Volunteer Opportunities....
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Join us in making a better community through volunteerism! We invite you to explore the variety of opportunities in our many programs. If you are interested in volunteering, here is the place to start. Scroll down and follow the links to read about current opportunities to partner with us in your area of interest.
Even if the perfect volunteer opportunity isn't available at the moment, you can fill out a Volunteer Profile, and be notified when opportunities matching your interest areas open up...
Due to an overwhelming response to volunteer for the 2010 NACo Conference, we are no longer accepting registration for this event. Thanks so much for your interest
Here are some of the many volunteer opportunities.
Please note the days you are available, whether you prefer mornings, afternoons, evenings or all day and if you have a preferred position/location assignment in the "Why you want to volunteer" section on this page.
And don`t forget to tell us your t-shirt size (xs-2xl).
Airport Welcome Booth (July 15-17) - Volunteers will welcome attendees as they arrive at Reno/Tahoe International Airport. Provide information on the northern Nevada area, including maps, directions to hotels and general questions about the conference.
Hotel Hospitality Desk @ the Grand Sierra Resort, Peppermill, Atlantis (July 15-20)-Volunteers will provide information on the northern Nevada area, including maps, directions, shuttle bus and general information about the conference, offsite venues and activities.
Registration Desk at the Convention Center (July 16-20)- This position is for computer savvy volunteers.
Washoe County Information Booth at the Convention Center (July 16-20)- Volunteers will provide conference information along with general County information.
Curbside greeters (July 16-20)- Volunteers will assist with the loading and unloading of passengers at various conference sites
Social Events Assistants at Bartley Ranch and Reno Event Center (July 17 and 19)- Volunteers will assist with deliveries, set-up and tear down of special events.
General Conference Volunteer (July 15-20)- Volunteers will assist in any one of a number of unique assignments.
Volunteer Leader- Here`s your chance to show off your leadership abilities.
Organizations, families or individuals are needed to "adopt" County parks. Adopting includes duties that may include picking up litter, raking leaves, removing graffiti, reporting park hazards, pulling weeds, caring for ecosystems, planting and general beautification projects.
Open to everyone! Children under the age of 14 must have a parent attend with them.
We ask for a minimum of 4 cleanups/projects per calendar year.
find out more about this opportunity!
Volunteers needed in the Wilbur D. May Arboretum within Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. Volunteers will assist in maintaining Arboretum data bases and records, offer garden tours, participate in the docent program, assist with special events, assist in curriculum development and help maintain the gardens.
Volunteers must be 18 and older
Variable
find out more about this opportunity!
Volunteers needed for the Great Basin Adventure Park to assist with maintaining the barn and farm animals. Duties would include but are not limited to: feeding, bathing, and brushing the animals; cleaning of the stalls and pens; and answering questions from the public.
Volunteers must be 18 years and older.
Volunteers should be able to commit to at least one day each week, either for 3 hours (1/2 day shifts) or the full day shift of 6 hours.
find out more about this opportunity!
Volunteers are needed this Holiday season to help with the 19th annual Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful (KTMB) Christmas Tree Recycling program. This program runs from Saturday, December 26 – Monday, January 18, 9-4:30 daily at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, Bartley Ranch Regional Park and Shadow Mountain Sports Complex. Volunteers can sign up at any of the above drop-off locations for a ½ or full day to help with unloading trees, collecting donations and moving traffic through the drop-off sites. Service groups and businesses are encouraged to bring their banner. Please visit the KTMB website at www.ktmb.org or call 851-5185 for more information.
Volunteers can sign up for half or full day shifts at one of our three locations- Rancho San Rafael, Bartley, or Shadow Mountain.
The Washoe County Department of Regional Parks & Open Space is looking for an interested member of the public to serve as a citizen representative on the Regional Shooting Facility Advisory Committee.
The advisory committee provides input on issues related to the current and future operation of the County’s Regional Shooting Facility on Pyramid Highway north of Spanish Springs. Committee members include representatives of local, state and federal law enforcement, the military, gun clubs and private businesses that use the facility.
The citizen representative should be someone who is an active shooter, uses the Regional Shooting Facility and is interested in working with other stake holders to provide positive input that will assist the County in operations and planning for the facility.
The committee will meet approximately once a month until such time as recommendations are ready to be submitted for consideration to the Open Space and Regional Parks Commission and ultimately to the Board of County Commissioners.
