Give a couple of hours. Give a Saturday. Give your best. Whether it's reading to children, leading financial literacy classes for hard-working families, feeding the hungry and homeless, or one of the hundreds of volunteer options available in our community every day, we want to help you get started.
With our online volunteer placement system, it's easier than ever to get connected to the work you can feel good about. Just register for an account and set up your personal profile. You can start right away searching for opportunities that matches your interests, skills and availability. When you find the right fit, just click "I want to help!" to sign up.
You can also set your personal volunteer goals, track your progress and invite friends to join you in group service events.
Create a volunteer account and browse available opportunities.
Million Reader, Tutor & Mentor Initiative
We've joined with other United Ways across the country and our Team NFL partners to help lower the dropout out rate by 50% by 2018. One of the ways we're helping is through the Million Readers, Tutors & Mentors Initiative to place volunteers with nonprofits that work to increase academic achievement and keep students on track to graduate from high school on time. Lorenzo Alexander, Redskins linebacker and outspoken youth advocate, is helping us spread the word and get more people to pledge to help youth in our community.
Days of Caring
Each year, members of our network of nonprofits develop hands-on projects for groups of volunteers, called Days of Caring. By participating, volunteers gain a deeper understanding of our region's social service community and the work that United Way NCA and local nonprofits do every day of the year.
Virtual Volunteering
Our newest opportunity allows busy adults to e-mentor students and helps them improve their reading and writings skills. We support three classrooms of ePals at Stewart Weller Elementary School in Ashburn, VA. Through this research-based program, student/e-mentor pairs read books from the curriculum and exchange letters about their readings. Students write and receive their letters in class with the supervision of their teachers, and e-mentors can write any time — on their commutes, in the evenings, or on weekends. Contact Susannah Harris or call 202-488-2107 for more information.
Provide Professional Skills
Nonprofit social services organizations need to devote their precious resources to work that directly supports program success. You can help these programs stretch their dollars further by donating your professional skills-legal, financial, graphic design, marketing, even clinical services.
For questions about volunteering with United Way NCA contact Waleed Hypolite by email or at (202) 488-2039.