Tis the season of shopping, getting gifts, and staying warm. But what about those who don’t feel the happiness of the holiday season? Remembering to give back during the most wonderful time of the year will not only help those in need, but will help you see the world in a different light. In Iowa City, there are tons of ways to get involved, no matter what type of volunteering you like to do.
The Ronald McDonald House provides a living space for families with a child at a local hospital or clinic undergoing medical treatment. No families are turned away because they can’t pay, and it’s an easy place where they can stay in a room and live a normal life. The Ronald McDonald House is a popular group volunteer spot, so get your friends together to make a home-cooked meal. Meals are planned by you, and the House asks you to be creative — give your meal a theme or make something original like a baked potato bar. When volunteering, you are responsible for setting up, preparing the meal and cleaning up. If cooking just isn’t for you, you can do a service project like helping to clean around the building, as well as making a craft or organizing a game for the families to play. The opportunities to help out at the Ronald McDonald house are endless.
The library is such a short walk from campus, there really isn’t any excuse for not being able to go help out. Many volunteer opportunities at the ICPL also run on a weekly basis, so you can continue to volunteer throughout the year. Volunteers at the library can do a variety of things, including tutoring teens, participating in the Teen Activity Group, and checking in library books.
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics/University of Iowa Children’s Hospital
Volunteers at the hospitals on campus are given the opportunity to brighten the days of patients and the families of patients. You can spend time with whoever you want at the hospitals, whether it be a child patient or an elderly patient. According to their website, the UI Hospitals and Clinics/UI Children’s Hospital has over 1,300 volunteers annually who donate over 100,000 hours of service. Adding that to your life will not only look great on your resume or LinkedIn profile, but it will make you feel great, too.
Free Lunch Program of Iowa City:
In conjunction with the Table to Table Food Rescue Organization, the Free Lunch Program of Iowa City provides home-cooked meals to those who are in need of a warm meal free of cost. There are many ways to volunteer with FLP, but the most common way is donating your time. You can help prepare a meal, donate food, or sit down with the guest and have lunch with them. The program runs Monday-Saturday every week and, on average, serves 130 meals daily.
The VA aids veterans in their times of need by providing health care and health services for them. The Iowa City VA is a smaller part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and accepts volunteers in a multitude of positions, including van drivers, information desk workers, office assistants and patient escort volunteers. And even if one of their generic volunteer opportunities doesn’t appeal to you, calling them up and seeing what you can do with your talents is also an option.
Photos from Wikipedia, the Ronald McDonald House, Downtown Iowa City, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the Iowa City Free Lunch Program and the United States Army.