Volunteer Opportunities

VolunteeringVolunteering at Family has tremendous benefits: It’s a great way to get to know people in your community. It’s a chance to learn new skills while making a difference. It’s a way to contribute where you live. Ready to get started? Here are a few ways you can help out:

Hotline & Textline
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
As the oldest, continuously operating emergency switchboard in the County, FAMILY is proud to say that we have been able to keep our hotline running 24/7 since 1970. It has been no small task, and one of the biggest ways we can continue to do what we do is by the help we receive from volunteers. Our Agency is in great need of hotline volunteers – to find out how you can help, contact us at 845-679-2485 or by email at fowh@fowinc.org 
Volunteer Training
Where: 56 Rock City Road, Woodstock & Virtual Training

Open to all 16 and over

Are you interested in helping both your local and wider community? Are you that listening ear that friends and loved ones always seem to turn to? Are you interested in using the skills you have and building on your knowledge of helping? Family’s hotline training is just what you’re looking for!

Training covers the core of Family’s phone and texting hotline and walk-in services. Topics include domestic violence, child abuse, mental health and substance abuse, adolescent issues, suicide, and homelessness. The training is free of charge and oriented towards personal growth. You will learn active, compassionate listening skills and ways to connect with people in need. Family offers an opportunity to be part of the change you wish to see in the world. Intervention is as simple as answering a phone call or text message at the moment someone reaches out. It is as direct as offering a cup of coffee and a bag of food to someone who is hungry. It takes your skill and the amazing depth of resources Family has gathered over its 50+ year history.

The training will be conducted virtually; it is recommended that participants have both a camera and headphones and internet access is required. The training will qualify you to volunteer at any of our three walk-in centers – New Paltz, Ellenville, or Woodstock. For more information call (845) 679-2485. 

Most sessions are 3 hours in length.  We follow strict onsite safety protocols to ensure psychological and physical safety.  In the event of a power outage, we will reschedule our virtual sessions. 

Volunteers needed to help prepare meals for Kingston Youth Programs

HODGE CENTER SUMMER PROGRAMS (starting July 1st)
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Family of Woodstock, Inc. is a sponsor of the New York State Education Department’s Summer Food Service Program. Each summer, dozens of volunteers and staff work together to prepare and distribute thousands of meals to local children participating in summer programs throughout the City of Kingston. All meals are prepared at the City of Kingston’s Everette Hodge Community Center, located at 15 Franklin St. in Kingston. Please consider joining our volunteer team to ensure that no child goes hungry on our watch!

Hours of Service:
7:00am-9:00am- breakfast prep and packaging
10:00am-12:30pm- lunch prep and packaging

In addition, we could use help at the sites to which we are delivering food to make sure that they have enough support to properly serve the kids. All sites are located within the City of Kingston.

For more information or to help out, please contact Tina at tbarrett@fowinc.org or call (845) 331-9683.

HODGE CENTER AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS (during the school year)
VOLUNTEER SUPPORT JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Position: Supper Prep Volunteer
Hours: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Work Site: Everette Hodge Community Center
Purpose: To assist with the preparation and cooking of meals for the children and adolescents attending programming at the Everette Hodge Community Center, Rondout Neighborhood Center and the Boys and Girls Club
Additional Responsibilities:                    

  • Assisting with all aspects of meal preparation, including such tasks as cutting fruits and vegetables, slicing deli meat, peeling potatoes, and other tasks as needed
  • Packing meals for off-site programs
  • Assisting in keeping the kitchen and dining areas clean and organized
  • Assisting with dishes as necessary
Position: Meal Server Volunteer
Hours: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Work Site: Everette Hodge Community Center
Purpose: To assist with the serving of meals to the children and adolescents of the Everette Hodge Community Center’s after school program. The meals will be served “family style” with the food being placed on the tables and the youth plating it themselves.                    

Additional Responsibilities:                    

  • Setting and resetting tables for each meal shift
  • Assisting in keeping kitchen and dining area clean and organized
  • Helping ensure that all the kids have eaten
  • Assisting with dishes when necessary
  • Sitting and engaging in conversations with youth at the Everette Hodge Community Center

Position: Programming Support Volunteer
Hours: 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Work Site: Everette Hodge Community Center
Purpose: To support staff with child and adolescent programming at the Everette Hodge Community Center’s after school program.
Additional Responsibilities:

  • Providing child supervision
  • Overseeing arts and crafts
  • Supervising outdoor play
  • Playing board games and other recreational activities

For more information or to help out, please contact Tina at tbarrett@fowinc.org or call (845) 331-9683

Farm to Food Pantry Collaborative
In collaboration with the Rondout Valley Growers Association, UlsterCorps and the Hudson Valley Farm Hub, the program addresses food insecurity by engaging local farmers to donate locally grown produce and training volunteers to glean, process and distribute nutritious food to the network food pantries, feeding programs and shelters in Ulster and surrounding counties. Volunteers are needed to assist with field gleanings and distribution of donated produce to local food pantries, shelters and feeding programs throughout the growing season. We are also in need of volunteers to assist with processing (generally on Wednesdays) so that produce can be frozen and distributed throughout the winter. If you’d like to learn more or help out, please contact volunteers@familyofwoodstockinc.org.

