Volunteering

Welcome potential volunteers! We are glad you are looking for information about volunteer opportunities in our Bristol-Warren Village.

Volunteers are the key to a successful village. They are our drivers, our tech supporters, and our home help. They perform errands, make the check-in calls, and provide friendly visits. It is our volunteers who make our village run!

Volunteers gain a lot from their experience as well. Volunteering brings meaningful connection, a way to meet and make new friends, and provides a way to be involved in the community.

Working with The Village Common of RI, Bristol-Warren Village provides important structures to support our members and volunteers. These include:

• Volunteers receive orientation, training, back-up and problem-solving support.
• Volunteers are vetted through a secure national online service
• Volunteers who will be transporting members or running errands for members have their driving records reviewed, and their auto insurance verified
• Volunteers are insured and training is periodically updated
• Volunteers are encouraged, but not required, to join as members
• Volunteers are asked to respect member privacy and uphold the mission and values of our organization

Bristol-Warren Village offers a variety of volunteer opportunities, with volunteers encouraged to consider their interests, passions, skills, and available time in choosing a volunteer role. Some volunteers work directly with members to provide services whereas others work behind the scenes. And, as a volunteer with the Village, you decide when and how often you volunteer and the types of services you wish to provide. Volunteering can help us grow in new ways.

Here are volunteer roles you can consider:

Volunteering Opportunities

Direct Member Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer drivers/running errands for members: Supplement existing ride services by providing rides for members; pick up/delivery of such items as groceries or prescriptions

Technology help: Assist members with learning and navigating technology on their cell phones, tablets, computers or TVs; assist with adapting member device and equipment setup to accommodate vision, hearing, and other accessibility challenges

Home task volunteers: Assist with small tasks around the home that have become challenging for members, especially those requiring a ladder; help with outdoor maintenance; help with small home repairs; help with home safety concerns

Friendly visits/calls service volunteers (Village friends): Make check-in calls, talk with members, arrange friendly visits and errands, go for walks, play games, discuss safety concerns, and identify other services a member may need.

Yard and Property Work: Help members with beginning- and end-of-season garden chores: leaf raking, snow shoveling and related needs. Put out and retrieve garbage and recycle bins on a weekly basis. Membership Ambassadors - Meet with prospective members to assist in completing an application for membership, which includes identifying services the member may need and/or the member’s volunteer interests.

Behind the Scenes Volunteer Opportunities

Communications Team Volunteers: Responsible for updates to our web page, social media, and writing articles for The Village Common newsletter, the Bristol/Warren Phoenix and other local publications.

Social Activities and Events Volunteers: planning and organizing our own local social programs and connections for our membership, such as speaker events, group walks, group outings, and so on.

Leadership roles: for example, serving on the Bristol-Warren Village Steering Committee, assisting the village Volunteer Coordinator, assisting the village Partnership Coordinator, or outreach to town departments.

Special Project Resources: Working with peers to help our village with special needs and priorities that would benefit from the interests, passions, talents and skills of our volunteers. Examples might include recruiting new members and volunteers; and facilitating access to local and statewide calendars and resources for self-help, enrichment and socialization.