Volunteer Opportunities - Center for Student Enrichment

MooseWood Nature Center is a non-profit nature center located at Presque Isle Park in Marquette and provides opportunities hosting the center during open hours, helping care and feed its live animals, and providing environmental education and natural history programming. For more information, call 906-228-6250 or email moosewoodnc@gmail.com.

NMU Wildpups is looking for volunteers to help set up, be a student coordinator, and tear down NMU Wildpup events. Volunteers are mainly needed for greeting students/participants, encouraging them to participate in research, and funneling students through the event. We need help setting up in the Library, moving furniture, and tearing down after. Volunteers are more than welcome to visit the dogs as well! We are looking for 6 or more volunteers. Volunteers are needed 1.5 hours before the event starts and 30 minutes after. For more information or to volunteer, please email animaltherapy@nmu.edu.

The Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter (UPAWS) has many opportunities available from direct care of the animals to behind-the-scenes office work to helping at fundraisers and events. UPAWS is a busy place! We ask that in-shelter volunteers commit to a day and time that they can come weekly or at a minimum bi-monthly and be able to fulfill this commitment for a minimum of 6 months. All in-shelter volunteers must attend an orientation, which is held twice a month. In-shelter volunteers are needed 7 days a week from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. with Thursday's until 6:30 p.m.

If interested, please visit http://upaws.org/the-shelter/volunteer-opportunities to learn more. Contact Ann Brownell at volunteer@upaws.org or 906-475-6661 for more information.

Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association is looking for volunteers to assist with two sled dog events: the UP 200 Dryland Dash and the UP 200 Midnight Run/Jack Pine 30 (February 13-17, 2025). There are numerous volunteer positions available both indoors and outdoors. Possible opportunities include start/finish setup and takedown; team leaders for road crossings; crowd control; vet check; times and recorders; merchandise and silent auction; communications and public relations; web content and updates about trail development and safety. Additional information can be found at www.up200.org. Volunteer here: https://www.yoopersunited.com/up-200. If you have questions, please contact Darlene at dwalch@nmu.edu.

Willow Farm Therapeutic Riding needs volunteers to side walk next to horses carrying children with physical and cognitive disabilities. Volunteer training is required and will be held at Willow Farm. For more information, please contact Julie at 906-869-0424 or by e-mail at qfrazier0822@gmail.com. 

The Alzheimer's Association is looking for Alzheimer's Association Community Educators (AACEs) who are volunteer public speakers who help raise awareness, provide education and expand the research of Alzheimer's Association programs in the community. AACEs deliver Alzheimer's Association Core Curriculum using prepared training materials on topics related to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as well as information for individuals and families impacted by the disease.

KEY ACTIVITIES:

• Communicate effectively and deliver Core Curriculum (Common Programs) presentations and information to the community
• Adhere to Alzheimer's Association’s established curricula and position statements
• Work with Alzheimer’s Association staff partners to identify and coordinate education programs that reach target audiences; coordination includes securing program partner, scheduling, preparing presentations, and managing needed materials.
• Serve as presenter for chapter-scheduled education programs and conferences
• Connect members of the community with additional Association services by proactively making referrals to Alzheimer's Association programs & free 24/7 Helpline
• Complete necessary paperwork for reporting

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Proactive and passionate about the mission of Alzheimer’s Association
• Demonstrated success with public speaking, excellent presentation and education skills
• Understanding of adult learning principles
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Comfort with computers and familiarity with email and Powerpoint presentations
• Ability to network, and collaborate with staff, volunteers, and community partners
• Experience with dementia as a family member or health care professional preferred

COMMITMENT EXPECTED:

