So you know you have 60 volunteer hours to complete, but not too sure how to get started? The wild success that has become LFSCA is owed in no small part to the diverse skills and dedication of the parent volunteer community. Writing down and turning in your hours is just as important as performing them—a motivated parent body on paper is an asset to the school. Dig out your Fall Volunteer Timesheet (sent home in the Thursday Packets) and read on.
Contacting your Classroom Volunteer Coordinator is the quickest route to find volunteering needs when there is a big event requiring many volunteers—such as the upcoming Harvest Arts and Crafts Festival. Several “Work Days” are scheduled throughout the year, and your Classroom Volunteer Coordinator can tell you what’s available and sign you up. Every classroom has a Classroom Volunteer Coordinator.
LFCSA has great committees that do a wide range of important tasks and grow stronger with numbers. LFCSA’s current committees are: Fundraising, Family Support, Volunteer, Communications, Site, Safety, Green Team, and Garden. Contacting a committee and letting them know you are interested in volunteering is another way to hear about volunteer opportunities as they arise.
Need some specific ideas to get your volunteer ball rolling? Here are ten more ways, some obvious, some not so obvious, to get involved:
- Public Relations. If you have PR skills, we could definitely use you. Let the fundraising committee know, fundraising@losfelizarts.org, or George Abrams, site@losfelizarts.org.
- Spanish Translation. Help out translating for Thursday Packets and the office. This is a huge need at our school and an excellent way to fulfill your commitment on your own schedule. Contact Christie Thomas, thursdaypackets@losfelizarts.org.
- Public Liaison. We need a volunteer who can field calls from people interested in becoming Community Partners. Contact George Abrams, site@losfelizarts.org.
- Community Partners Committee. We’re looking for somebody to head this new committee, which will oversee applications from parents who want to get into LFCSA via the Community Partners. For more information about this opportunity contact George Abrams, site@losfelizarts.org.
- Organize Volunteers. Work directly with the Volunteer Coordinator making phone calls from home or work setting up work day schedules. Contact Ellise Taylor-Brebes, volunteer@losfelizarts.org.
- Work in the School’s Garden. Fulfill hours in the garden! Help assisting students with guided lessons, apply for grants, and more. Contact Michele East at garden@losfelizarts.org.
- Indoor Plant Committee. We are getting a bunch of new indoor plants that will need caring for, so jump on this one if you’re interested. We are currently looking for somebody with a green thumb to head up this new committee, as well as about 5 more volunteers to help work it. This is an easy 30 minutes at school after drop-off or before pick-up once a week. Contact George Abrams, site@losfelizarts.org.
- Writers/Photographers. Join the Communications Committee as a writer or photographer for the newsletter and website. Earn hours by taking assignments as they become available. Contact Megan or Ross Hirsch, communications@losfelizarts.org.
- Data Entry. This can be done anytime from your home/office. Knowledge of Excel is helpful, but not necessary. This opportunity is great for parents who find it difficult to get to the school. Contact Michelle Jones, michelle@losfelizarts.org.
- Volunteer in the Front Office. Michelle and the administration can always use your help. Contact Michelle Jones, michelle@losfelizarts.org.
The list doesn’t stop there. We all have skills that are valuable to a growing school like ours. With a little effort and thought, together we can find satisfying ways to contribute our time.
