The holiday season always brings out the good in people. It’s a time of cheer and giving. So, if you have some time on your hands and want to give back to your local community, one of the best ways to do so is to volunteer. Fortunately, there is an abundance of opportunities for lending a helping hand in and around Woodstock. Below are seven of our favorites.

 

LISTEN Community Services

Listen Community Services provides services and support to meet the critical needs of Upper Valley individuals and families. Volunteers build a healthy community and help LISTEN support its programs. Last year, more than 400 community members volunteered 14,526 hours of their time!

 

Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock

Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD) volunteers  are a part-time, unpaid cohort whose efforts support the mission of Dartmouth-Hitchcock by providing services to promote population health and enhance the patient experience. You may volunteer for one day at a fundraising event or provide years of service in one of the many ongoing volunteer opportunities.

The Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD) provides first-rate, comprehensive specialty and primary care to the children of northern New England and beyond. As the region's only Level 1 Trauma Center for children, CHaD takes care of the sickest and most critically injured babies and children. It is committed to providing exceptional patient- and family-centered care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare providers, studying and advancing new treatments for childhood illnesses, and serving community needs through injury prevention, community partnerships, public health education, and advocacy.

 

David’s House

Because David's House operates with such a small paid staff, the organization depends heavily on volunteers to keep things running smoothly. Volunteers come from every walk of life, but the one thing they have in common is an unwavering commitment to supporting the families that turn to David’s House. Volunteers are often tasked with baking, cooking, answering phones, checking guests in and out, chatting with families, participating in events, making quilts, and doing everything possible to bring a little sunshine into guests’ lives.

David’s House is the dream of a little boy named David Cyr who passed away at age 5 after a three-and-a-half-year struggle against acute lymphatic leukemia. Built so that families can remain together when it is most crucial, David’s House provides a home-away-from-home and support for families with children receiving treatment through the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

 

Woodstock Community Food Shelf

The Woodstock Community Food Shelf is a 100 percent, volunteer-run organization. The food shelf heavily relies on the ongoing hard work and support of the community, which does everything from staff the food shelf during open hours to stocking shelves after food drives, packaging food, writing thank you notes to donors and setting up a database. The Woodstock Community Food Shelf witnesses firsthand the ongoing rise in the need of Vermonters for help, and reaches out to those in need.

 

Upper Valley Humane Society

Volunteers at the humane society fill a critical and much-appreciated role. With a variety of opportunities available for volunteers who are 14 years and older, the humane society offers flexible hours and the opportunity to help improve the lives of pets and people in need! Duties/tasks include general cleaning, customer service, special events and project development, donation pickup, dog walker/socialization, and cat socialization.

The Upper Valley Humane Society has been compassionately connecting people and pets for more than 50 years. The organization’s vision is to achieve excellence in animal welfare through a progressive approach to humane sheltering, humane education, community engagement, and support services.

 

Vermont Emergency Response Volunteers System

Volunteers are healthcare professionals and Vermonters from all walks of life and are trained to be a part of an emergency response team – performing critically needed tasks, such as supporting the operation of mass clinics, helping during a snowstorm or flood, or other emergency events.

Interested volunteers can choose the group(s) that they wish to join. Groups include the Vermont Department of Health, Medical Reserve Core, VT Metropolitan Medical Response System, and the VT Behavioral Health Disaster Response Coordination Team, as well as the VT Commission on National and Community Service, and VEM Citizens Emergency Response Team and VEM Radio Armature Civil Emergency Service.

 

The Thompson Center

Many of the services that the center provides are accomplished through the time and efforts donated by dedicated volunteers who help out with everything from assisting seniors in the computer room at the center to delivering meals and providing rides to medical appointments.

There are many volunteer opportunities with flexible schedules for people who would like to provide assistance to area seniors. Those wishing to become a volunteer at The Thompson Center  are matched with a service compatible with their interests and schedule. Volunteers are very valuable to the Edwin Thompson Senior Center; therefore every effort is made to help those who donate their time feel welcome and appreciated for their contribution.