Reminder
Register by Thursday, April 18 (midnight), and you can get a free T-Shirt to wear when you volunteer.
Otherwise, the deadline to sign up is Monday, May 6.
Volunteer Opportunities
Don’t Waste Durham | Boomerang Bags
The Bull City Boomerang Bags program is under the umbrella of Don’t Waste Durham, a 501(c) organization, creating solutions that prevent trash. Don’t Waste Durham is solving a plastic pollution problem AND an environmental equity issue. Concerned by the overwhelming negative economic and health impacts of single-use plastic bags and the environmental damage they cause, and by how low-wealth communities of color are disproportionately affected by these negative impacts, this program provides free and equitable access to reusable bags to people who might not otherwise own them.
What: Come help create Boomerang Bags to be supplied to the local grocery stores as a free and equitable resource for the local shoppers who often walk to the store and back to their homes. Basic sewing skills are helpful but NO sewing skills are required! There are many other things you can do besides sew to assist in creating these bags. Toni Mason will lead the group at her Sew Crafty studio to put together and make shopping bags and help reduce the use of single-use plastic bags.
When: Monday, May 13, 12:30 pm–3:30 pm
Where: 101 Orange St, Durham, NC 27701
Service Captain: Cathy Santos
Note in the Pocket
Note in the Pocket provides quality clothing to homeless and impoverished children and families with dignity and love. They believe that it is unacceptable that children are limited in their educational and social development because they do not have appropriate clothes for school. Their model for getting clothes to children strives to remove some of the stigma that goes along with needing help. They deliver a wardrobe that has been lovingly selected for that individual by one of their many volunteers. By providing stylish, good quality clothing items that they can be proud to wear, they empower children to succeed in the academic environment.
What: Team up with a group of Fuqua volunteers on campus to help sort donations. You will help Note in the Pocket staff with quality control, sorting, sizing, organizing, and packaging clothing for the thousands of clothing requests they receive each year.
When: Monday, May 13, 1:00 pm–3:00 pm
Where: Fuqua’s Kirby Winter Garden
Service Captain: Lizzie Pogoloff and Jeremy Petranka
Geer Street Learning Garden
Geer Street Learning Garden has 11 vegetable beds, community garden beds, an outdoor classroom space, fruit trees, a small greenhouse, vermicompost system, perennial rain garden, outdoor kitchen, pollinator garden and areas for community gatherings…all on only a quarter-acre lot! The heart of the Geer Street Learning Garden are the countless community partnerships we have built in Durham. All the produce harvested in the garden goes to community partners and local food pantries.
What: Spend time in the great outdoors and dig in to end hunger at the Food Shuttle Farm, Geer Street Learning Garden in Durham.
When: Tuesday, May 14, 9:30 am–12:30 pm
Where: 110 E Geer Street, Durham, NC 27701
Service Captain: Lizzie Pogoloff
Duke Forest
Duke Forest, owned and managed by Duke University for teaching and research purposes since 1931, consists of over 7,000 acres of forested land and open fields in Durham, Orange, and Alamance counties. The small team in charge of managing the Forest needs our help, as invasive plants threaten our natural resources and the ecology of our local forest. Invasives reduce native plant populations, negatively affecting wildlife food sources. As they crowd out native species, invasive plants can increase tree mortality, alter soil composition, and reduce habitat.
What: Revisiting last year’s site, our team of 4-10 people will work together to cut invasive Chinese privet and move the debris, helping to restore a heritage area of forest near New Hope Creek. You do not need to know anything about plants for this activity: Forest personnel will teach us how to identify what needs to go!
We recommend that participants wear long pants, closed toed shoes, a hat, and bring your own work gloves and water bottle if you have them. Additional water will be available, no restrooms on-site. More details on what to bring after signing up.
When: Tuesday, May 14, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon
Where: Located just 10 minutes from Fuqua
additional instructions will be given after sign up
Service Captain: Anthony Keller
Ronald McDonald House of Durham
The mission of RMHC is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. Our vision is a world where all children have access to medical care and their families are supported and actively involved in their children’s care.
What: Grab your apron and get those decorating skills ready! Let’s lift some spirits by baking and decorating cookies for the guests of the Durham House. Baking ingredients will be provided, but volunteers are encouraged to bring as many sprinkles, icing, and other decorations they’d like. Cookies will then be packaged and served at dinner later that day.
When: Tuesday, May 14, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Where: 506 Alexander Avenue, Durham, NC 27705
Service Captain: Callie Westphal
NC Diaper Bank
The mission of Diaper Bank of North Carolina is to promote and protect the dignity of each resident by ensuring that families with babies and children living in poverty have an adequate supply of diapers. The Diaper Bank improves access to and distributes basic personal hygiene needs through community partners to encourage access to their services and programs, thereby empowering people to become self-sustaining and develop their full potential.
What: Fuqua Volunteers will wrap diapers into packs of 25 for the Diaper Bank to distribute into the community. Wrapping the diapers helps inventory and minimizes storage needs for our partner organizations. Ain’t no party, like a diaper wrapping party!
