*Science Center of Iowa

What: Birthday Party Volunteer Facilitators-you will play a key role in ensuring that birthday parties held at SCI are fun, educational, and memorable experiences for children and their families. 

When: Varius Saturdays and Sundays

Where: Science Center of Iowa

Please email volunteer@sciowa.org to learn more 

Ongoing Opportunities

*Clive Community Services  

What: DMARC-affiliated food pantry as well as a clothes closet

Where: 2190 NW 82nd St in Clive

When: 4-7pm on Mondays as well as 9am-noon on Fridays.  

The link to our website is: https://clivecommunityservices.com and students can sign up through SignUp Genius under the Volunteer tab.  

*Change Course Volunteers

Mondays 6-8pm

We need volunteers to help us care for children aged ranges 1-12, every Monday night from 6 pm-8 pm. Parents of these children are going through an intensive 6 month personal and career development program. Volunteers do not need to sign up for consecutive Mondays-

 If interested email Nicole at nicole@change-course.org

*Des Moines Parks and Recreation

Lots of volunteer opportunities found here:

 Register to volunteer with City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department via Volunteer Local 

 *Families Forward

Services and Shelter 

Visit their website to see all their volunteer opportunities. Volunteer | Families Forward 

*FreeStore

FreeStore ran by volunteers. With your help, many more families escaping abusive environments will move on safely.   

• Assist in the warehouse with various tasks such as putting together modular furniture, sorting donations, organizing stock, etc

• Assist with loading our trucks with household items and deliveries to qualified clients.

• Sponsor a “fill-the-truck” drive or other type of donation event at your chosen location to receive gently used household goods and/or monetary donations for the purchase of much-needed items. 

Please reach out to Kathy Frank at kfrank1214@gmail.com or Sharon Steffen at Sharon.f.steffen@gmail.com with any questions you may have, schedule a volunteer event, or schedule a time to come volunteer at the warehouse. Visit our webiste at Become a Volunteer – The Freestore 

*Urbandale Community Action Network (UCAN)

Current volunteer opportunities Current volunteer opportunities – Urbandale Community Action Network (urbandalenetwork.org) 

or

Mobile Pantry - Volunteers will help load our van with items to be distributed to those in need and set up at a mobile location.

Please email Info@UrbandaleNetwork.org or contact us at 515-334-2684 to learn more! 

Monday 4-5 pm @Aldersgate Church

Wednesday 4-5 pm @Rocklyn Drive area apartments

Friday 12-12:30 pm @Plaza Manor Apartments

*Urbandale Food Pantry - Always looking for volunteers! - Ongoing

Open student shifts can be found HERE. Student volunteers help stock shelves, and assist with client shopping and other tasks. 

Please contact lwinton@urbandalefoodpantry.org with any questions. 

Volunteers must be 14+ to volunteer during these shifts. Click HERE for more information about volunteering. \

*Children's Cancer Connection - Blankets - Ongoing

The Children’s Cancer Connection is collecting blankets to send with kids to camp. Handmade polar fleece tie blankets for boys and girls ages 5-18 are needed.

Two hours of Silver Cord Credit can be earned by purchasing the fleece, making the blanket, and turning it in with your hour verification form or a photo of the blankets.

Fleece Tie Blanket Directions

*Volunteer at the Botanical Garden - Ongoing

Discovery Tour Leader -

Introduce children to the wonder of the Botanical Garden through interactive in and outdoor tours. Co-leading a group, the one-hour engagement involves the tour, an activity, and a take-home project. Scheduling is flexible, depending on requests. Volunteers are asked to participate at least two tours a month, from June through August. This role is a great fit for those who are outgoing, enjoy children, and are comfortable speaking to and leading groups. Enjoying science and the world of plants is a plus but all content is provided in the required training. Volunteers will be asked to complete a background check. For more information about this role, fill out a volunteer application at: https://www.dmbotanicalgarden.com/support/volunteer/

*Clive Community Services - Ongoing

Clive Community Services is seeking volunteers during our food pantry shifts, Mondays 4-7 pm and Fridays 9 am-12 pm. First-time volunteers, plan to show up 15-20 minutes early. Subsequent volunteers, please try to arrive 5-10 minutes before your shift and be prepared to stay 5-10 minutes after to help with cleanup. Volunteers walk alongside clients, assisting them with shopping and loading items in their car. Volunteers may also sort donations and stock shelves in their downtime. Sign up for a shift HERE! 

Contact director@clivecommunityservices.com with any questions.

Volunteers must be 14+. For more information about volunteering, visit

https://clivecommunityservices.com/help-us/

*Many Hands for Haiti Thrift Market - Ongoing

Come whenever Monday - Saturday whenever the store is open (8 am-5 pm) for as long or as little fits into your schedule. At the thrift store, you can sort and process donations, tag clothing items, create displays, help with marketing, and much more. We want you to find the best fit for you. NO Scheduling...flexible hours! 100% of our proceeds go back toward local and global missions. We are a thrift store with a purpose that provides a better way of donating and serving. Contact tkamerman@mh4h.org with any questions!

