metro

iVolunteer

A new website makes it easier to volunteer.

Vivian Henoch

Special to the Jewish News

T

hey stuff envelopes and dial for
dollars at fundraising telethons.
They are mentors and tutors,
helpers in our classrooms. They deliver
groceries and care packages, furnish rides
to doctor appointments and visit our
seniors. From seasoned professionals to
newbies, from busy moms and dads with
young children to great-grandparents,
they have one thing in common: the
desire to give of their time and talent.
They are the legion of volunteers who
work in partnership with staff — as an
extended arm — to help keep the agencies
and services of our Jewish community
organized and running strong. Volunteers
and professionals work together to
enhance the services and experiences of
the organizations and clients they serve.
With the goal to streamline the process
of matching volunteers to opportunities to
serve the Jewish community, the Detroit
Federation has collaborated with its con-
stituent agencies and other Jewish agen-
cies and congregations in Metro Detroit to
launch ivolunteerjewishdetroit.org.

A One - Stop Shop
Designed for simplicity and accessibility,
iVolunteer Jewish Detroit is conceived
as a community resource — a "one-stop
shop" where Jewish agencies, organiza-
tions and synagogues are invited to post
their programs and events that have a
volunteer component. Volunteers are
encouraged to follow their hearts and
find the projects best suited to their indi-
vidual desires.
"More than a volunteer site, iVolun-

teer is an entry point:' says Dale Alpert
Rubin, volunteer service manager at the
Jewish Federation. "Now it's easier than
ever to find a volunteer opportunity that
works for anyone seeking to be part of
the good thing that happens in our com-
munity when people lend their hand to
give back.
"Our ultimate goal is to bring people
together and to help them find deeper
connections to the community as volun-
teers:' she adds. "The site is set up to be
user-friendly. You log in, find the project
or event that suits your needs, choose
your time or slot. You're in. You're on.
The sponsoring agency will take it from
there and contact you directly."
To date, there are more than 60 volun-
teer opportunities posted on iVolunteer
through dozens of agencies and organiza-
tions including Jewish Family Service,
JARC, JVS, Bookstock, Kadima, Yad
Ezra and the National Council of Jewish
Women (NCJW).
The site is open to every Jewish orga-
nization in the community that works
with volunteers. There is no charge to
participate.

A Community Partnership

Emphasizing that the site was built
through the collaborative effort of many
Jewish organizations to assure its seam-
less functionality, Rubin anticipates dou-
bling — even tripling — the number of
participants in the months ahead.
"Studies show that people who volun-
teer often find happiness, fulfillment,
new purpose and even new job skills
through their volunteer activities:' Rubin
says. "The Jewish Federation is here to
foster those activities for as many agen-

Dialing for Federation dollars and community support, hundreds of volunteers par-

ticipate in telethons throughout the year.

cies and individuals as possible with the
goal to welcome volunteers of all ages
and levels of experience.
"We're just getting started, so I urge
people to visit and take a look around the
site. And, if they can't find the connec-
tion they're looking for, they are welcome
to call me to step in and help."
An "early adopter" of the site, Yad Ezra
was excited to be involved in the iVolun-
teer Jewish Detroit initiative. According
to Darlene Rothman, volunteer/client
coordinator at Yad Ezra, the site is "a
great vehicle to introduce volunteering
opportunities to the Jewish community
so anyone can find the right situation for
themselves. The agencies have appropri-
ate flexibility in posting opportunities

in a manner that matches their specific
needs."
Lindsey Leder, director of special
events and volunteer engagement at JFS,
says, At JFS, we couldn't do the work that
we do without the contributions of the
volunteers that help us every year. This
site will allow the community to see all
the great opportunities available from all
of our agencies in one common place.
"We're encouraged that this will make
it more accessible for everyone who
wants to get involved to do so," she says.
"It's never been easier to help the com-
munity and have an amazing time doing
it:' Rubin says. "Come see for yourself at
ivolunteerjewishdetroit.org or contact me
at rubin@jfmd.org or (248) 203-1481."

❑

Left: Feeding the "Need to Read"
at Detroit's Bagley Elementary
School, Federation's TOV —
Tikkun Olam Volunteer — pro-
gram provides perennial support
to the Bookstock Used Book and
Media Sale.

Right: Repair the World volun-
teers in Detroit work year-round
with local nonprofits and orga-
nizations in response to critical
issues like health care, education
and healthy food.

16

February 12 • 2015

JN