Volunteers Support Our Community

Volunteers Support Our Community

Vol.un.teer: A person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task. An unknown author said, “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community to live in.”

For more than 87 years, Federation volunteers have supported the regional Jewish community bringing cultural, educational, health and wellness, and social welfare resources to the Jewish community, all the while supporting Israel and Jews locally through advocacy and Tikkun Olam.

Our amazing volunteers have guided our community which has resulted in an infrastructure that is the envy of every small Jewish community in North America. As I referenced in my Liptalk column last month, we began a strategic planning process in 2016 to meet the challenges of declining demographics, shifting needs of the community, and a shortage of leaders. Through a corporate restructure a few years ago, we established a new form of oversight utilizing advisory boards and sub-committees for the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Community Relations Council, and Human Services (which oversees Heritage Manor, Levy Gardens, and Jewish Family & Community Services), along with the Federation Board and its committees, and the Youngstown Area Jewish Foundation. All are under the Youngstown Area Jewish Community Board. This new organizational structure is more effective for our team of volunteers and professionals who guide our Federation and its agencies. We continue to identify those within our community who have talents to lead and govern our agencies, boards, and committees.  

But not everyone wants to be on a board or committee! While many in our community are seeking to resume more of a “normal life” after more than 2 ½ years of Covid, the Federation has a growing number of volunteer opportunities on our campus. Through our Director of Community Engagement, Melissa Bateman, who has been on our staff for 10 months after serving as a volunteer (most recently as JCC Advisory Board Chair), we have developed a volunteer intake form for anyone who would like to volunteer. If you would like to give up your time just once, or on a regular basis, there is something for you.

Through JFCS, volunteers can help distribute baskets during Rosh Hashanah and Passover to Jewish individuals and families in need in our community. If you are comfortable with technology, consider helping with Tech Tuesdays, a program under our Aging Well initiative for seniors. Last year, and again this year, Akiva National Junior Honor Society students and middle school students are helping senior adults with electronics such as cell phones and iPads. 

JMeals, a joint effort between Jewish Family & Community Services and the Jewish Community Center, uses volunteers to help those individuals living in the City of Youngstown who qualify for on-going meals during regular mobile meal drive throughs. The JCC has other volunteer opportunities with the Suzi Solomon Golf Classic, the Purim Carnival, the Early Learning Center (read or sing with the children), to name just a few.

Through the Jewish Community Relations Council, you can volunteer for any number of its mission-based programs such as Mitzvah Day, Voter Registration, Canfield Fair, and Chalk Over Hate. And, please consider volunteering to participate in activities with the residents at Heritage Manor, the tenants at Levy Gardens, and the clients at Adult Day Services through Senior Living by the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation. 

However, we are not just relying on our community for volunteers. We have been reaching out to the community to partner with others in finding volunteers. We recently joined Youngstown State University’s Penguin Pulse portal where we can list our volunteer needs, and have reached out to local high schools for their students interested in volunteering for community service hours.

Our new Volunteer Intake Form is available at the Welcome Desk of the JCC. Please note that Covid protocols may be in place, and some volunteer positions may require a background check. If you have any questions, please reach out to Melissa Bateman at mbateman@jewishyoungstown.org or call 330.746.3250, ext. 159.

I also encourage you to contact me if you have any questions. Best to you and yours for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Andy
Andrew Lipkin, Federation CEO