Join In!: Community Volunteer Opportunities

Spotlight on Community Initiatives

Join In

Sponsored by Grand Rapids Community Foundation

Ele’s Place

Be a fi gure of support for grieving children by volunteering at Ele’s Place. The nonprofi t provides support for children and their families dealing with the loss of a loved one and is seeking compassionate and dedicated volunteers. Applicants must be able to commit to a minimum of 9 to 12 months. Visit elesplace.org to sign up.

Catherine’s Health Center

Catherine’s Health Center is a nonprofi t, community-based health facility serving those who are under-insured and experience lack of access to health care. They provide screenings, education, treatment and referrals. Volunteer opportunities are plentiful for primary care professionals, nursing professionals, clerical and administrative support, data entry, communications, marking, event coordination and more. To apply, visit catherineshc.org.

Urban Roots

A thriving urban farm located in the Madison Square area, Urban Roots is a nonprofi t with a mission to provide healthy food access, economic development and ecological stewardship to one of Grand Rapids’ most disinvested neighborhoods. The organization is seeking volunteers to help at the community market, open Tuesday through Thursday in the winter months. Additionally, they are accepting applications for new board members. Visit urbanrootsgr.org for more information.

Heartside Gleaning Innitiative

By providing access to healthy food and nutrition education, the Heartside Gleaning Initiative empowers Heartside and the surrounding areas to live healthier. Volunteers are needed to collect excess produce from farmer’s markets, deliver food to prep kitchens, run education workshops and more. Apply at heartsidegleaning.org

Scholarships are available to fuel your impact.

Each year the Community Foundation awards s more than $1 million in scholarships to Kent County students like Vanessa. More than 500 scholarships are available for undergraduate and graduate students attending college or trade school. .