Variety of ways to lend a helping hand

Volunteering is all about service to others, but the best volunteers are enthusiastic about the work they do. April is National Volunteer Month, so now is the time to look for a way to get involved in the community. Find the right fit for your skills and interests from this list of Trussville-based organizations below. 

For the fun-lover

► Independence Place of Alabama

► independenceplaceofalabama.org

►Contact: Debbie Little, debbielittle@independenceplaceofalabama.org

The Independence Place of Alabama is only about three years old, but the program based at First Baptist of Trussville is filling a gap in the lives of some area adults with mental disabilities.

The program was started to provide social and recreational opportunities for adults once they have graduated high school. Program Director Debbie Little said that without a job or the ability to drive, many people with disabilities are unable to connect and make friendships. There are about 10 regular participants, and Little said parents and doctors have commented on how much Independence Place has added to their lives.

“They just flourish here,” Little said.

The cornerstone of Independence Place is getting its participants involved in the Trussville community. The program includes arts and crafts, karaoke, games, fishing, bowling and field trips to museums and other locations. Little said local clubs will visit Independence Place, and there’s a regular group of seniors and Independence Place participants that play games together.

Independence Place participants also stuff goodie bags for the Maple Leaf Run, sort donations for Sozo Ministries and visit Sunrise Ridge Assisted Living each month for hymns, lunch and bingo.

“We like to give back because people give so much to us,” Little said.

There are about 30 regular volunteers at Independence Place who assist with field trips, prep materials for activities and lead certain activities such as fishing. Little said that there’s a place for all personalities and skills to give their time.

“People think they’re going to come here to give of their time, but every one of them will tell me how much more they receive,” Little said. “As soon as you walk through the door, you feel it. You are immediately accepted and you are immediately loved.”

For the traveler

► No Longer

► No-longer.com

►Contact: Melissa Bozeman, melissabozeman@yahoo.com

If you want to extend your volunteering reach a little further, nonprofit No Longer works both in Trussville and the Dominican Republic to help orphans.

Trussville resident and No Longer founder Melissa Bozeman said it was a group of like-minded people who came together a few years ago because they wanted to help orphans. They connected with the Global Orphan Project and found their niche: an orphanage run by a church in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.

“We picked up that project and raised money and funded the construction of the orphanage,” Bozeman said.

The orphanage, called Casa Amor, is now home to 33 children from ages 4 to 16. The children receive food, clothing, education and “mamas” who work there and act as parental figures.

“Some of them literally were not going to have a chance at life,” Bozeman said of the children at Casa Amor.

Bozeman said No Longer raises $80 per month per child to provide that care. That fundraising comes through individual donations, the No Longer 5K being held this month and the Fair Trade Party With A Purpose held at Christmas and in the spring.

“It’s gotten bigger than what we ever thought it would be,” Bozeman said. “You just never know when you start something.”

Members of No Longer have taken annual trips to visit Casa Amor, meeting the kids and finding ways to help. This year they’re visiting in summer and again in fall. Bozeman said it’s a relatively easy flight, and some volunteers have brought their children along as well.

“Growing up in the bubble of Trussville is not reality for the majority of the world, and we want our children to see how others live and experience a culture different from their own. Getting out of our comfort zone has taught us to trust God in supporting ‘the least of these,’” Bozeman said.

Bozeman said that volunteers can help with events in Trussville or travel with them to Casa Amor.

“You just have to have a willingness to meet new people and love on kids,” she said. “It’s changed our family. It’s changed our perspective, the way we look at life.”

For the teenager

► Trussville Public Library

► Trussvillelibrary.com

► Contact: Laura Edge, ledge@bham.lib.al.us

Trussville teens who enjoy a good book can share that love of reading by volunteering at the Trussville Public Library. Teen volunteer coordinator Laura Edge said about 40 volunteers work in the library in the summer and during the school year.

Edge said the teen volunteer tasks include shelving and reserving books, setting up for programs and assisting with the summer reading program for younger children. A core group is also on the Teen Advisory Board, meeting monthly to give input on what books and movies the library should add to its collection.

“During the summer we could not exist [without volunteers],” Edge said, noting that 1,200 children typically participate in the summer reading program. “We depend on them for a lot.”

Volunteering at the library helps teens grow their confidence, gain experience working with people and learn more about what the library has to offer. However, it’s also just fun for the volunteers.

“There’s definitely a social aspect. They have a good time talking to each other,” Edge said. “They’re meeting people they normally wouldn’t in the classroom.”

Edge said a good library volunteer is responsible, friendly and has a good work ethic. The next training session for interested volunteers is in May.

For anyone

► Serving You Ministries

► Servingyou.org

► Contact: Stephen Shelton, stephen.shelton@servingyou.org

Serving You Ministries is based out of NorthPark Baptist Church, but its services reach in many directions.

Executive Director John Gibson said the primary work of SYM is financial relief services, for area residents going through financial or personal struggles, living on fixed incomes or chronic unemployment. The services include food, clothing, budget courses and work training.

“We want to be that arm that helps people financially,” Gibson said.

Gibson said volunteers can assist with the food pantry, applicant interviews, data entry and other support roles for SYM’s financial services. However, SYM also coordinates volunteer groups for a variety of other initiatives in Trussville and the greater Birmingham area.

These include Metro Changers house rehabilitation projects, packing food backpacks for food-insecure area children, ministry center cleaning and maintenance, seasonal disaster relief, worship services at the Lovelady Center, serving food at the Changed Lives Christian Center and a variety of projects at Oliver Elementary.

“We’ve got the material, we’ve got the houses, we just need groups [to volunteer],” Gibson said. “We’re trying to serve people that are our neighbors and are struggling.”

Many of these projects are led by other nonprofit groups, but Gibson said SYM attempts to help them get the manpower they need.

“Don’t think we do all this by ourselves. It’s through volunteers,” Gibson said.

A full list of volunteer projects and ways to get involved can be found on Serving You Ministries’ website.