Individuals interested in being considered for this position should submit a brief interest letter explaining why you feel you should be considered for the position and an overview of your background as it relates to shooting sports.
Please submit a brief interest letter no later than July 22, 2009 to:
Washoe County Department of Regional Parks & Open Space
c/o Doug Mullens
2601 Plumas St.
Reno, NV 89509
Fax or Email: 775-829-8014 or dmullens@washoecounty.us
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Volunteer. Emergencies and disasters happen everywhere. If you are tired of watching events unfold on the TV and saying "I wish I could help." We have a volunteer opportunity for you. CERT volunteers are trained citizens who assist first responders during community disasters and emergencies.
CERTs complete a 21 hour academy (usually taught in two weekends) and learn about disaster preparedness, emergency medical, fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, terrorism, documentation and incident command. During emergencies volunteers may help citizens, assist with shelters and evacuations, act as scribes or public call takers, or assist professional responders in a variety of ways. We support the mission of our responders be freeing the highly trained people to do the specialized tasks they have been trained to do.
Between emergencies CERTs help with commmunity outreach, disaster training and exercises, and public education. CERT volunteers range in age from 18 to 89. No special skills are required. In a disaster there is a job for everyone.
CERT members must be 18 years or older, pass a standard backround check, and complete CERT academy training.
NOTE: Background checks require additional paperwork.
CERT members must complete a 21-hour academy (usually taught over two weekends), and put in at least 2 hours per month of volunteer time.
find out more about this opportunity!
The next CERT Academy begins June 5, 2009.
After applying, interested persons WILL NEED TO FILL OUT ADDITIONAL PAPERWORK in order to authorize us to perform a background check.
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer. In Washoe County, there are more than 900 children each year who are thrust into the family court system as a result of abuse or neglect at home. Many of these children will live temporarily with foster parents while their own parents struggle to overcome addiction to alcohol or drugs, illness, financial hardship or other problems that placed the children at risk. CASA’s are volunteer citizens who step into children’s lives and offer trust, consistency and stability for the duration of legal proceedings. CASA’s are appointed by a judge to provide detailed information about a child and their unique needs. CASA volunteers typically handle one case at a time ---and commit to staying on that case until the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. By thoroughly investigating the child’s circumstances and reporting back to the court, a CASA volunteer helps shape the important decisions being made about a child’s future. The vision of the CASA Program is to provide an advocate for every abused child within the Washoe County Family Court system. This will give each child a better chance of returning to, or being placed in a safe and secure home as quickly as possible.
CASA volunteers must be 21 years or older, pass a background check, participate in a personal interview and complete a 40 hour training program.
Note: Screening of volunteers requires additional paperwork.
Volunteers must complete a 40 hour pre-service training program which is offered four times a year. Once assigned a case, CASA volunteers typically spend 10-15 hours a month on their case work.
NRS 432B.500 states the Court shall appoint a guardian ad litem after a petition is filed that a child is in need of protection. CASA’s serve as volunteer guardians ad litem.
Discovery Room Volunteer at the Great Basin Adventure Park in Rancho San Rafael.
Volunteer needed to help out in the Discovery Room 1-2 times per week during open park hours. Duties include facilitating children`s activities and crafts, answering questions regarding the history of the Great Basin and maintaining a fun atmosphere.
Would be great opportunity for retired person or someone looking to spend a few days in the park assisting the community.
Volunteers must be 18 years and older
Volunteers needed 1-2 days a week during open park hours (10:00am-5:00pm)
find out more about this opportunity!
Volunteers are needed to assist engineers in the design of varied and numerous Public Works projects including but not limited to sidewalks, pavement restoration, asset inventory and storm drainage.
Volunteers must be college students with an interest in the engineering field.
Minimum 3 hrs per week.
Work under the supervision of a professional engineer.
Assist staff with event coordination needs prior to, day of, and after event. Tasks may include but are not limited to: event preparation; parking coordination; setting up and breaking down tables, chairs and equipment; counting attendees; crowd control; awards ceremonies; providing public with general information and attending to customer service needs.
Volunteers under the age of 14 must have parental supervision
Varies
find out more about this opportunity!
Some of the ways you can serve our efforts to find safe, stable foster and adoptive homes are:
• Distribute foster care posters, brochures, and materials to locations throughout the community.
