What Goes into Coordinating a Volunteer Request?

This year’s Tickets for a Cause raises funds to support our volunteer program. Our volunteers do an amazing job of helping our members stay connected, engaged, and supported in our community. Have you ever wondered how it all works? You might be surprised with how much goes on behind the scenes to make these important connections.

  • Vetted and Trained Volunteers – It all starts with recruiting and training good volunteers. Heather Hill, LICSW, NNV’s Member and Volunteer Relations team member communicates with each prospective volunteer before inviting them to a mandatory 90-minute orientation designed to prepare volunteers for their new role and help them understand the needs and contributions of older adults. Following orientation, we perform a criminal and motor vehicle background check on all volunteers before they work with our members. Ongoing training is offered throughout the year so our volunteers are always prepared to help.
  • Member Requests – All members call the office to make a service request. This is important to us because it allows our staff the chance to connect with our members. Every call is an opportunity for us to see how our members are doing and talk about whatever is on their mind. Our team gets great satisfaction from helping a member with something beyond what they have called for, and we especially enjoy talking to members about the things that are meaningful to them – birthday parties, recent visits with loved ones, and whatever is on their mind. For us, a call for a service request is much more than a call for volunteer help!
  • Proactive Response – Our volunteers are trained to recognize signs of concern and to contact the office when those concerns arise. Often the call from our volunteers is the first sign that our members need more help. Our experienced team listens to our concerned volunteers and then follows up with our members to learn more about how they are managing and offer support. When members needs are beyond the scope of volunteer services, our case management partners at Aging & Amazing are called in to make an evaluation and coordinate services. This rapid response is often critical to preventing a major crisis for our members.

We are so grateful to our wonderful volunteers who generously share their time and talents with NNV! If you are like me and appreciate the benefits of building a generous, supportive, and inclusive community, please consider supporting our work at our annual Tickets for a Cause fundraiser. Take a chance to win one of 20 incredible prizes and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting our vital volunteer services. Prizes will be announced via Zoom on Tuesday, September 10th at 7:00 pm. You do not have to be present to win.

Kind regards,
Stephanie

P.S. Want to join our amazing volunteer corps? Complete a volunteer inquiry form here. Our next new volunteer orientation is September 24th.