• AACE volunteers commit to a 1-year term delivering a minimum of 12 presentations
• Terms are renewable upon successful completion of annual goal-setting conversation with your staff partner
• Orientation includes: online program volunteer welcome and orientation (1 hour) + self-study or in-person role training with staff partner (~2 hours)
• AACE volunteers must observe 1 community presentation led by a staff or mentor + present 1 Common Program while being observed /evaluated by a staff or mentor prior to deployment in the community
• Background checks are required as part of the volunteer selection process
• Comply with Alzheimer’s Association volunteer policies and procedures
• Participate in initial training and ongoing education about Alzheimer’s, dementia and the Alzheimer's Association

BENEFITS TO THE VOLUNTEER:

• Perfect your public speaking ability and technique
• Serve your local community and people you care about
• Increase your knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
• Be recognized in your community as a leader and resource for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Build your resume and skill set
• Perfect your community engagement technique and help mobilize your community to create a world without Alzheimer’s
• Join a network of other volunteers, Alzheimer's Association staff and professionals and caregivers in the aging field
  
  For more information or to volunteer, please contact Jack Vander Lugt at jrvanderlugt@alz.org or 906-373-3107.

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of the Central Upper Peninsula will need volunteer mentors (Bigs) for the 2024-2025 Site/School-Based Facilitated Program. In this program, Bigs & Littles (Matches) meet at a designated location – like a school, community center, or other site. A BBBS staff member is present at all meetings and observing match interactions. BBBS staff plan activities for matches each week. Bigs will often eat lunch with their Little or hang out in the school’s library, gym, or other chosen location. These programs typically occur weekly for about 30-60 minutes on the same day each week (e.g., every Tuesday from 3-4 pm). The schedule follows the academic school calendars. Link for orientation and application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdl4qPxt792erdCJxYct52Fu8xIIrljn9TvLj-ctO0XpvxmtA/viewform. If you have any questions or want more information, please contact Carli at (906) 251-8047 or carli@bbbsmqt.org. 

Camp STAR is looking for volunteers, especially male volunteer buddies! This is a 3-night bereavement camp for kids and teens, aged 8-17, that have experienced the death of a significant person in their life. This camp will be held at the beginning of August with lodging and food provided at Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay, Michigan! On the Thursday prior to the camp, there is a full day of training for volunteers. Kids and teens arrive on the Friday.

Buddies are paired with a child or teen camper for continuous support and guidance throughout the weekend. Buddies and campers are part of a small group of other buddies and campers led by a leader and co-leader. All volunteers are trained and supported by trained professionals and volunteers throughout the weekend.

Volunteer positions available: Camp Buddy, Group Leader, Co-Leader, Activities Assistant, Camp Nurses, and a Photographer. Visit STAR Children's Bereavement Services – No child grieving alone (www.starcbs.org) for more information. Volunteer information and application (www.starcbs.org) Get Involved – STAR Children's Bereavement Services (https://starcbs.org/).

The Ishpeming Senior Center is looking for volunteers to work with seniors for in home social work services, dining services, nursing, chore or community programming. Contact Ashley at centerdirector@gicoaseniors.org or 906-485-5527 for more information.

The Janzen House is a homeless shelter/low-income living house, which can house up to 32 residents. Volunteers are needed to help paint, with meals, or clean and possibly with some office work. For more information, please contact Brent Clark at 906-226-2271 or by e-mail at janzenhouseoffice@gmail.com.

Lake Superior Life Care & Hospice is looking for volunteers to be friendly visitors for hospice patients and support various office tasks such as fundraising, mailings, patient legacy, and more. Please contact Susie Duquette at 906-225-7760 or sduquette@lakesuperiorhospice.org for more information.

Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly, 131 W. Washington St., Ste. C, Marquette, is a non-profit organization in Marquette whose mission is to help relieve social isolation and loneliness among the elders in our community. We do this through two programs. The first being our Friendly Visiting program, where we pair a volunteer and an elder up to help them build a friendship. If you are interested, please e-mail danielle.berg@littlebrothers.org. 

