"I think I actually get more out of this than the clients. For all the things we're blessed with in our lives, being able to give something that you know is so desperately needed is more rewarding than anything."
– Volunteer
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Person-to-Person provides a diverse and supportive working environment in which there are many ways to volunteer. Reception Area: Our teams of reception volunteers communicate not only with clients and staff, but also with donors, other volunteers and social services agencies. They coordinate the many needs of the office and Person-to-Person would not function as well as it does without them. A rudimentary knowledge of Spanish or French is a plus, but not required. Clothing Center: The Clothing Center provides new and gently-used clothing in good condition to anyone from the area who schedules an appointment. Volunteers greet donors and clients in the Clothing Center, issue receipts to donors, and help scheduled clients select items during their visits. Volunteers also sort and hang donated clothing and help maintain the Clothing Center. This is a good opportunity to work directly with clients and their families. Emergency Food Pantry: The Emergency Food Pantry provides food for three meals a day for seven days to individuals and families living in Stamford, Darien and New Canaan that have been referred to P2P by other agencies and social workers. Volunteers sort donations, stock shelves and accompany clients as they self-select grocery items or pack grocery orders for clients to pick up. Volunteers are also involved in organizing food drives at local schools, civic organizations, businesses and houses of worship. Volunteers coordinate the delivery of bread, meat and produce from local suppliers and oversee the pick-up of food by the Youth Group on Saturdays. Food Drives: We rely on multiple food drives throughout the year to keep the Food Pantry stocked, including two major drives that are conducted annually – one sponsored by area synagogues and temples during the High Holy Days and the Postal Food Drive in May sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers. Volunteers prepare empty bags for delivery to the synagogues or temples and post office, then sort the food received during these large drives. Volunteers also coordinate the timeframes, supplies and number of people needed to make these drives successful. If you would like to coordinate a food drive at your business, house of worship, organization or school, please contact us. Van Men: A team of volunteers pick-up donated food and clothing several days a week, including Saturdays. Camperships: This program provides elementary and middle school children in Stamford with a place to go in the summer. Local summer day camps provide the opportunity to build life skills and keep children safe. Volunteers help parents select the best camp and register their child(ren). The volunteers are trained in the details of the camp registration procedures and have an opportunity to visit the camps during the summer to see the programs in action. Scholarships: This committee awards financial aid to college students for expenses not covered by student loans, such as books. Committee members are trained and placed in teams. These teams meet with the scholarship recipients during the application process and each committee member has the opportunity to build a relationship with the student through her/his college years. Dove Program: White and green Person-to-Person Doves hang from Christmas trees in area churches beginning the Sunday after Thanksgiving. White Doves are for providing a family with food and green doves are for providing a family with financial assistance or a scholarship. Recipients of this support are referred by social service agencies; caseworkers oversee the program. Volunteers are welcome to help coordinate this outreach. Toy Store: Provides our clients, with whom we’ve worked regularly over the year, the opportunity to choose one new toy and book for each of their children for the holidays. A purchasing committee works throughout the year to provide a proper selection of toys for all age groups. Volunteers are “elves” who help the parents shop, wrap the gifts, or entertain the children at the craft table while the parents shop. Be-A-Santa: This program engages businesses in Lower Fairfield County and provides their employees a direct way to help others during the holidays through a gift program. Volunteers contact participating companies, prepare and distribute tags indicating a specific new item or cash donation, and sort the gifts received for clients. The items requested include toys, children’s books, baby items, men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and household items. Inventory and maintenance of the Be-A-Santa area is an integral part of the volunteer effort. Volunteer Council: This group serves with the Director of Volunteers by providing additional resources and support for Volunteers. Members brainstorm special projects that will provide added value to the agency and assume responsibility for them. The Council considers community needs, other available services and the way in which Person-to-Person can best coordinate its services to clients. Baby Basics: This program provides and delivers layette items and car seats to new mothers at Stamford and Norwalk Hospitals based upon social worker referrals. For more information, email . To volunteer or for more information, contact Kathleen Bordelon |
