HER, REALTORS® knows that one of the most memorable ways to make an impact in your community is by volunteering for local organizations with causes that resonate with you personally. If you’re new to Westerville, Ohio, or just looking for more opportunities to get involved in the area, volunteering for one or more of these five organizations is a great start!

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1. LifeCare Alliance (Meals on Wheel)

Get moving and help those who need it most!

The main goal of LifeCare Alliance is to help older adults or medically challenged residents that are homebound in the Logan, Champaign, Franklin, Madison, and Marion Counties of Ohio. Their home meal delivery service (meals on wheels) allows for the most volunteer opportunities. More than 100 volunteers are needed every day to allow these seniors to live independently in the comfort of their own homes. You could be the smiling face that delivers a hot meal to a homebound senior citizen. Sometimes, light housekeeping or pet upkeep will also be required, depending on the households that are on your route.

The time requirement is 1-2 hours per day that you volunteer. LifeCare is flexible in that you can request a weekend route so that it doesn’t interfere with your work schedule. As per the LifeCare Alliance website, each route that you adopt saves the organization $12,000 a year, and every older adult or medically challenged person LifeCare Alliance keeps in their own homes saves Ohio taxpayers $62,000 per year. There are training resources available on LifeCare Alliance’ website. Be sure to check them out and apply today!

2. Westerville Public Library

Are you a bookworm?

Teens and adults alike can give back to Westerville by volunteering for a couple of hours each week at the library. Current volunteers are helping with ongoing tasks such as:

• Shelving returned books
• Coordinating with the library’s outreach staff to deliver materials to homebound people
• Plan and assist with library events and programs
• Repair library materials

There are also unique opportunities for teen volunteers, who are between the ages of 12 & 18. During the school year, teens help at children's events or shelf books. During the summer, they help run the Summer Reading Program or help at the library’s children-oriented events. Some teen volunteers can also serve as the adviser to the Teen Librarian. The Library is a great way to get your whole family involved in service. Fill out the application today.

3. V.I.S.I.O.N.

Be the change in your community!

V.I.S.I.O.N. (Volunteers in Service in Our Neighborhoods) is coordinated through the Westerville Parks & Recreation Department. The name is indicative of the types of volunteer opportunities that the Department has: service projects in Westerville’s neighborhoods. There are numerous programs available for you to get involved with, and the time commitments vary. You could volunteer for a few hours every year, or you could sign up a weekly schedule depending on the program and the amount of time you want to dedicate to the cause. You could volunteer to be a “path watcher,” which is similar to being a part of a neighborhood watch program. You could volunteer to be a youth sport coach at Westerville Community Center or a “pancake chef” at the monthly pancake breakfast held at the Senior Center. Whatever your volunteering goals are, the V.I.S.I.O.N. program has something to offer.

4. WARM

Spread the warmth by volunteering your time.

The work of WARM (Westerville Area Resource Ministry) has been in operation serving the community since 1972. The services offered are educational, employment, spiritual, and food related. There are many ways to get involved-you can even run your own local food drive! Other ways to get involved include serving as a life coach to clients, stocking the food pantry, and being an administrative assistant. Volunteers are usually expected to take on a time commitment of at least two hours per week. If you can’t commit to this, you can still help out by donating food to WARM’s food pantry. With so many different ways to get involved, it’s hard to pass this opportunity up!

5. My Very Own Blanket

Make a blanket, create a smile.

This nonprofit has been dedicated to providing children in the foster care system with means of comfort by giving them blankets and pillowcases since it began its service in 1999. Volunteers work to make thousands of blankets and pillowcases each year, which are distributed to the children. Each blanket is personalized with the child’s name. What can you do? Make a blanket or pillowcase, of course! My Very Own Blanket offers workshops to help you learn how to make the blankets, but you can also make them at home on your own time. Get your co-workers together and bring them to a workshop during your lunch break one day or organize a blanket-making party for your friends and family at home.

No matter what nonprofits and charities you enjoy dedicating your time to, Westerville has plenty of options for you to be able to give back and feel good. Be sure to check out VolunteerMatch.org to find more opportunities for serving the Westerville community!