• Learn about the process to become a licensed foster home and assist as part of the recruitment team, volunteering at local recruitment events.
• Assist in translating materials into Spanish to assist in recruitment of foster homes from the Latino community.
• Provide professional photography services for adoption recruitment photos for children and for photographs at the quarterly adoption days when adoptions are finalized.
• Assist in envelope stuffing for mailings to foster parents and for recruitment events.
• Join our faith based recruitment efforts as we develop the One Church One Child program led by a board of local ministers to recruit for foster and adoptive homes in local churches.
• Provide skill training for foster children and teens in special areas of knowledge such as art, drama, car repair, nutrition, etc. to assist them in self-development.
• Hosting a recruitment event at your home or business and inviting your friends, neighbors, or customers to learn about foster care and adoption.
Various
Volunteers for this position will be an initial point of contact for people interfacing with Washoe County.
This opportunity, located at 1001 E. 9th Street in Reno, includes the following duties:
- Answering phones / assisting citizens coming into the Manager`s Office
- Picking up and distributing mail and newspapers
- Keeping copy machines and printers filled with paper
- Checking fax machines and distributing faxes
- Posting and removing meeting materials on public bulletin board
- Keeping meeting areas clean and organized
- Emptying paper shredders and sharpeners as needed
- Covering office during lunch breaks
- Miscellaneous copying and filing
20 to 30 hours per week- hours to center around lunch time
Refresh gardening skills and pick up some good tips while giving to the community by volunteering to help Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space with the spring cleaning at the Wilbur May Arboretum on Saturday, April 3, 2010.
Volunteer Spring Cleaning at the Wilbur May Arboretum is a day full of hands-on experience in the garden. Rancho San Rafael Botanical Society and Arboretum volunteers will be joined by Master Gardeners and Arboretum staff to present mini-workshops on tree pruning and rose care in the morning. Hot dogs and other refreshments will be served following the cleanup. This volunteer event is sponsored, in part, by Rail City Garden Center and is open to all ages.
What: Volunteer Spring Cleaning at the Wilbur May Arboretum
When: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, 2010
Where: Wilbur D. May Arboretum, Rancho San Rafael Regional Park
1595 N. Sierra Street, Reno
Details: Mini-workshops on rose care and tree pruning start at 9:00 a.m. Bring hand pruners, loppers and a small folding hand saw to the workshops.
Call Stephanie D`Arcy for more information.
4 hours on Saturday, April 3, 2010 from 9am to 1pm.
Regional Parks and Open Space is looking for volunteers to help with general maintenance duties at both Washoe and Sierra Sage Golf Courses.
Volunteers must be over the age of 18 or accompanied by a parent
Both weekdays and weekend shifts are available.
find out more about this opportunity!
Washoe Golf Course and Sierra Sage Golf Course are actively searching for Volunteer Golf Marshals.
Duties will include: Monitoring pace of play; Educating golfers on golf rules and etiquette; Communicating any problems with players, carts or grounds to the clubhouse; Providing customer service and answering golfer questions; Light course care including replacing divots and raking sand traps
Volunteers must be over the age of 18
find out more about this opportunity!
The Alternate Public Defender`s office represents adults and juveniles charged with crimes, and assists parents in reunification efforts with their children.
The 15-person office is a tight-knit team, dedicated to providing zealous advocacy for our clients.
Volunteers would be welcome to help with filing, answering phones, breaking down and organizing files, helping the support staff, the investigators and the lawyers.
We also work with college and law students who are interested in interning in the office.
The minimum time requirement would be two hours a week.
Welcome to the Washoe County Library System and thank you for your interest in volunteering. We provide a wide range of public service opportunities.
The Washoe County Library believes that volunteer participation is an essential part of community development. We recognize the value of volunteerism and encourage citizen participation in all of the services we provide to the community.
Washoe County volunteer opportunities include, but are not limited to:
- General Library Operations: Caring for plants, Shelving books, magazines and other materials, Pulling books to fill requests, etc...
- Computer and Technical Assistance: Help at the Internet desk, Help patrons with catalog searches, Clear paper jams, Clean computer keyboards, etc...
- Materials Preparation and Repair: Mending, Repair video, cassettes, CDs, etc...
