Central Service Spotlight--February 13th-19th

There are so many opportunities to get invovled in Communtiy Engagement and the local OKC/Edmond area through service this semester.

Check out what is going on both on campus and in the OKC and Edmond Communities below! Don't see what you are looking for in these opportunities? Come see us in the Community Engagement office (NUC 141) and we will help get you connected to a Community Partner or local opportunity. 

For any questions, please reach out to Community Enagement at volunteer@uco.edu.

Follow us on Instagram @uco_ce to keep up with our events and programming!
 

Upcoming Community Engagement Involvement Opportunities

Central Pantry Client Registration Open
The Central Pantry is UCO's on-campus, free food pantry for all students, faculty, and staff.  Once you sign up as a client, you can come shopping at the Central Pantry once a week for your entire household.

The 2022-2023 Client Form is open.  Sign-up today to shop! Register on UCORE.

Broncho Bites Notification Opt-In
Broncho Bites is a new initiative on campus to help reduce food waste and provide meals to the UCO campus community. Through this program, food left over at the end of the daily lunch hours in Ayers Kitchen will be rerouted to the Broncho Bites refrigerator outside of the Central Pantry (NUC 151). This food will be available to any student, faculty, or staff member that wants to grab a meal on the go.

In order to let the campus know when food is available, all interested participants can opt-in to the Broncho Bites notification system to receive a text or email notification any time food is delivered to the Broncho Bites refrigerator.

Register to receive notifications when food is available!

On-Campus Service Opportunities

Big Event
Big Event 2023 is on April 1st from 8:30am-2pm.  Registration is now open to be a volunteer or team leader!  Help us say thank you to our community through a BIG day of service!

Team Leader Registration is due on Friday, February 24th.
Volunteer Registration is due on Friday, March 10th.

Questions? Email bigevent@uco.edu.

Alternative Weekend with Period OKC
Applications are open for our upcoming Alternative Weekend, February 25th from 10AM- 3PM!  

During this service-focused day, we will be partnering with Period OKC. Period OKC provides pads, tampons, and menstrual cups to community partners that are actively helping others with food insecurity, housing needs, mental health treatment, substance abuse recovery, reentry following incarceration, or other aid services. Period OKC works to combat period poverty in our schools, organizations, and state.
 
Registration is open now through February 22nd. Register on UCORE.

Questions?  Email volunteer@uco.edu.

Broncho Bites Volunteers
Broncho Bites is a new initiative on campus to help reduce food waste and provide meals to the UCO campus community. Through this program, food left over at the end of the daily lunch hours in Ayers Kitchen will be rerouted to the Broncho Bites refrigerator outside of the Central Pantry (NUC 151). This food will be available to any student, faculty, or staff member that wants to grab a meal on the go.

Volunteers will be critical to the success of Broncho Bites! UCO student, faculty, and staff volunteers will be needed daily to package, record, label, and transport meals from Ayers Kitchen in Bausher Place to the Central Pantry in the Nigh University Center.

Shifts will be available every week day that campus is open. Each shift will last from 2:00pm-3:00pm.  All volunteers will meet with a Broncho Bites representative at Ayers Kitchen to start their shift.

Register Here for shifts throughout the Spring Semester.

Questions? Email centralpantry@uco.edu.

If your office or organization has upcoming student volunteer opportunities, please send the information to volunteer@uco.edu to have it included in our weekly emails.

Community Partner Service Opportunities

The Steam Engine
The STEAM Engine is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that focuses on expanding access to STEM and Arts education to Oklahoma communities. They connect with community organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs of OK County, the YMCA, and OKCPS to bring engaging, hands-on curriculum to elementary-aged students. They encourage students to think critically and problem solve, preparing them to join the next generation of leaders, makers, and doers.

They are seeking volunteers for their Spring session B (beginning at the end of March). They will need assistance with materials management processes (packaging and transporting classroom resources) and program volunteers (in-classroom engagement with students). 

You can sign up to be:
Materials Management Volunteer: https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp3637332.jsp?utm_params=onsiteshare_email_publicweb

Metropolitan Library System
The Metropolitan Library System is looking for volunteers for Booksale 2023! There are volunteer shifts of all types available for volunteers ages 14+. You’ll select the opportunity you are interested in and follow the steps to sign up. You'll then be confirmed as a Booksale volunteer and ready to go! The volunteer dates this year are February 18 - 27, 2023.

 

Fun benefits for all volunteers include: Eligible for early limited volunteer shopping on Thursday evening, February 23.

• Come back Sunday night, February 26, to pick out all the books you want for free!
• Booksale Volunteer t-shirts for ALL volunteers!

For more information, contact Volunteer Coordinator, Lee Lewis, at LeeAndrea.Lewis@lifespringhomecare.com or call 405-329-4545.

The Arc of Oklahoma
The Arc of Oklahoma is currently seeking volunteers in the OKC and surrounding area for their OK Aim Program.

Oklahoma Advocates Involved in Monitoring (OK AIM), is the independent component of the system created by the State of Oklahoma to ensure people with IDD live quality lives and receive the best possible community-based residential services. The Arc will work with your schedule to complete the 8-hour training in three sessions so that you can perform “quality of life” visits to individuals. 

For details, contact Stacey Figueroa at (918) 582-8272 or sfigueroa@thearcok.org.

APEX Hospice
Apex Hospice is seeking volunteers to visit hospice patients that either live in their own homes or facilities. Volunteers will stop by for a friendly visit, help with chores, or give the caregiver a break. Volunteering is flexible and can work around any schedule.

Email or call Volunteer Coordinator, Brenda Garrett, to schedule a training at your convenience at Bgarrett.mission@gmail.com or 405-850-4580.

