There are thousands of organizations in the Detroit area that rely on volunteers to help them. They come in all sizes and have different missions.
Tammy Pitts of the Michigan Nonprofit Association said many older volunteers stopped participating at the start of the pandemic because older adults are more at risk of contracting COVID-19. But whether because people got out of the habit of volunteering or something else, Pitts said the numbers haven’t rebounded.
But the need for volunteers continues to increase.
“Nonprofits serve as the backbone of communities across Michigan,” Pitts said. “Volunteers are the lifeblood.”
Volunteering doesn’t just work for nonprofits: There is plenty of evidence that volunteering helps people stay connected, teaches us skills and improves mental and physical health.
Interested in volunteering in Detroit? Here are some things you should know.
Before you go
Share Detroit is a nonprofit that works to make finding volunteering opportunities easier. Director of Nonprofit and Community Impact Karly Moore said volunteers should focus on organizations involved in causes they are passionate about.
Prospective volunteers should consider:
- How often they want to volunteer
- What causes are important to them
- If they want a hands-on experience or to help remotely
- If they want to use their professional expertise, like education or graphic design
Don’t worry about committing long term. If you’re stretched for free time, consider volunteering at events. There are plenty, from weekend festivals to after-school and evening programs.
Volunteering isn’t the only way you can help, though it might be the most rewarding. You can also show support for organizations by donating cash or items (but make sure ask what their needs are first), or by spreading the word about their work.
How to find your match
If you know where you want to volunteer, just call or send a message. This might work particularly well for smaller nonprofits or mutual aid organizations with fewer but just as rewarding volunteer opportunities.
If you need help finding an opportunity, online databases may save some time.
“Nonprofits serve as the backbone of communities across Michigan. … Volunteers are the lifeblood.”
Tammy Pitts, chief communications officer of the Michigan Nonprofit Association
Larger nonprofits are more likely to have a wide range of volunteer needs and post those needs online.
There are few websites focused on volunteer opportunities in the city. The City of Detroit’s database and sites like VolunteerMatch and Volunteer.gov are good options for up-to-date information.
Better yet, Share Detroit has a searchable list of nearly 400 nonprofits in the region. You can filter by location and area of impact (like education or healthcare), and find events from your favorite organizations to attend.
Most of the opportunities are likely to be at food banks, shelters and organizations dedicated to education and housing, Pitts said.
“The most important thing is for volunteers to tap into what their passion is and understand what moves them. What inspires them,” Pitts said. “Is it working with the elderly or mentoring, or tutoring students? Once you have that passion figured out … there are always opportunities available.”
How to know if it’s right
Think of volunteering like you (should) think about your relationships: Both sides have to be all in for it to work.
Looking for something physical? Consider opportunities where you can build community centers, grow vegetables in a garden or clean up parks. Are you more of the emotional type? Find ways to connect and mentor others.
If you need to feel wanted, know that you are: Nonprofits rely on volunteers to run their organizations efficiently. In fact, 95% of workers at Manistique Community Treehouse Center, a nonprofit based on the eastside that supports people with disabilities, are volunteers, founder and president Tammy Black said.
Similarly, at Mercy Education Project, which provides free tutors and mentors to disadvantaged women and girls in Detroit, 85% of the tutors are volunteers, Executive Director Mark Mals said.
“Nonprofits are just what they say: They’re nonprofit,” Black said. “We always have to rely on grant dollars, fundraisers. Sometimes those things (determine if) we’re able to hire people to do different things. Volunteers come in and do it and help us out, and that’s very important for us to be able to keep doing the work that we do in the community.”
The point is to find a volunteer spot that makes your heart swell three times over and provides you with a sense of purpose.
“I cannot say enough about what it has done for me,” said Mals, who first volunteered as a tutor at Mercy Education for 10 years. “Every week I looked forward to that one hour of being with a young person who really has a hunger to learn and improve in some way in her life. … To be part of that, it’s something grand.”
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