The second is through our Holiday Meals. At our Holiday meals, we serve over 200 in our community. Some of them attend and some of them have their meals delivered to their homes. The importance of these meals is to not only provide them with food but with fellowship on a holiday. To carry out these meals we rely on volunteers. Last year we were lucky enough to have a hall volunteer and couple of other Northern students for our Easter meal. Our guests absolutely loved having them there. The connection with the youth of our community is so vital to them. Many of them attended Northern or had children or family that attended or worked at Northern. They love to see NMU students, because you are just starting to live your dreams, that alone is such an exciting memory and thought to them. 

To be able to serve this meal to our community it requires that we have the service of approximately 60 volunteers. I would love for half of those volunteers to come from Northern. It would make for a great story along with help promote and recognize Northern students and everything you give to our community. I will also have letters of service which I will be more than happy to sign for all volunteers to help them towards earning scholarships, recognition, or help along the job hunt. I will also be more than happy to write a personal letter of service/reference to any volunteers who help serve. So, if you are interested in joining Little Brothers, let us know. Whether it is a group or individual you will be greatly appreciated. We have several different volunteer opportunities available. If you would like to volunteer, contact Danielle Berg at danielle.berg@littlebrothers.org.

Marquette County Habitat for Humanity’s Vision:  A world where everyone has a decent place to live. Our Mission Statement:  Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. 

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Being part of a work crew who works directly on construction/repair projects.
• Participating on a committee that focuses on family selection and development, church relations, build site selection, public relations, and social media.
• Helping in the office, organized donated lunches for work crews, stuffing envelopes, data entry, program development, fundraising, special projects, and volunteer recruitment.
• Working in the ReStore, picking up, sorting, cleaning, merchandising donated items.

Please contact Karen Benstrom at 906-228-3578 or karen@mqthabitat.org at our administrative office. Hours and dates are flexible.

Marquette Care Clinic, 1213 N. Front St., is looking for young Christian volunteers who want to be a part of our mission of supporting women with unplanned pregnancies! - Office Support - Cleaning - Yard Work - Special Events - On Campus distribution of "Swag" and Care Clinic information. To volunteer, email ggostomski@careclinicmqt.org or check out https://www.careclinicmqt.org.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MHDDS) is looking for volunteers to assist with supervising parenting time visits with youth who are in foster care. The visits are with the foster youth and their parents/families. These visits must be supervised via court orders. The volunteer must be willing to transport and attend the visits, a State of Michigan vehicle will be provided. The visits are often conducted between 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. and are approximately 1-2 hours in length. This is a great opportunity to learn more about children services; the volunteer will be working alongside foster care workers and supervisors of MDHSS. A background check is required for this position. Please contact Jim Gray at 906-458-2714 or grayj13@michigan.gov.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Victim Services with our local volunteers learn about Victim Advocacy/services. It is a career path for both social work and other human service degrees. Volunteers can get court experience, experience working outreach booths, or experience assisting with grief/injury support groups. For more information, please call 906-474-9346 and check out www.madd.org/mi. 

Marquette Area Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) needs volunteers to help with childcare during their meetings, the first Thursday of the month from September - May from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Meetings are held at Messiah Lutheran Church, 305 W. Magnetic St., Marquette. Children range in age from newborn through kindergarten. Any interested candidates over the age of 18 would be subject to a background check prior to their first volunteer date. If you're interested, please email Renee Jewett at rkivioja@nmu.edu to request a MOPS disclosure form or let us know if you are a returning volunteer. If new, you'll receive a Google "Disclosure/Release/Authorization" form to complete electronically. Once your information is received, a background check will be completed, and you'll be contacted. For more information, you may also message our Marquette Area MOPS Facebook page.

The MSU Extension health and nutrition educator is looking for volunteers to help with updating nutrition and fitness education activities and materials, assist with cooking demonstrations and in classes for youth and/or adults, and occasional health fairs. For more information, please contact Lynn Krahn at 906-475-5731 or by e-mail at krahn@anr.msu.edu.