When: Wednesday, May15, 9:30am–11:30am
Where: 437 Dimmock Mill Rd Ste 1, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Service Captain: Stefanie McAdoo
Durham APS (Animal Protection Society)
The Animal Protection Society of Durham (APS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has been helping animals in our community since 1970, and has managed the Durham County Animal Shelter since 1990. APS relies on donations, corporations, and volunteers from caring individuals to feed, shelter and provide medical attention for the nearly 4,000 stray, surrendered, abandoned, abused and neglected animals they care for each year.
What: Calling all animal lovers! Volunteers will support the shelter on site in whatever needs they have on our service day. This could range from dog walking, cat care support, cleaning kennels, or sorting donations. Volunteers will need to complete a waiver and come ready to work around animals in a variety of conditions. This will be a difficult, but rewarding project!
When: Wednesday, May 15 10:00 am – 12:00 pm OR 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Where: Durham APS
2117 E Club Blvd, Durham, NC 27704
Service Captain: Liz Mullins and Amanda Laird
Habitat For Humanity
Durham Habitat builds new homes, rehabs existing homes and repairs older, owner-occupied homes in order to provide low-income families with safe, decent and affordable housing. Habitat for Humanity today operates around the globe and has helped build, renovate and repair more than 600,000 decent, affordable houses sheltering more than 3 million people worldwide.
What: Fuqua volunteers will assist with construction efforts. Project duties may include, but are not limited to, deconstruction, crawl space sealing, wall framing, roofing, siding, interior/exterior trim, painting, cleaning, or landscaping. No tools, skills or experience is necessary, but expect to get a little dirty while working. Event is rain or shine! In extreme conditions they may choose to close a construction site to protect the safety of staff and volunteers.
We recommend wearing closed toed shoes and old clothes as you may be painting or caulking. Bring water and sunscreen, and work gloves if you have them. More details on what to expect after signing up.
When: Wednesday, May 15, 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Where: Durham | Exact location TBD
Service Captain: Mary Beck White-Sutton
Eno River Association
Since 1966, the Eno River Association has been dedicated to conserving and protecting the nature, culture, and history of the Eno River basin, protecting water quality, wildlife habitat, and ecological diversity, while also working to provide recreational opportunities and scenic open spaces that connect people to the natural environment of the Eno River basin. The Eno River Association maintains 7,500 acres of conserved land, miles of trails, and several public parks. They rely on volunteers and corporate partners to pitch in for workdays or by adopting a trail.
What: Enjoy an afternoon in the great outdoors and help with stewardship of a park or nature trail, performing invasive plant management, trail building, trail maintenance, or trash pickup. Please dress appropriately (long pants, closed-toed shoes), plan on getting dirty, and bring your own gloves and water.
When: Thursday, May 16, 9:00 am–12:00 noon
Where: Staff will meet onsite (to be released the week of the project) in Durham
Service Captain: Jane Day
Duke Campus Farm
The Duke Campus Farm is a one-acre working farm owned and operated by Duke University that provides sustainably-grown produce and food systems education for Duke and its surrounding communities. More important than the thousands of pounds of food that is grown, however, are the opportunities the farm provides for engaging and reimagining the ways we cultivate, access, value, and think about food. The mission of the Duke Campus Farm is to catalyze positive change in the food system.
What: As the Duke Campus Farm team prepares for summer, Fuqua volunteers will have the opportunity to help with mulching pathways, pulling out crops that have reached the end of their production life, and some other general farm maintenance tasks. Absolutely no farming experience is necessary. We will start off with some introductions of each other and of the farm, before the Duke Campus Farm team introduces the tasks for the project.
When: Thursday, May 16, 9:00 am–12:00 noon
Where: Duke Campus Farm
4934 Friends School Rd Durham, NC 27705
Service Captains: Lynn Cunningham
Urban Ministries
Urban Ministries of Durham connects with the community to end homelessness and fight poverty by offering food, shelter and a future to neighbors in need.
What: Partner with Urban Ministries of Durham to help our neighbors in need. Volunteer groups will help organize clothing and shoe donations.
When: Thursday, May 16, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Where: 410 Liberty Street, Durham, NC 27701
Service Captain: Mary Beck White-Sutton
Book Harvest
The Book Harvest is a local organization established in 2011 to encourage literacy and reading by distributing books to children in low-income families. The group employs a small staff and is located at Rockwood on University Drive, in Durham. Since 2011 the Book Harvest has given over one million books to local children in need.
What: Volunteer groups help to sort book donations in their office but there are other special projects that come up from time to time as well. No prior experience or knowledge is needed. They will provide training to orient the group!
When: Friday, May 17, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Where: 2501 University Dr, Durham, NC 27707
Service Captain: Susan Kesti
Clothing Drive at Fuqua with Note in the Pocket!
In addition to service projects, the Service Committee is leading a Clothing Drive for Note in the Pocket. May 13-20, collection bins will be available in the Kirby Winter Garden near Jenkins A-B, so you can drop off new or gently used clothing for school-aged children (through high school). To make the greatest impact, visit their Wish List page for their most needed items.