Locations: 

Grimes - 2900 SE Grimes Blvd., Grimes, IA 50111

Des Moines - 4353 Merle Hay Rd., Des Moines, IA 50310

Clive - 8801 University Ave, Clive, IA 50325

*Food Bank of Iowa - Ongoing

Pantry Volunteers: Join us as we assist the community members shopping for food items in our on-site pantry! Volunteers in this role will help us with restocking the pantry, getting groceries out to the vehicles of pantry clients, weighing food items, and making sure everyone is welcome as they join us to receive food items. We can't serve the dozens of families that depend on the food we provide without volunteer power. Fifteen volunteers are needed each Tuesday evening from 3:30 pm-7:30 pm!     

Sign up HERE.

*Des Moines Children’s Museum - Ongoing

Children's Museum Regular Operation: 

We are located in the lower level, southwest end of Valley West Mall, West Des Moines. The Des Moines Children's Museum relies on volunteers to help us provide an affordable and high-quality experience for children and families that visit our museum. 

Volunteers will assist with the day-to-day operation of the museum. Tasks include welcoming visitors, interacting with children, sanitizing toys, and keeping exhibits tidy. Our volunteering shifts are every 2 hours

Monday through Friday

9:00-11:00

11:00-1:00

1:00-3:00

Saturday

9:30-11:30

11:30-1:30

1:30-3:30

3:30-5:30

To volunteer, sign up here: Des Moines Children's Museum : Volunteering at Des Moines Children's Museum (signupgenius.com)   Please make sure you are showing up for shifts you are signed up for.  If a conflict arises, please make sure you delete your sign-up.  No-shows are frowned upon.

*Wesley Life Meals on Wheels - Ongoing

Fold, Stuff Envelopes, & Label Letters to Clients

Volunteers will need to match names on labels and letters for a 300-piece mailing. This task will need to be done in our office (944 18th Street, DSM), but the volunteer(s) will be isolated in a separate room with all the materials and will not require contact with others. Depending on the number of volunteers, it will take 2-4 hours and can reoccur for those interested the 1st week of every month. This can be done anytime our office is open M-F 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.

Please contact Michelle Leaverton with any questions.    Phone: 515-699-3241

Cards/Handmade Gifts

Meals on Wheels always welcomes cards or handmade gifts made for clients by volunteers. We have received birthday cards, “hope you have a good day” cards, holiday cards, and small handmade items to give to the clients for students looking for some "safe at home" volunteer opportunities.

Please contact Abby Ruby to make arrangements for dropping off items. Wesley Life Address: 944 18th St. Des Moines, IA 50314    Phone: 515-699-3240    Email: ARuby@wesleylife.org

*Meals From the Heartland - Ongoing

Package life-saving meals for the hungry in Iowa, across the nation, and around the world at the Meals from the Heartland Packaging Center in West Des Moines, following strict health and safety guidelines. Two-hour packaging shifts are available throughout the year – Tuesday through Saturday. Individuals and small teams are all welcome! Invite your friends, coworkers, and family. To find out what shifts are available, go to our website: and click on the Volunteer or Calendar tabs.

PLEASE NOTE: Current policies are subject to change. Please check our website or call (515) 473-9530 for the most up-to-date volunteer information.

•  All volunteers must be 18 years or older or at least 8 years old and accompanied by an adult family member.

• Families units are welcome; however, we will be enforcing a two children per adult policy now. (i.e., 4 children per 2 adults)

*Iowa Genealogical Society - Ongoing

The Iowa Genealogical Society has several ongoing projects they would like help with.  If interested, please call Nancy Kirchner, President @ 515-554-2729 or Anthony Cupp, Librarian @ 515-276-0287

Putting donation slips into books and materials

Checking catalog to see if donated books are duplicates

Scanning obituaries into a database

Camp Dodge draft cards: Knowledge of Excel Spreadsheets a must

*Community Youth Concepts (CYC)

VIRTUAL SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS

YVC (Youth Volunteer Corps) is excited to announce that there will be virtual service learning projects available monthly now! These projects will be hosted every third Monday of each month at 6pm. Virtual projects will be recorded and available to students unable to attend the live session. Our first service project will have a Halloween theme with a purposeful act of giving at the end. Please contact Taylor if you have any questions regarding this new opportunity!

*Des Moines Public Library Rosie Reader Outreach & Simple Steps

The downtown library is looking for students who could commit to a couple of hours each week to help prepare 1,300+ early literacy activity bags Interested students can email Ashley Molzen at the DMPL to learn more: ARMolzen@dmpl.org

*TECHS (Teen Electronic and Cyber Help)

TECHS is a program created to have high school volunteers meet with seniors living at senior living communities and help them with simple-fix technology questions. Technology comes naturally to many high schoolers, while seniors often need help; even the most specific problems solved make a huge difference!

What qualifications do I need to have?

Many of the questions you will receive when volunteering is pretty simple. Because of this, you do not need to have many qualifications, just a general knowledge of typical devices (Apple, Android, etc.) and the ability to problem-solve (often seniors carry outdated and abnormal types of devices, so being able to look things up and think on the fly is beneficial). Additionally, TECHS requires all volunteers to complete a short training regimen on general technology questions and customer service. 

What kind of questions can I expect?

Generally, you will be helping with setting up email/Alexa/Fitbit accounts, helping them manage applications, and just general information. 

What should I do to become a volunteer?

Visit TECHS - Home (weebly.com)  on the volunteers page to learn more about volunteering and apply to become a volunteer. We will email you with additional information about joining our volunteer force!