Volunteer for Something You Care About

United Way focuses on making sure every citizen has access to education, income, health and safety nets:  the building blocks for a good life.

But we can’t do it alone.  We need the heads, hands and hearts of committed people like you to help us tackle the problems facing our communities. 

During the last four months of 2010, 730 United Way volunteers “rolled up their sleeves” and donated 4,965 hours of service to rebuilding homes; tutoring school children; reading to preschoolers; landscaping; sorting Mardi Gras beads; playing bingo with the elderly; painting playgrounds; feeding the hungry; boxing canned goods; or serving on boards and special event committees.

The need for volunteers grows on a daily basis. Make your leadership visible through volunteerism. Time and talent is critical to delivering solutions to the problems facing our community. 

Put your talents to work for your community…. Volunteer.

How to Volunteer

Corporate Volunteering

Companies and United Way care about creating the building blocks for a good life, like a quality education that leads to a stable job, a strong and qualified workforce and good health. Volunteerism is a key component of many companies’ philanthropic and community goals.

Volunteering through the workplace benefits employees, corporations and the community at large.  Employees have the opportunity to put their skills and passions into action, companies demonstrate their corporate citizenship and people’s lives are improved.  We all win when a child succeeds in school, when a family becomes financially stable or when people have good health.

Companies, large and small, partner with United Way to identify how their employees can engage in their community to create change on issues they care about.

Employees benefit by:

• Building ties to the local community
• Learning new skills including leadership and supervision
• Strengthening relationships with colleagues
• Enhancing their relationship with and esteem for the company
• Understanding how one’s commitment of time and money makes a difference

Companies benefit by:

• Gaining improved relations with members of their community
• Learning about critical community issues
• Building morale and sense of team spirit among employees
• Enhancing their ability to recruit and retain high-quality employees

We know you want to make a difference where you live and work.  Let United Way help your company connect the volunteer power of your coworkers with local non-profit agencies and learn more about the issues affecting people in your community.  Please fill out our Corporate Registration Form or contact our Volunteerism Manager Barbara Olynick at barbarao@unitedwaynola.org or (504) 827-6890 to set up your company’s United Way Volunteer Experience.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Are you a company, group, family or individual looking for a special and unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on the community?  NO Place Like Home (NPLH) is a United Way initiative whereby a company, group, family or individual can sponsor the rebuild of a family’s home who live in United Way’s seven parish area.  Since the 2005 hurricanes, hundreds of families, throughout southeast Louisiana, still need help to rebuild their houses and make them, once again, their homes.  NPLH can fit you and/or your company’s interests by utilizing single or multiple donations devoted to a specific home, rebuilt through our United Way partner rebuild agencies. Donors may also support the rebuild by volunteering themselves.  For more information, please contact Barbara Olynick at 504-827-6890 or barbarao@unitedwaynola.org

Families/Individuals/Students

Your time and talent is definitely needed in our area!  Volunteering is the gift of YOU. Give an Hour. Give a Day.  Give your Best.  To find a volunteer project that is right for you, please review and contact any of the following agencies:

United Way’s Community Impact Partner Agencies

Are you retired, in between jobs or a college student looking for some hours to fill and interested in volunteering at a nonprofit?   The United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area is in need of your help with administrative and clerical opportunities.   For more information, please contact Barbara Olynick at barbarao@unitedwaynola.org or (504) 827-6890

United Way Rebuild Partner Agencies are listed below to contact for volunteer projects:

Catholic Charities Operation Helping Hands:  www.ccano.org/programs/operation-helping-hands
Lowernine.org:   www.lowernine.org
Phoenix of New Orleans:  www.pnola.org
Rebuilding Together New Orleans:  www.rtno.org
St. Bernard Project:  www.stbernardproject.org 

Volunteer Organizations
Volunteers of America:  whosler@voagno.org  or  www.voagno.org
Volunteer Louisiana:  www.volunteerlouisiana.gov
Hands On New Orleans:  www.handsonneworleans.org
Volunteer Match: www.volunteermatch.org