At GoodLife Programs & Activities, there are limited opportunities for volunteers.
They use volunteers at different times throughout the year, but since they are at full staff, it’s not on a consistent basis.
But after being asked on numerous occasions if they needed any help and turning down many people who just want to volunteer, the folks over at GoodLife came up with another idea – a volunteer fair.
“We have so many participants who are looking for volunteer opportunities,” said Susan Greenblott, director of development and marketing. “And we don’t use as many volunteers as we used to.”
As we all know, there are lots of organizations out there who will take all the help they can get, so why not put a bunch of them in one room and see if potential volunteers can find a match?
So upwards of 20 places will be at GoodLife on Oct. 5 for their first-ever Volunteering is Good for the Soul, a free fair that will hopefully match interested volunteers with organizations who will gladly take a helping hand or two – or much more.
“This is open to the public, so anyone who wants to volunteer their time can come,” Greenblott said.
There is no registration required and it won’t cost you anything to attend. Just show up and have a few conversations with local spots that would like your help.
What kind of organizations will be there? Well, we’re glad you asked.
Here’s the list: NH Food Bank, Second Start, Friends/RSVP Program, Volunteer Transportation, Pope Memorial SPCA, N.H. Audubon Society, The Friendly Kitchen, Future In Sight, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute/OLLI, Be the Match/Bone Marrow Donation, AARP, SCORE, OutFITters/ Families in Transition Concord Retail Store, N.H. Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection, Community Action Program/Volunteer Driver Program, Concord Coalition to End Homelessness and The Children’s Place and Parent Education Center.
So it’s safe to say there will be plenty of chances for you to make a difference for one of these many organizations.
“Some need volunteers on a regular basis, so there’s a real need,” Greenblott said.
The event runs from 4 to 6 p.m., but you can show up whenever you want. Each organization will have a table where you can stop by and talk.
GoodLife is located at the Smokestack Center, 254 N. State St., Suite L, and there’s plenty of parking.
For more info or if your organization is interested in participating next year, contact Lori McKinney, GoodLife’s program manager, at lmckinney@goodlifenh.org or call 228-6630.
“We had so many organizations and limited space, so we had to cut it off,” Greenblott said.