Propylon Nonprofit Housing Corporation has three types of volunteer activities available. Activity leaders are those that lead activities for residents such as exercise, art, gardening, and more. Caregivers help residents with personal and apartment care or errands. Companions spend quality time with residents such as going out for coffee. Please contact Odessa Adams for more information at 906-869-0928, 906-228-4446, or odessa.adams@lsswis.org.

Room at the Inn is a certified 501 C (3) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission has been to provide short-term shelter and services (i.e., food, career development assistance, and accessibility to resources) for any individuals unhoused. It is because of the help of community volunteers and support that we've been able to sustain services for more than 14 years. During our time, we have served 1,200+ unique individuals, served 350,000+ meals, and utilized 230,000+ volunteer hours. Volunteers and donors, such as yourself, contribute to the sustainability of our operations by serving meals for our guests, engaging in conversation, and ensuring that individuals experiencing homelessness don't have to experience it alone.

How to sign up: Room at the Inn coordinates volunteers through United Way's "Yoopers United" online portal https://uwmqt.galaxydigital.com/agency/detail/?agency_id=11525.

• If it is your first time using Yoopers United, you will need to create a sign in, which only takes just a minute.
• Under the date that you would like to volunteer, you can choose to either “Respond Individually” if you are looking to assist as an individual, or “Respond as Team” if you and 1+ other person(s) are looking to help

Your time, compassion, and service provided is what helps to Room at the Inn open to serve any unhoused person(s) in Marquette. Thank you so much for your contributions!

Special Olympics volunteer opportunities can range from showing NMU support at events/practices to becoming a 1-day Class C volunteer or becoming a certified Class A volunteer. There are also opportunities to become a coach or assistant coach in most sports offered. Opportunities working with Area 36 Special Olympics is of no cost to volunteers/coaches. Contact area36@somi.org for more information or sign up at https://www.somi.org/volunteer to list your interest areas. 

St. Vincent de Paul in Marquette, 2119 Presque Isle, provides critical services for "Neighbors in Need." Volunteers in the Financial Aid Office determine financial qualifications and in the past fiscal year interviewed 768 Friends-in-need and responded to 771 telephone inquiries. As a result, $40,479 in general financial assistance (e.g., water, electricity, heat, etc.) was distributed and an additional $34, 143 for rent (eviction prevention) was distributed. 

During the same fiscal year: 
- 723 pieces of medical equipment free of charge was shared with 635 people. 
- 275 people were provided vouchers to shop in the Thrift Store for free clothing or furniture valued at $5,276. 
- 2,957 families and 6,550 individuals received food and other supplies from the St. Vincent de Paul Pantries. 
- 322 families received Christmas food baskets and 
- 326 children received toys and clothing that made Christmas special for them. 

We have 200+ volunteers and can always use more! Volunteer opportunities include: 
- working in the Financial Aid Office 
- working in the Thrift Store (sorting, pricing, and placing donated items in the store, assisting customers, etc.) 
 - working in the Pantry (unloading and storing foodstuffs, preparing and distributing food baskets, etc.) 
 - working with the Christmas Program (assisting with set-up and tear-down, loading/ unloading toys, assisting shoppers,  -preparing and distributing Christmas baskets, etc.) 
 - assisting with promotion (web site updating, arranging for medial coverage, assisting with publications, etc. 

Volunteers can work a few hours a week, a few or several hours a month or more if desirable. Very flexible schedules can be provided. Join us and NMU students who are already joining us as a "Neighbor Helping Neighbors!" To volunteer, email svdp@svdpup.org. For more information, check out svdpmqtdistrict.org.

The Women’s Center in Marquette is looking for volunteers in three areas: Harbor House Shelter Coverage, Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and Domestic Violence Advocacy Team (DVAT), and Court Support. All volunteers should possess active listening skills, empathy skills, and be willing to advocate for victim rights. For more information, please call the Women's Center 906-225-1346 or e-mail contact@wcmqt.org. 