Farm to Food Pantry Blueberry GleaningWhen: Mondays and Wednesdays beginning June 28th, 2021
(no gleaning Monday July 5th)
Where: Hudson Valley Farm Hub Farm Stand 
2324 US-209, Hurley, NYPlease join us for blueberry gleaning at the Hudson Valley Farm Hub Farm Stand, 2324 US-209, Hurley, NY, Mondays and Wednesdays (weather permitting) beginning Monday June 28th, from 8:30am-11am until the end of blueberry season in early August.We’ll be harvesting delicious fresh blueberries donated by the Hudson Valley Farm Hub for local food pantries, shelters and community meal programs.Pantry friends are welcome to come glean for their program. Please wear sturdy shoes, sunscreen, long pants, and bring your own mask or face covering. Containers will be provided. On-farm training protocol provided upon arrival. If interested please register below, call/text 845-481-0331 or email volunteers@familyofwoodstockinc.org.

Note: If it is raining, we will cancel and glean on the Tuesday or Thursday of that week instead. If the weather is questionable, be sure to check in with us before 8am the morning you are planning to glean. We ask everyone to please register before coming.

Volunteers needed for construction projects
Family is in need of volunteers with construction experience to assist with several projects for our Ellenville programs. If you can help out please email volunteers@familyofwoodstockinc.org 

Long-term volunteers
are needed to help out on a weekly basis at Family’s walk-in centers in Ellenville, New Paltz and Woodstock to assist with our food pantries, free stores, and hotlines. To sign up contact Sabrina at 845-331-7080×174 or email volunteers@fowinc.org

Volunteers needed:
Are you experienced in human services? Are you organized and have good communication skills? Are you comfortable working with adolescents and their families in a crisis shelter environment? Then we need you! Family House in Rosendale is seeking 2 morning volunteers to be trained on the day-shift operations of our 24 hour runaway and homeless youth shelter, ideal hours Monday-Friday, 9am-2pm (this can be negotiated). The purpose of the volunteer position would be to provide relief for staff in order for them to attend training, complete paperwork, complete outreach activities, attend meetings and assist higher need youth in crisis. You would answer phones, make appointments, and resolve day to day issues. Experience working with adolescents is a must. Background check is required. Clean/valid driver’s license a plus, mileage reimbursed by agency. Please email your resume to: Kie at kahmed@fowinc.org for an interview. Thank you!

ELLENVILLE FOOD PICKUPS
Do you have a pickup truck or van, are you able to make a weekly commitment to Family, and the ability to lift boxes of food? If so, we could use your help picking up food donations in Ellenville, delivering them to Family of Ellenville sorting and stocking them in our food pantry.

Perks
Community Service Hours
Volunteer as a family or with friends
Meet new people
Make a huge difference in someone’s life

Skills Needed (not all at once required)
Friendly and outgoing
Ability to lift boxes of food
Sorting and stocking pantry shelves
A Truck or Van! (that’s a bonus)

Interested in helping FAMILY with Food Pickups?
Call Dominic @845-647-2443
or email foeh@familyofwoodstockinc.org

HELP! (IN OUR KINGSTON OFFICE)
FAMILY is in need of volunteers to assist with reception at our Administrative Offices at 31 Albany Avenue in Kingston, greeting walk-in clients during our staff-person’s lunch break, and Wednesday mornings during case conference. If you are available one or more days a week from 1-3pm, or every other Wednesday 9:30am-1:30pm, and would like to help out, please contact Sabrina at 331-7080 x174 or email volunteers@familyofwoodstockinc.org

HELP! (IN OUR WOODSTOCK OFFICE)

FAMILY staff always need help getting information filed on the computer, creating data bases, making copies and stuffing envelopes for mailings. If you like office work, we could use some of your time. If you have any graphics skills that would be a plus!

Perks
Community Service Credits
Know that you are improving our efficiency
Enable counseling staff to do what they do best

Skills needed
Good with computers
Well organized
Follow directions
Graphic Design experience

Interested in helping at FAMILY’s Woodstock Office?
Call Sue or Tamara @ 845-679-2485
or email fowh@familyofwoodstockinc.org

EVENTS TEAM FUN!
One of the ways FAMILY supports its services is by hosting and working at fun events. Sign up for any of our terrific events that meet your schedule-and enjoy the event! Help staff a booth at concerts and community events or park cars at large outdoor venues. To find out more, please contact us at volunteers@familyofwoodstockinc.org 

Perks
Free Admission to the Event
Work with friends and family members (we love your teens!)
Earn Community Service Credits
Know that you are helping people in need

Skills Needed
Friendly and outgoing
Able to follow instructions
Prior experience a plus but not necessary 

Interested in our Events Team?
Call Sue or Tamara @ 845- 679-2485
or email fowh@familyofwoodstockinc.org

FOOD, FOOD, FOOD!!!
Thinking of volunteering but don’t want to make a weekly commitment? Pick a Food Drive! FAMILY has monthly food pick-ups, scheduled food drives at Hurley Ridge Market, the annual Postal Food Drive, Yom Kippur Food Drive and MORE!

Last year FAMILY’s Woodstock Food Pantry fed more than 1,000 families

Perks
Community Service Hours
Volunteer as a family or with friends
Meet new people
Make a huge difference in someone’s life

Skills Needed (not all at once required)
Friendly and outgoing
Ability to lift boxes of food
Sorting and stocking pantry shelves
A Truck! (that’s a bonus)

Interested in helping FAMILY’s Food Pantry?
Call Sue or Tamara @ 845-679-2485

You can also fill out our Volunteer Registration Form.

Please allow a few business days for review by the Volunteer Committee.