Growing Volunteer Engagement

Volunteers are crucial to accomplishing the mission of the Children’s Home of Cincinnati.  Volunteers and staff work together to collaborate and see the difference they are making for the organization and the community. The Children’s Home of Cincinnati offers various volunteer opportunities throughout the year for individuals who have a desire to contribute. They also welcome groups that are interested in volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer projects such as landscaping and hosting a fundraiser or program supply drive create excellent opportunities to bond with fellow co-workers, church members or friends while contributing to a worthy cause.  The Children’s Home of Cincinnati truly believes volunteers can make a significant impact through serving. To that end, they have a high value for developing, cultivating, sustaining and growing volunteer engagement with individuals, community groups, businesses and congregations.

In 2009, the estimated dollar value of volunteer time was $20.85 per hour. However, beyond this quantifiable figure, volunteers also bring intangible benefits to the organization such as community support. Volunteers make a difference by recognizing no task is too small or insignificant. Volunteers provide extra hands, love and commitment in order to make sure that as many needs as possible are met.

"We don’t want to just attract new volunteers. We want to strengthen our agency’s image in the community, create awareness about our mission and save resources," says Shawn Maus, communications and marketing manager for The Children’s Home of Cincinnati.

"We love seeing local companies and groups find creative ways to volunteer their time. We’ve had folks from Cincinnati Circus hold a ‘Build-a-Bike’ company team-building event. It’s a fun team building exercise where teams of two to six people team up to assemble a fully disassembled bike. Piece by piece, each team’s bike begins taking shape. After a team completes their bike, they can choose to either observe other teams or jump in to help slower teams complete their bikes. First team done ‘wins’ bragging rights as the prize. The Cincinnati Circus then donated 25 bikes from the competition to The Children’s Home of Cincinnati."

"Fifth-Third Bank volunteered at our Madisonville campus for five hours to help sort through holiday gifts in our H.U.G.S program (Hats, Underwear, Gloves, Socks). Over 25 volunteers from other organizations incorporated over 40 hours of time donated to help to unpack donations, sort by age and gender, and then package into individual backpacks to distribute to our needy children on our campus," says Tina Heinztman, volunteer program coordinator.

There are a variety of ways to get involved and make a difference as a volunteer.

•  Camp-I-Can - weekly gym activities

Pre-School

•  Early Childhood School Family Night

Provide/serve dinner to families and staff.

Provide and complete a craft/activity with the children.

Annually (April)

Elementary

Fridays: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

•  Fun Friday

Provide activity and supplies.

Fridays: 12:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

• STEM (hands on science activities) in Upper School & Lower School

High School

Fridays: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Autism

•  Field Trips

Special Events

•  Judge Science Fair (April)

Students are judged/graded following a specific rubric.

•  Art Fair (May)

•  Mock Interviews

Volunteers interview students as if they are interviewing for

an actual job. Scores are given following specific rubric.

•  Flying Pig Water Station

•  Budget Bootcamp

Agency/Administrative

•  Lunchroom duty/supervision for students in grades K-8

(Emery Cafeteria)

Daily: 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

•  Assemble Breakfast Bags

Milk, juice, cereal, etc. divided into bags sorted by building.

Daily: 12:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

•  Children’s Home Resource Center

Unpack, organize, and update inventory as needed.

Thursdays 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

•  Art Room Volunteer

Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

•  Lobby Nanny

Entertain siblings of clients in waiting room by providing a

craft, coloring, reading, etc.

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

•  Chess Club

The Children’s Home of Cincinnati is located at 5050 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, Ohio 45227. To learn more about the Children’s Home of Cincinnati and their volunteer program, contact them at 513.272.2800 or visit www.thechildrenshomecinti.org/page/volunteer