The Alzheimer's Association is looking for Alzheimer's Association Community Educators (AACEs) who are volunteer public speakers who help raise awareness, provide education and expand the research of Alzheimer's Association programs in the community. AACEs deliver Alzheimer's Association Core Curriculum using prepared training materials on topics related to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as well as information for individuals and families impacted by the disease.

KEY ACTIVITIES:

• Communicate effectively and deliver Core Curriculum (Common Programs) presentations and information to the community
• Adhere to Alzheimer's Association’s established curricula and position statements
• Work with Alzheimer’s Association staff partners to identify and coordinate education programs that reach target audiences; coordination includes securing program partner, scheduling, preparing presentations, and managing needed materials.
• Serve as presenter for chapter-scheduled education programs and conferences
• Connect members of the community with additional Association services by proactively making referrals to Alzheimer's Association programs & free 24/7 Helpline
• Complete necessary paperwork for reporting

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Proactive and passionate about the mission of Alzheimer’s Association
• Demonstrated success with public speaking, excellent presentation and education skills
• Understanding of adult learning principles
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Comfort with computers and familiarity with email and Powerpoint presentations
• Ability to network, and collaborate with staff, volunteers, and community partners
• Experience with dementia as a family member or health care professional preferred

COMMITMENT EXPECTED:

• AACE volunteers commit to a 1-year term delivering a minimum of 12 presentations
• Terms are renewable upon successful completion of annual goal-setting conversation with your staff partner
• Orientation includes: online program volunteer welcome and orientation (1 hour) + self-study or in-person role training with staff partner (~2 hours)
• AACE volunteers must observe 1 community presentation led by a staff or mentor + present 1 Common Program while being observed /evaluated by a staff or mentor prior to deployment in the community
• Background checks are required as part of the volunteer selection process
• Comply with Alzheimer’s Association volunteer policies and procedures
• Participate in initial training and ongoing education about Alzheimer’s, dementia and the Alzheimer's Association

BENEFITS TO THE VOLUNTEER:

• Perfect your public speaking ability and technique
• Serve your local community and people you care about
• Increase your knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
• Be recognized in your community as a leader and resource for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Build your resume and skill set
• Perfect your community engagement technique and help mobilize your community to create a world without Alzheimer’s
• Join a network of other volunteers, Alzheimer's Association staff and professionals and caregivers in the aging field
  
  For more information or to volunteer, please contact Jack Vander Lugt at jrvanderlugt@alz.org or 906-373-3107.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is looking for volunteers in the Marquette area to participate in their Road to Recovery program. This program links volunteer drivers with patients who are in need of transportation to and from treatments and appointments. Volunteers would be trained through an online teaching series, need to have valid automobile insurance and a current driver's license. Volunteers must also have a good driving record and any availability during the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The ACS understands that people have their own activities to attend to and appreciate any time volunteers have to offer even if it's only a couple hours a week. If interested, you can call 1-800-227-2345 to start coordinating your volunteering, and if you have any more questions, contact volunteerengement@cancer.org!

The Superior UP Chapter of the American Red Cross assists with Disaster Services by meeting with people affected by disasters day or night to provide shelter, food, clothing and mental health services, collects over 1,000 pints of blood annually through their blood collection program, provides emergency communications to people in the armed services deployed overseas and provides education and training on safety topics such as life guarding, CPR/First Aid, and babysitters training. Students volunteering with the Red Cross can help with clerical work, be part of the Disaster Action Team, or work first-hand with disaster services clients, teach CPR and more. For more information, please call 906-228-3659.

The Marquette Care Clinic, 1213 N. Front St., is looking for young Christian volunteers (office support, cleaning, yard work, and/or special events) who want to be a part of our mission of supporting women with unplanned pregnancies! For more information, check out https://www.careclinicmqt.org or email ggostomski@careclinicmqt.org.

