Virtual Volunteering Opportunities to Visit
March 26, 2021
By Isabella Talavera
Copy Editor
Millikan requires at least 40 service learning hours as a medallion requirement for each Pathway, but the pandemic has made regular volunteering and service learning difficult due to social distancing and other COVID-19 based restrictions. However, Millikan still requires service hours from this year’s seniors who haven’t completed their required hours. Despite the lack of in-person volunteering and services, there are always online opportunities to investigate if needed.
VolunteerMatch lets members customize their preferences in order to find volunteering opportunities. It requires signing up for a free account via email and a zip code, but it allows users to tailor their interests and causes to their own liking. There are several causes to choose from, such as advocacy and human rights, crisis support, education, children and youth, and many more. Users can also select skills to fine-tune search results and discover what abilities are needed, from interpersonal ones like networking and project management to arts like drawing and painting. Searches take users anywhere they want, from their immediate city, county, or state. Both virtual and in-person opportunities are available and flexibility depends on the organization.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE VOLUNTEERMATCH WEBSITE
Websites such as VolunteerMatch let users filter content to find causes they are willing to volunteer and work for.
If searchers want to take their online work worldwide, United Nations Volunteers (UNV) is another option. There are already 12,000 volunteers per year participating from 187 countries. Opportunities include technology development, writing and editing, language translations, and COVID-19 responses that connect users to groups working towards peace and development. Both volunteers and organizations can register to help. This website also requires a free account signup.
For students who have more specific interests, particular, albeit more complex, organizations and activities are always at the ready. Project Gutenberg is an all-volunteer organization that works on free e-books to create the largest digital library available, and volunteers can offer services as proofreaders, transcribers, or by donating materials. Additionally, like sections in the UNV(seen above) opportunity list, Translations Without Borders combines languages with humanitarian issues, crisis relief, and education around the world. Yet another, in this case for the cause of environmentalism, ZSL’s Instant Wild lets users scroll through videos and pictures featuring animals in different locations, and all it takes to help is click on an animal and try to identify what it is.
There are even more specific causes, including computer work, tutoring, LGBTQ+ aid, crisis lines, arts and crafts, elderly and youth care, and many more. As long as students complete their required time and properly log their hours, they will receive credit. After all, helping and volunteering online is still one of many ways to help the community.
Oseinou Diagne • Apr 1, 2021 at 12:00 pm
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021) Isabella Talavera wrote an article titled, “Virtual Volunteering Opportunities to Visit”. This article is extremely helpful because of the need for medallions and service hours. Most universities in California are not requiring the SAT which can make it easier or harder to get into the universities. A good way to get in is doing your service hours to show you care about the community or other people. I have not started the service hours yet because I did not expect the quarantine to last so long, and was planning on doing it this year. These websites for service learning are helpful for those who want to do their hours now instead of during the summer. There are a wide variety of options to choose from and different types of activities depending on what you want to do for your career. This can also get people interested in a career path, and because we’re in high school it is important to find out what we want to do. Giving us specific choices is very helpful for people wanting to pick their volunteering. Going in depth about the volunteering opportunities is also useful for those who want to know more about what they’re picking.
Tru Jones • Apr 1, 2021 at 11:42 am
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 6, published March 26, 2021, Isabella Talavera wrote an article titled, “Virtual Volunteering Opportunities to Visit”. I first off would like to thank the author for taking the time to write the article. Since entering highschool, volunteer work has become a prominant topic in realtion to medals, colleege apps, and of course human decency. However, in light of the pandemeic, it’s been signifiganlty harder to find opportunities and log volunteer hours. As she stated we are required to obtain 40 hours for our pathways and with the additonal freetime gained during COVID, that could easily be done. The only issue is where and how to volunteer. While I am familiar with Volunteer Match, I didn’t realize how easily it was to remotely volunteer as she suggested. Technological advancements over the years have allowed us to make it to a pointwhere we can do volunteer work for another country from the comfort of your own home. She also specified that it’s not just random work that no one would want to do, but instead I could choose my preferance and volunteer with cause I truly want to work with. I am definetly looking forward to checking out the volunteer opportunities avaliable to me, virtually.
