Rochester, N.Y. is a community that makes volunteering a way of life. Opportunities of all types abound and you are sure to find one that suits your interests and availability.
If your interests are in the medical field, Rochester has four hospitals with volunteer opportunities. Strong Memorial has the Friends of Strong. Highland Hospital offers a detail page on its openings. Rochester General Hospital has an expansive website with pages of information on volunteering in its health care system. Park Ridge / Unity Health has a web page about its volunteer needs.
Should your tastes run more towards emergency response, the Rochester metro area offers a large number of volunteer ambulance, fire departments and other groups that respond when things go bad. The East Rochester Volunteer Ambulance Corps is always looking for volunteers and it is the oldest independent ambulance corps in New York State. The Brighton Volunteer Fire Department offers opportunities in fire fighting and rescue operations. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Rochester supports the Coast Guard and promotes boating and boating safety. Every community in the Rochester area has other fire and EMS volunteer organizations that can be found through the phone book or the town or village hall. There are many places to volunteer in Rochester.
Working with children is almost a given if you are a parent. Local schools all have volunteer openings so just call. The region has strong Scouting groups for both boys and girls. Rochester is a soccer hotbed, with youth leagues sponsored by most town recreation departments and coaches are needed. All of the usual children's sports are found locally, Pop Warner Football, Little League, CYO basketball, and they all need volunteers to survive and continue. The local school or your church will be able to provide contact information for the groups in your area.
Always wanted to appear on stage? Community theater is alive and well in Rochester and volunteers are needed. If you would rather not act, there are lighting jobs, costumers, stage management, set design and construction. The Rochester Community Players, the JCC of Greater Rochester and the Rochester Broadway Theatre League are just a few examples of places to volunteer.
No matter your interests or availability, the many places to volunteer in Rochester, N.Y. are sure to hold a place for you. Don't forget your church, the Red Cross or a nearby nursing home as you look for volunteer opportunities. Volunteer Match is a website that contains many other places to volunteer that you might not have thought about. Your time and energy are needed so volunteer.