While volunteering in person is usually the most desirable form of community service, that's not always possible, especially in times of mandated social distancing and self-quarrantine. Here are some ways our students can continue contributing to the common good even during these uncertain times.
Opportunities in Binghamton
Find local virtual and remote volunteer opportunities.
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES DIRECTORY
National opportunities
VolunteerMatch
VolunteerMatch has a database of virtual volunteer opportunities.
NYC Service
NYC Service builds partnerships to deepen and expand civic engagement through volunteer and service programs, creating sustainable change for our city's greatest needs. Check out their virtual volunteer opportunities.
Points of Light Engage
Points of Light Engage pulls volunteer opportunities from sites around the web to provide the most comprehensive database of volunteer opportunities around the world. Individuals can search for volunteer projects, nonprofits can post and manage event sign-ups, and visitors are invited to start projects of their own – all in one place.
TED Translators
TED Translators are volunteers who subtitle TED Talks to help disseminate knowledge, research and big ideas across languages and borders.
CATCHAFIRE
CATCHAFIRE is a community of individuals seeking to support and strengthen the social good sector by matching professionals who want to donate their time and talent with nonprofits who need those skills.
Taproot Foundation
Taproot nourishes social change organizations by connecting them with the expertise and insights of skilled volunteers, enabling both to thrive. Nonprofit organizations don’t always have access to the marketing, HR, technology, or planning resources they need to tackle the issues of their communities. Too many organizations are understaffed, operating on small budgets, and facing challenges that would benefit from targeted subject matter expertise. Learn more about how you can help out.
Omprakesh
Omprakash is a nonprofit dedicated to building mutually beneficial and educational relationships between grassroots social impact organizations and volunteers, donors and classrooms around the world who can learn from & support their work. They offer a free network of online volunteering and internship opportunities with vetted grassroots social impact organizations in over 40 countries around the world.
PeerForward
PeerForward (formerly College Summit, Inc.) aims to help high school students enroll in college and to develop services and interventions that positively affect college persistence.
At transformational workshops, PeerForward staff, alumni, and volunteers train high school students to organize campaigns to help their friends with college and career planning. Volunteer Writing Coaches and College Coaches are vital to the transformation.
Teams and individuals may also provide virtual coaching to college freshmen andtraining for Peer Leaders.
Contact: volunteer@peerforward.org
Volunteer English tutor for refugees
Paper Airplanes tutors go through an online training, then are matched with a student based on age, gender, language skills and interests. They meet with their student for 1.5 hours a week using our English curriculum and are supported by their tutor coordinator who checks in with them regularly throughout the semester. We find that this volunteer opportunity is particularly useful for students who want to develop teaching skills and want to engage in refugee advocacy. Students learn about the Syrian Conflict, develop teaching and Arabic language skills, and become involved in refugee advocacy.
Contact: gabby@paper-airplanes.org
United Nations Volunteers
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Online volunteering allows organizations and volunteers to team up to address sustainable development challenges — anywhere in the world, from any device. Online volunteering is fast, easy — and most of all, effective. When skilled, passionate individuals join forces online with great organizations working toward sustainable development goals, everyone wins.
Contact: info@onlinevolunteering.org
Translators without Borders
Translators without Borders depends on volunteers to translate millions of words, but also to help us run the organization. We work with volunteers who have all kinds of great skills — and many learn new skills that they can use in their jobs.
TRANSLATOR VOLUNTEERS. You can volunteer with TWB if you are fluent in at least one language other than your native language. Whether you are interested in translating medical texts or translating for crisis response, there are engaging projects available to suit all preferences. Professional translators are especially encouraged to apply.
OTHER VOLUNTEER roles such as project manager, graphic or web page designers and fundraising are also very valuable to us.
Contact: info@translatorswithoutborders.org
Be My Eyes
As a sighted volunteer you can help just by installing the Be My Eyes app. A blind or a low-vision user may need help with anything from checking expiry dates, distinguishing colors, reading instructions or navigating new surroundings.
LibriVox
LibriVox volunteers read and record chapters of books in the public domain (books no longer under copyright), and make them available for free on the Internet. Practically, this means we record books published before 1923. All our recordings (including yours, if you volunteer for us) are also donated into the public domain. You do not need any prior experience to volunteer for LibriVox, nor do you need to audition or send us samples. All you need is your voice, some free software, your computer and maybe an inexpensive microphone.
7 Cups of Tea
Thanks to thousands of volunteer listeners stepping up to lend a friendly ear, 7 Cups is happy to say, “We’re here for you!” No matter who you are or what you’re going through, this is a place where you’ll be heard and cared for. We might be strangers on the surface, but underneath we’re just the friends you haven’t met yet. Sign up to become a volunteer listener.
Smithsonian Digital Volunteer
Become a Smithsonian Digital Volunteer and help us make historical documents and biodiversity data more accessible. Join 14,674 "volunpeers" to add more to the total 515,472 pages of field notes, diaries, ledgers, logbooks, currency proof sheets, photo albums, manuscripts and biodiversity specimen labels that have been collaboratively transcribed and reviewed since June 2013.
Project Gutenberg/Distributed Proofreaders
Project Gutenberg/Distributed Proofreaders has available eBooks online, which volunteers make possible by proofreading them prior to posting. Volunteers help by proofreading books — as much or as little as they'd like.