Sincerely,
Tru Jones, Grade 11
Shea Sanchez • Mar 31, 2021 at 7:58 pm
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Isabella Talavera wrote an article titled “Virtual Volunteering Opportunities to Visit”. In the article, Talavera talks about how although the pandemic has made it difficult for students to keep up volunteering and participating in service learning hours, there are new ways that have been developed for volunteering online. I didn’t know about these different online volunteering sites prior to reading this article, so it was great to learn something new about how I can still help my community during the time of Covid-19. I am a senior and have already acquired the necessary amount of service hours and volunteering needed for my medallion, but I am always looking for new opportunities to serve my community, and Isabella Talavera’s suggestions for places to look for such opportunities was of great help. Talavera first talks about the site called VolunteerMatch, which from her description, sounds quite easy to sign up for and navigate. The description was insightful, and I loved how Talavera emphasized the filter feature, which I find really cool and helpful. Another site Talavera talked about that really interested me was Project Gutenberg, in which volunteers help to create the “largest digital library available” by proofreading, transcribing, and donating materials. I am considering volunteering on this site in the future because I enjoy reading and writing, and this seems like a volunteer opportunity that is right up my alley. Thank you, Isabella Talavera for this insightful article that helped me choose where to volunteer in the future.
Sincerely,
Shea Sanchez, Grade 12
Grace Vazquez • Mar 31, 2021 at 10:24 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Isabella Talavera wrote an article titled “Virtual Volunteering Opportunities to Visit”. The article touches on the required service hours needed for the pathways, along with how one would go about earning these hours. I think the article was very well done and informational. Prior to this, I was not even aware that we still had required hours with online school in session and the whole pandemic, and was not aware of how many hours we needed either. I think that the websites added were a great addition, for I have personally heard the concerns of my peers and friends voice their worries on how they would even go about getting their hours. I like how you go in depth on what the websites can do for us students, and how to sign up and start searching for matches. I especially like the interactive link on the article that takes you straight to the website, it is very convenient and increases the likelihood of people visiting the website. All in all I think the article deserves praise for not only the writing but the very important information that could potentially save and benefit others who read the story as well.
Sincerely,
Grace Vazquez, Grade 11
Briana Sevilla • Mar 31, 2021 at 9:57 am
In issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Isabella Talavera wrote an article titled “Virtual Volunteering Opportunities to Visit.” She wrote about the several volunteer opportunities that a website called VolunteerMatch has to offer, virtually and in person. A total of 40 service learning hours must be completed in order to meet one of the many graduation requirements. COVID-19 has made opportunities scarce but VolunteerMatch has several volunteer opportunities that may be tailored to your interests, age, and location. From advocacy and human rights to health services, VolunteerMatch will help you attain the service hours you need. This source is a great way to get out of your comfort zone while also meeting one of your graduation requirements. Volunteering opportunities allow us to get to know ourselves more than we already do and help us further envision what the real world will be like.
As a junior, I have almost no service hours due to the circumstances. I have recently been using VolunteerMatch as a source to seek new opportunities that seem interesting and will help me get hours done. So far, I have signed up for opportunities such as baking desserts for foster children, donating masks to children’s hospitals, and writing cards to the elderly who are unable to see their loved ones at the moment. These opportunities have been great so far and I will definitely be continuing to do many more like these. With the virus putting a stop to many volunteer opportunities that would have been available in the past, VolunteerMatch has been a life saver and I am so glad Isabella is introducing it to many other students that will find it very useful.
Maryellen Gonzalez • Mar 31, 2021 at 8:26 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Isabella Talavera Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Isabella Talavera wrote an article titled ¨Virtual Volunteering opportunities to Visit¨. This article is very effective in giving information on finding volunteering opportunities in person and online. I absolutely love how you mentioned that each pathway at Millikan requires 40 service learning hours. I feel that you should´ve added what happens if you don’t complete the service learning hours requirements for some who may not even know they had to do so until now. You gave 2 websites that can help anyone find a volunteering opportunity in person or even worldwide online. You mentioned different interests people may have on wanting to volunteer in a specific place or even type in a specific word that describes the idea of work they want to volunteer in and I think that is very helpful for those who don’t know how to use the website. Could there be any spams on the website that can trick people? Is this a safe and reliable way to find volunteer opportunities and if so how are you so sure? I loved this helpful information that i can use for myself because I thought MBA cut down their hours but i guess not. Thank you very much for this information!
Sincerely,
Maryellen Gonzalez, Grade 12