Get experience while giving back: Volunteer opportunities in Flint & Genesee

With the holidays approaching, the importance of volunteering comes to the forefront. Not only is volunteering your time a wonderful way to support the community, but it is also a great way to build up your resume.  

“Through TeenQuest and Summer Youth Initiative, our students use part of their time in the program volunteering at local organizations,” says Brianna Mosier, executive director of Flint & Genesee Education & Talent. “This gives students a perfect opportunity to gain job skills like teamwork and communications while learning what it means to give back.”  

With Giving Tuesday coming up on Dec. 3, now is a great time to plan how to give your time to a local organization in Flint and Genesee County. Here are a few places you can volunteer at this holiday season.

Food Bank of Eastern Michigan  

Millions of pounds of food pass through the Food Bank each year, and it must be inspected, sorted, and packaged before it can be delivered. Volunteering at the Food Bank, you can help prepare food that will stock shelves of neighborhood pantries and help ease the worry of families facing hunger. Volunteers must be 12 or older, and those under 18 need to be accompanied by an adult chaperone. For more information, visit the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan’s website.   

Heart to Heart Hospice of Flint 

Bring a little sunshine, fun, and friendship to a lonely patient. Visit a hospice patient in your area at a nursing home, assisted living facility, or at their home. Read to a patient, sing to them, look at pictures together, or just be there. Volunteer as little as one hour a week. Training and orientation are provided. For more information, click here.  

South Flint Soup Kitchen 

South Flint Soup Kitchen is looking for someone to serve take-out lunches out their back door to clients. This position involves helping prepare lunches in the morning and then serving them. It requires someone who is friendly and outgoing, meticulous, has problem-solving and critical thinking skills, can do some light lifting, and is willing to work as a team player. For more information, click here.  

Freeman Elementary 

The Freeman Elementary staff are looking for people who are interested in helping clean up their playground. Volunteers will work alongside staff toward the common goal of giving students a clean and safe outdoor environment for recess and activities. For more information, click here.  

These opportunities and others can be found on the Genesee Serves website. Genesee Serves works to create a positive impact in Genesee County by building the capacity of individuals, organizations, and the community for meaningful volunteer service. Learn more at GeneseeServes.org.