The 5pm Post – Volunteer Opportunities

Photo by PoPville flickr user nairdaecartal

“Dear PoP,

I am the Volunteer Coordinator for the DC EITC Campaign, which provides free tax preparation in DC to help low-income residents and families move up the financial ladder. We have 6 sites around the city, from Anacostia to Columbia Heights.

We are looking for volunteers who would be willing to help prepare taxes and talk about free financial services (like credit counseling and money management classes) for the upcoming tax season, as well as anyone who could interpret for Spanish, Chinese and Amharic-speaking clients. Your blog’s readers are exactly the people who would make great volunteers: people who care about the community they live in and are interested in making changes for the better.

Volunteers will receive free training and certification on Saturdays and/or weekday evenings in January: 12 total hours for Tax Preparers, and 4 hours for Savings Promoters.

Volunteers then commit to one 3-4 hour session per week (primarily evenings and/or weekends) from late January through mid-April (10 weeks) at one of 11 tax sites throughout the Greater Washington, DC area (6 sites in DC proper).

For more information, visit the Campaign’s website here.”

Photo of Pony Express festival volunteers courtesy of Postal Museum

“Dear PoP,

I’m recruiting volunteers to help out at workshops, family festivals, lectures, and other programs, and have noticed a lot of applications from Maryland and Virginia, but not many coming from DC. In the hopes of representing the neighborhoods that actually surround the museum, I was wondering if you’d let your readers know about the volunteer opportunity in some capacity?

Volunteers should have friendly smiles, strong communication skills, and a passion for learning and teaching. Saturday availability is required. A one-year commitment is required.

New volunteers will attend Volunteer Orientation on Saturday, January 15th and Saturday, January 22nd, apply for an ID badge and undergo a background check. From the airmail festival in February to the Holiday Card Workshop in December, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved!

If interested, e-mail Erin at [email protected] and include the following information:

1. Your name and contact information
2. Two references and their contact information
3. Availability (note: Saturday availability required)
4. Two reasons why this opportunity interests you
5. An example of why you think you will be a great Postal Museum volunteer at festivals, workshops, and other educational programs”