciting service role. As a volunteer, with faith in the Lord Jesus, in this role, you will be reaching out to volunteers and donors to share a special thank you of appreciation for the volunteer and donor’s kindness as partners who continue to make the servi.ces of the Mission possible. – Kindness and appreciation that comes from the heart sends ripples of building caring relationships with those who you appreciate! We so want to share our appreciation, so that it ripples throughout our community, to all that make the Mission’s services to our hurting community possible, day after day! As the thank you’s go forward, I pray that we build stronger relationships with our gracious community partners. If you would like to serve in this role, please choose this as an option in your application. We look forward to speaking with you! This position takes place at the Alfiero Family Center of Hope and Promise. We are seeking 3 hours shifts, 1 time per week, flexible schedules.
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Stylist/Barber Shop/ Beautician – Available for individuals – men and women – Are you a licensed hairstylist/barber? Do you have experience working with different types of hair? Help folks feel proud and uplift their hearts when they feel good about how they look and how they present themselves to the world. You can make a difference at the Buffalo City Mission by bringing your skill and providing haircuts in the lives of many struggling with homelessness.
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If you enjoy hospitality and have a friendly smile, please apply for this volunteer service position. The responsibility of this volunteer position is to welcome residents, guests and community members into the facility and connect them to the services needed. Partner with the Welcome Center staff to schedule appointments for residents, guests and community members through electronic system and answer phones. Welcome Center Receptionist available Monday through Friday.
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Are you seeking a rewarding volunteer experience? Do you like working with children? Volunteering in the day care and or student homework area will bring great support to the Mission staff and/or provide fun and support to our children of Cornerstone Manor of all ages. Volunteers serving in the Daycare are under the supervision of the Mission staff will assist with the implementation of lessons, stories, and arts & crafts.

Volunteers must submit all necessary required paperwork, pass a background check, and complete fingerprinting. There is no cost to the volunteer for these needs.

This service position is available Monday through Friday. Shifts are flexible.
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Open to men and women – Do you enjoy the beauty gardens and flowers bring? This is position for you. The gardens of Cornerstone Manor provide great beauty and joy to the residents and the community. The tasks of the Garden Beautifier will be to maintain the Cornerstone gardens by clearing the weeds so that the flowers can grow and develop to blooming. The Mission will provide all needed materials. A green thumb is not necessary for this service position, just a heart to bring beauty and joy to Cornerstone Manor residents and the community that pass by our facility. Garden Beautifier is available Monday through Friday 9am to 4pm.
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Residential Coordinators (RC) are the staff that work to meet the day to day needs of the residents of both the Alfiero Family Center and Cornerstone Manor, the Women and Children’s Shelter.  As a lead volunteer in this position, you will serve shoulder to shoulder with staff, providing vital support to staff while together, meeting daily resident needs. You may be preparing a room for a new resident, doing a bit of Covid cleaning, assisting with laundry and other, day to day operations. This service role will give you a greater understanding of and participation in the services provided to the women and children of Cornerstone Manor.  Note: Lead Volunteers receive extra training, as a volunteer in this role you do not need a staff person, present during your time of service. Training for all needs provided by staff. If you have any questions, please call the volunteer Department at 854-8181 x419. We are looking forward to partnering with you!
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Do you enjoy a retail setting, working with clothing and meeting new people? This position is for you!
The Thrift Store Volunteer Clothing Team Member’s role is to sort, hang and price clothing and linens for placement on the sales floor. Along with straightening clothing racks to keep the store looking pristine and inviting to our community shoppers. As a volunteer in this position you will sort, categorize all donations with a focus on houseware donations for preparation for the sales floor. In this role you represent the Buffalo City Mission as you engage donors in friendly conversation while receiving and sharing appreciation their donation. Donations are vital to the continued work of the Buffalo City Mission for many reasons. This position may seem small, but a friendly smile and kind words goes a long way to build lasting relationships with our caring and supportive donor community. All the time partnering with all mission staff and other volunteers.

As a volunteer in this position you give the gift of your time and skills and are member of a larger team that bring many hands together making the Buffalo City Mission successful to positively impact the many homeless in our WNY community. Available Monday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
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The residents of the Buffalo City Mission men’s Alfiero Center of Hope and Promise and the ladies at Cornerstone Manor love time to relax, laugh and have fun! What a great time of stress relief. The Volunteer Department has games that groups can borrow and utilize for fun times for the residents and volunteers as everyone interacts. These Fun with Game Events can be scheduled Monday through Friday Evenings from 5:45pm to 7pm. If your group would like to bring this event to the residents, complete the application and the Volunteer Department will contact you for next steps. We are looking forward to good times as we unite in service!
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Chapel Worship Team

Leveling the Playing Field is a nonprofit that gets kids from under-resourced communities involved in youth sports through the collection and distribution of gently used or extra sporting equipment.

Our Buffalo warehouse has recently opened- and setting up the warehouse to store all incoming donations is the top priority. Volunteers will also help to maintain warehouse operations, sort incoming sporting donations, and assist with other tasks at the warehouse.

Volunteers help to make sure EVERY kid has the opportunity to play!

Contact WNY Program Director Cam Daugherty at cam@levelingtheplaying.org or call (716)- 217-1875.

LPF Western New York

79 Benbro Drive

Buffalo, NY 14225

Did you know that 1 in 5 underserved households are not getting their kids involved in athletics because of the rising price of sporting equipment?

Leveling the Playing Field works within the community to collect used/excess sporting equipment so that we can ensure that every kid living in and around Western New York can enjoy the benefits of athletic involvement. Our free donations benefit Title I schools and youth/after-school programs looking to engage their students in the physical & and mental benefits of youth sports participation. 

So clean out your garages and clear the yard of used sporting equipment so that kids who are less fortunate are able to enjoy them! We have a drop-off bin in front of the warehouse to accommodate donations or schedule an appointment to drop your gear off. To learn more about LPF, please visit www.levelingtheplayingfield.org or contact WNY Program Director Cam Daugherty at cam@levelingtheplayingfield.org or call (716) 217-1875. Thank you for your support!

WNY Leveling the Playing Field has opened our doors and we are working to fill our warehouse with used and excess sports equipment so we can begin distributing it to kids in need by Spring 2024!

Collection drives are the most impactful way to help LPF get the gear we need to support local kids in need. Essentially, volunteer collectors tap into their network of classmates, friends, teammates, neighbors, etc. to collect any unused/extra gear. Donations are then transported to our warehouse, with an optional volunteer session to inventory and sort your own collections! You can register yourself for a collection drive here.

Fundraising is an essential part of sustaining the non profit sector but is also a great way for people to support our work if they don't have any equipment items to donate. If you are interested in incorporating a fundraiser with a drive or if you just want to create a fundraiser on our behalf, you can do so using this link. 

To learn more about how to run your own collection drive, please visit www.levelingtheplayingfield.org or contact WNY Program Director Cam Daugherty at cam@levelingtheplayingfield.org. Thank you for your support!