Volunteer work: finding opportunities in the Owasso community
By Atalie Sherman
Volunteering with a nearby non-profit organization is a great way to directly impact your community. Whether you are looking to get volunteer hours for school-sponsored activities or just want to be active in the Owasso area, many local opportunities are available to help you achieve your goal.
A New Leaf
A New Leaf is a local non-profit organization focused on providing job training, life skills and residency to those in our community with special needs. Through employment in greenhouses, retail centers and community job sites, A New Leaf hopes to build the confidence and self-dependence of their workers with developmental disabilities and autism. Currently, New Leaf needs volunteers who would be able to work with clients on greenhouse projects and assist with maintenance activities like painting, garden upkeep, light cleaning and carpentry projects. If you are 16 or older and would be willing to set aside time to volunteer at A New Leaf, volunteer applications and additional information are available on their website at Volunteer Information — A New Leaf.
Photo of the Owasso Library provided by the Tulsa City-County Library
The Owasso Library
When looking to add volunteer hours while impacting your community directly, the local library is a great place to start. At the Owasso Library, kids and adults alike are provided with weekly events, reading programs and over 45,000 books of all genres. In addition, the library provides 12 computers, study tables, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks and 12 helpful staff members to facilitate the growing customer base. Currently, the library is looking for volunteers 16 years or older who can sign up for a 3 month or 40 hour commitment time. As a Library Aide, volunteers help by organizing and shelving books, doing light cleaning, tidying public areas and refilling supplies at computer stations. To learn more about the other volunteer opportunities at the library and to register to volunteer, visit their website at Volunteer Services | Tulsa Library.
Ward Wiseman Animal Haven
If playing with cute animals sounds more like fun than work, applying to an animal shelter could be a great volunteer opportunity for you. Located in Collinsville, Ward Wiseman Animal Haven’s mission is to provide homeless and unwanted animals shelter, housing them in a safe, no-kill environment. Spaying, neutering and homing many dogs and cats in the surrounding area, Ward Wiseman continues to be at full capacity and run by 80% volunteers. Presently, the non-profit organization is looking for both junior and adult volunteers to fill a number of needs, including dog and cat playtime, maintenance and groundskeeping, cage and kennel cleaning and assistance for adoption/fundraising events. To learn more about the positive work being done by the haven and to see where you fit in as a volunteer, visit the volunteer page of their website at Volunteer - WARD-WISEMAN ANIMAL HAVEN.
Photo of Tulsa’s Pre-Restaurant week taken from Yelp
The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
As a member of Feeding America®, the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma believes it’s their mission to feed the hungry by providing food security for all Oklahomans. The organization’s programs include shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries and various feeding programs aimed at ending hunger in eastern Oklahoma. Joining with 350 partner organizations, the food bank provides millions of pounds of food to 24 counties in Oklahoma every year. The community food bank is looking for volunteers over the age of ten, in both individual and group categories, to aid them in Food for Kids programs, various events and feeding initiatives. To schedule a volunteer visit at the food bank or to learn more about what volunteering looks like at the organization, visit their website at Get Involved - Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.
While volunteering with local organizations is a great way to get involved in your area, there are many options for volunteering that can be done independently. Helping neighbors mow, shoveling snow, donating old clothes and even getting involved with a youth group or church are all practical ways to make volunteering easy. In this way, making a difference in your neighborhood can be just as impactful as partnering with a large non-profit. No matter the means by which you do it, volunteering can prove to be as rewarding for you as it is for your community.