The D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans is a long-term health care facility for veterans. Volunteers are needed to help with transportation, bingo and other activities as well as visit with veterans. They are happy to have volunteers at any time throughout the year. Please contact Sarah Johnson at 906-226-3576 x2520396 or by e-mail at johnsons93@michigan.org.

The Marquette County Health Department (MCHD) Emergency Preparedness program, 184 US Hwy 41 East, Negaunee, is looking for volunteers to call upon in the event of an emergency. To volunteer, contact hharriman@mqtco.org. For more information, check out mqtheatlh.org.

The MSU Extension health and nutrition educator can use volunteer efforts to help with updating nutrition and fitness education activities and materials, assist with cooking demonstrations and activities for classes of youth and/or adults, and occasional health fairs. For more information, please contact Lynn Krahn at 906-475-5731 or by e-mail at krahn@anr.msu.edu.

Propylon Nonprofit Housing Corporation has three types of volunteer activities available. Activity leaders are those that lead activities for residents such as exercise, art, gardening, and more. Caregivers help residents with personal and apartment care or errands. Companions spend quality time with residents such as going out for coffee. Please contact Odessa Adams for more information at 906-869-0928, 906-228-4446, or odessa.adams@lsswis.org.

Are you looking for a chance to experience the other side of health care? If so, please contact Upper Peninsula Home Health and Hospice, to learn about a variety of opportunities available. You can contact our volunteer coordinator today at 906-225-4545, e-mail us for more information at kellyjw@uphomehealth.org, or follow our efforts at www.facebook.com/uphomehealth.

Our Program:

Our hospice volunteers program offers several different types of opportunities ranging from direct companion/family support volunteers, special service volunteers, special project volunteers and even group opportunities. Those who choose to work with our hospice patients directly will work in a variety of different settings that may include the patient’s personal homes, local hospitals, nursing homes, assisted livings, and memory care facilities.

As a volunteer with our hospice program, you will discover flexibility, specialized training and opportunities for personal growth. Our team approach supports your role in making a difference in the lives of our patients and their families. You will also find the support of our Hospice Foundation which provides resources for volunteer projects and our Make-a-Memory Program.

Current Opportunities:

Companion/family support volunteers work to provide support directly to patients and families. To ensure that all volunteers are equipped for the challenge of working with those dealing with a life limiting illness, we require that volunteers complete an online training program that can be completed at your own pace. It’s important that volunteers understand the philosophy of hospice and are aware of the specific ways we work to serve the community. Volunteers spend their visits being present, listening, helping with errands or light household tasks or providing short respite opportunities for caregivers.

Special service volunteers are able to share their special skills of music or art therapy, massage therapy, and reminisce therapy. If you have any talents you would like to share, contact us today.

Special project volunteers groups help with special projects that are vital in providing indirect support to our patients and their caregivers. Many of these groups consist of resident volunteers from the local assisted living and nursing facilities. Projects include but are not limited to:  heated comfort bags, fleece tie blankets, recipes-in-a-jar/horticulture therapy kits, and cards, letters and flowers.

Group volunteer opportunities exist for your group, club, or organization to become involved with hospice. Upper Peninsula Hospice will provide an informative presentation or on-site training for any interested group.

To inquire about volunteer opportunities, call our volunteer coordinator at 906-225-4545 or check us out at www.facebook.com/uphomehealth.

Willow Farm Therapeutic Riding is looking for volunteers to side walk next to horses carrying children with physical and cognitive disabilities. Volunteer training is required and will be held at Willow Farm. For more information, please contact Julie at 906-869-0424 or by e-mail at qfrazier0822@gmail.com. 

