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How to volunteer online
As Naveen Jindal School of Management students, we are required to apply our academic knowledge and social skills to volunteer and heighten our understanding of business in the real world. We can either do a project-based social-engagement course, such as Social Sector Engagement and Community Outreach (ENTP 4340), that fulfills 3 hours of a 120-credit-hour degree plan or complete a social-engagement practicum (BA 4095) by completing 100 hours of approved community service.
When unemployment, isolation and economic struggles are at an all-time high, helping our community seems like a necessity. Trying to fulfill the required 100 hours of community service may seem difficult during a pandemic, but it is doable. Although we may not be able to volunteer physically, there are other ways to reach out. After doing some research, I put together a list of some fulfilling ways to volunteer online, give back and increase your service hours.
What to Do and Where to Volunteer Online
Help the Elderly
If you are someone who likes to write letters, this program could be perfect for you. The Adopt a Nursing Home Program allows you to send a virtual letter to a local nursing home resident or staff member. During this challenging crisis, nursing homes have restricted visits to family and friends. So, elderly residents are not able to enjoy their quality time with their loved ones. This separation can be difficult, affecting residents’ emotional and mental health. By adopting a nursing home, you can thank the staff who is working tirelessly to care for their seniors and write letters to the residents to keep them company.
CHD Living – Adopt a Grandparent
Whether you like to keep people company or to form new friendships, this volunteer opportunity could be for you. Bring a sense of comfort to the elderly. You could help by writing letters, having a phone or video call, and listening to their stories. Being able to connect with someone across the world can give a sense of community to someone who is in constant isolation.
Are you someone who loves writing handwritten letters? Love for the Elderly, a nonprofit organization, is looking for volunteers who will help fight social isolation by giving senior facilities letters of comfort and positivity. A positive message can decrease the feeling of loneliness. Help embrace the people who are scared during these uncertain times.
Help People with Disabilities
If you’re looking for a virtual volunteer opportunity that you can do from your couch, this is for you! Be My Eyes is an application that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers to assist them through a live video call. Some of the situations you could help with include reading instructions, navigating new surroundings and differentiating colors. All that you need to do is download Be My Eyes app and accept a call.
Another way to volunteer is to help people with such disabilities as dyslexia, blindness and cerebral palsy read. Two of the easiest ways to volunteer remotely are to scan books or proofread scanned files. By scanning or proofreading a book, you are making it accessible for a community in need. When you proofread scanned files, you try to detect and correct errors and formatting so that books are usable for assistive technology.
Calling All Bilinguals
If you are fluent in at least one language other than your native one and are interested in translating texts, there are various projects available in Translators Without Borders for you! Just sign up and claim a task to translate.
Do you love TED Talks? Take your love of watching inspiring and educational videos and help bring ideas to life for others by translating and adding subtitles to TED Talk videos.
Create Your Own Volunteer Opportunity
Do you want to find more volunteer opportunities that are suited to your preferred skills? Both VolunteerMatch and UN Online Volunteering are fantastic resources that are updated every day to give you the newest opportunities.
How to Record Virtual Volunteer Hours for JSOM
When serving virtual hours, it could be challenging to retrieve a signature from a supervisor. If you would like your online hours to be recorded and counted as part of the 100 hours you need to complete BA 4095, you can submit any proof such as emails, letters of verification, online hour reports, or screenshots to the Service Hour Submission form. Make sure that it indicates the hours you served.