- Program Assistance: Program preparation, prepare outreach materials, setup/breakdown, assist in presenting some programs, etc...
- Special Projects: Interlibrary loan (ILL) cancellation letters, data entry, etc...
Volunteers under the age of 18 must have parental permission.
Varies
find out more about this opportunity!
Master Naturalists are volunteer educators with the department who provide programs to the public in a variety of locations and formats. New volunteers will embark on a fun, active training program which includes:
* Experiencing little-known but beautiful nature areas
* Learning how to lead fun, hands-on field trips in local natural areas
* Discovering basic ecology and making connections between species and landscapes
* Practicing teaching and interpretation techniques
* Understanding management affecting natural areas
Volunteers must be 18 years and older
Variable
find out more about this opportunity!
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is headquartered in the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, and currently includes over 750 units and approximately 175 thousand volunteers nationwide. The mission of the MRC is to improve the health and safety of communities by organizing and utilizing public health, medical and non-medical volunteers. The purpose of the MRC is to recruit, train, check backgrounds and credentials/licenses of individuals in order to be able to quickly respond to local public health emergencies.
If you are a licensed medical practitioner, someone with clinical training and experience, or someone with no medical background but the desire to help our community prepare for and respond to a public health emergency, the Washoe County Medical Reserve Corps needs you! In exchange for volunteering your time you will receive public health preparedness and emergency response training, required vaccinations, and annual flu shot, free of charge. Be informed. Be prepared. Be a Washoe County Medical Reserve Corps volunteer.
To become a member of the Washoe County Medical Reserve Corps, an individual must:
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Consent to a background check
- Have no felony convictions or any conviction related to moral turpitude
- Attend orientation
- Have current vaccinations for, or immunity to:
- measles, mumps and rubella;
- varicella (chickenpox);
- tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis; and
- influenza (Required vaccinations will be provided to the volunteer free of charge.)
The expected first-year time commitment is 18 hours; for basic orientation, training and participation in one full-scale exercise. Additional classroom trainings and community events will be offered to those volunteers who wish to participate; however, this is not required to remain a member. If an emergency occurs requiring activation of our unit, volunteers can expect to be called-up for one 8-12 hour shift per day, for three consecutive days.
find out more about this opportunity!
MRC members include medical practitioners, such as physicians, pharmacists, nurses, veterinarians, and mental health professionals; and public health professionals, such as administrators, health educators, and communicable disease and environmental health specialists. Non medical/clinical personnel are needed to fill other key roles, such as managers, clerical support, interpreters, and drivers.
Volunteers are needed to perform general park maintenance including but not limited to picking up litter, weeding, raking leaves, removing graffiti, reporting park hazards, planting, and general garden maintenance.
Volunteers under the age of 14 must have parental supervision
Variable, ongoing
find out more about this opportunity!
The Washoe County Public Defender`s Office has 59 full-time employees, including 33 attorneys. We have 9 full-time Investigators, a Mitigation Specialist, and an amazing support staff.
The Office sponsors an in-house scholarship program for the National Criminal Defense College, one of the most prestigious criminal defense training programs in the country.
Along with innovative and aggressive trial work, the Washoe County Public Defender`s Office also strives to be a community-based organization. We provide educational services to the community on various topics including accessing mental health resources and dealing with police encounters.
Opportunities to volunteer currently exist for people interested in assisting with various office duties that may include data entry, filing, copying, and organizing.
Minimum time commitment of 2-hour block per week.
For more information please contact:
Valerie Vaughn 337-4830 vvaughn@washoecounty.us
or Carrie Garlington 337-4842 cgarlington@washoecounty.us
Assist the department with monitoring trails and paths by walking or hiking trails on a designated schedule, picking up litter, recording and reporting any safety issues, damage, graffiti, vandalism or other issues to park staff.
Volunteers under the age of 14 must have parental supervision
Variable, ongoing
find out more about this opportunity!
Volunteers are needed for the upcoming Spring Exhibit at the Wilbur D. May Museum, Predators. Guides will lead school groups through the interactive exhibit while offering information and answering questions. No experience or pre-knowledge on the subject required. We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who enjoy working with children and the general public.
Volunteers must be 18 years and older
School tours run March 14-June 14, 2009 and are available Tuesday-Friday from 10:00am-4:00pm. Each tour is an hour long.
find out more about this opportunity!