Feed the Children Volunteer Opportunities
Feed the Children is looking for volunteer groups to help build food or hygiene boxes that go out to families in Oklahoma. Shifts last 2-3 hours during the week and occasionally on Saturdays. In our Oklahoma warehouse, we have the pleasure of housing our Teacher Store which provides approved teachers with donated books, supplies, etc. The Teacher Store needs help from volunteers to check teachers in/out on shopping days, sort, organize, and stock the donated supplies.

To register or learn more, go to https://www.feedthechildren.org/get-involved/volunteer/ or contact Hailey Montgomery at hailey.montgomery@feedthechildren.org.

Humanity Hospice Volunteer Opportuntiies
Volunteering with Humanity Hospice is a wonderful way to give back to the community, increase preference points for college, future employment and much more. There are many ways to volunteer at Humanity Hospice. Each area of service is equally important and all of them help us to achieve our goal of providing the best care possible for our patients and their loved ones. 

Opportunities include but are not limited to the following:

Administrative:  This can be done between normal business hours; Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm. Tasks include helping with various office duties such as phones, filing, faxing, and putting together packets.

Events:  These hours vary in days and times. Tasks include things like hosting Bingo at a facility, helping Marketers with various events and luncheons, dropping off gifts to patients, physicians and facilities, putting together crafts and gift baskets as well as other types of marketing needs. 

Patient Care:  Humanity Hospice serves patients in numerous areas across the state both in homes and facilities. Volunteers who serve by visiting with patients and families may do so on days and times of their choosing. Patient care volunteers are there to provide emotional support through human contact. No administering of medications, medical interventions, hygiene services and so forth are done by volunteers. Simple companionship is all that is needed. 

This is just a few of the many things volunteers at Humanity Hospice can do. Others include music therapy, serving our veterans and so forth. Hospice volunteering changes so many lives with just a few moments of time.

For more information, contact Kerri Wells, Volunteer Coordinator at kerri@humanityhospice.com

Edmond Mobile Meals
Edmond Mobile Meals needs volunteers for meal delivery to Homebound Seniors. Meals are delivered Monday - Friday between 10:30am-12:30pm. Volunteers pick up meals and deliver a route to homebound seniors in Edmond.

Visit https://edmondmobilemeals.org/volunteer/ to sign up to volunteer. For any questions please reach out to Cristi Twenter at cristi@edmondmobilemeals.org 

Educational Guardians
An Ed GAL is a volunteer educational advocate appointed by the Juvenile Court in Oklahoma County with a court order for the best educational interest of a child/youth who is in DHS custody.  Ed GALs have access to educational records and are mentors to the child/youth assisting in removing barriers to a successful school experience and accessing community services for academic success.  This program has been in existence for 3 years with OLFC. Ed GALs receive specialized training to prepare to serve as educational advocates.   

To learn more about volunteering as an Ed GAL, email Scott Kaufman with Oklahoma Lawyers for Children at skaufman@olfc.org.

The Fountains at Canterbury
The Fountains at Canterbury located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a retirement community offering Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing. Volunteer opportunities are offered throughout the community to compliment and boost thier activity calendar. All volunteers are required to have had the COVID vaccine.

Volunteer Opportunities: Calling Bingo, Pet Therapy, Music Therapy, Leading a class in a wide range of topics: technology, arts, music, cooking, cultural, travel, history, pop culture. 

To share a skill, interest or hobbies with our residents-all of our residents enjoy music, theatre and dance!

For more information or to sign up for any of these events Please contact Lorna Deaton at lornardeaton@watermarkcommunities or call Lorn at 405.476.2195.

Creative Music Academy
Creative Music Academy is looking for any musicians that are interested in volunteering or interning in their music school. This non-profit music school that supports students in vitual or homeschool learning by teaching music lessons.

To learn more, contact Ann Booze at creativemusicacademyinc@gmail.com.

Traditions Health Edmond Hospice Volunteer
Traditions Health is seeking individuals to volunteer to spend time with a patient, provide help to a caregiver or assist with activities in a facility. If you have a desire to be of service to those in hospice care, we have a desire for you to be a part of our hospice team as a volunteer! A current driver's license and automobile insurance verification are required. There will be a background check and fingerprinting done.

Please contact Susan Lide, Volunteer Coordinator at 405-936-9433 or susan.lide@traditionshealth.com.

The Hugs Project
Come help your local community by volunteering with The Hugs Project!

Why we do it:
The Hugs Project, started in May, 2004 in Oklahoma. They send care packages and other handmade items to Service Men and Women.

The Hugs Project has members in every state and 58 foreign countries. The OKC group meets every W and TH from 10-4. They have “group hugs” in many other cities: Atlanta, GA; Sacramento, CA; Boring, OR; Austin, TX; Kansas City, MO; Elkhart, IN; Longmont, CO; Paducah, KY; and more!

They consider it an honor to be able to help some of America’s finest men and women serving in our Military. 

The Oklahoma group has sent out over 10 MILLION “hugs”, 900,000 “kisses” (helmet coolers), and more than 32,000 TONS of care package items. They are committed to improving quality of life for dedicated U.S. Military Troops.

What you will do:
There are many ways to support The Hugs Project! Volunteer, hold a care package item drive where you work or where your children go to school, have a fund raiser to help pay postage, write letters to be included in care package, or bake some homemade goodies!

The OKC group meets every W, Th and Sat from 10-4 and you don’t have to sew to come help. Even children can help by decorating the shipping boxes with crayons and markers. You can come and stay just an hour or come and work with them all day.

How to sign up:
For more information on volunterring with The Hugs Project, contact them HERE.