4-H Tech Wizards is seeking adult volunteers to mentor youths from 8 to 18 while helping them to explore interests in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) on a weekly basis. Do you have a hobby or interest you would like to share with an interested group? It is surprisingly easy to fit nearly any interest into a framework of STEAM programming. Do you just want to spend time helping younger people find their own interests? We have loads of programming available for mentors who prefer a more structured approach, no prior knowledge necessary. Mentors will be matched with youths based on a combination of shared interests and shared availability. Our goal is to get this program up and running in Marquette County as quickly as possible with a sizable group of volunteers ready to work with groups of up to 4 young people.

As a mentor, you will be provided:

• Training as a 4-H volunteer
• Support from a full-time AmeriCorps volunteer dedicated to this program
• Access to 4-H programming resources
• A volunteer opportunity designed to make a measurable difference in the lives of its participants

For more information, please email Desi Mims, 4-H STEAM Corps, Tech Wizards Coordinator for MSU Extension, 184 US Hwy 41 E, Negaunee, at mimsanth@msu.edu or call 906-475-5731.

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of the Central Upper Peninsula will need volunteer mentors (Bigs) for the 2024-2025 Site/School-Based Facilitated Program. In this program, Bigs & Littles (Matches) meet at a designated location – like a school, community center, or other site. A BBBS staff member is present at all meetings and observing match interactions. BBBS staff plan activities for matches each week. Bigs will often eat lunch with their Little or hang out in the school’s library, gym, or other chosen location. These programs typically occur weekly for about 30-60 minutes on the same day each week (e.g., every Tuesday from 3-4 pm). The schedule follows the academic school calendars. Link for orientation and application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdl4qPxt792erdCJxYct52Fu8xIIrljn9TvLj-ctO0XpvxmtA/viewform. If you have any questions or want more information, please contact Carli at (906) 251-8047 or carli@bbbsmqt.org. 

Camp STAR is looking for volunteers, especially male volunteer buddies! This is a 3-night bereavement camp for kids and teens, aged 8-17, that have experienced the death of a significant person in their life. This camp will be held at the beginning of August with lodging and food provided at Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay, Michigan! On the Thursday prior to the camp, there is a full day of training for volunteers. Kids and teens arrive on the Friday.

Buddies are paired with a child or teen camper for continuous support and guidance throughout the weekend. Buddies and campers are part of a small group of other buddies and campers led by a leader and co-leader. All volunteers are trained and supported by trained professionals and volunteers throughout the weekend.

Volunteer positions available: Camp Buddy, Group Leader, Co-Leader, Activities Assistant, Camp Nurses, and a Photographer. Visit STAR Children's Bereavement Services – No child grieving alone (www.starcbs.org) for more information. Volunteer information and application (www.starcbs.org) Get Involved – STAR Children's Bereavement Services (https://starcbs.org/).

Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes offers year-round opportunities to make a difference in lives of girls and young women through Girl Scouting. You will develop leadership and organizational skills while you enrich the lives of girls from kindergarten through 12th grade. We depend on local volunteers and offer positions in troop leadership, camp staff, and interest group leadership. Most troop activities begin during the fall semester, but troop assistants are requested year round. Let us help you find a connection that fits your schedule. Training may be required for your position. Girl scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. For more information, check out our website or email Liz Doney at ldoney@gsnwgl.org.

North Star Academy has volunteer opportunities for volunteering in classrooms from preschool to 12th grade. Students will be exposed to Montessori approaches and project-based learning classrooms. We also have volunteer opportunities for event planning and set up, nursing students, social work students, psychology students and more! For more information, please contact Andrea Ballard at 906-226-0156 ext. 12 or by e-mail at aballard@nsacd.com. 

The Salvation Army of Marquette County is looking for college students who are passionate about making a difference in their community. We are seeking dedicated individuals to assist with leading activities and to provide mentorship for students in need of support. Both programs are located in Ishpeming and are present fantastic opportunities for you to gain valuable experience, develop leadership skills, and make a positive impact on young lives. For more information, contact Eli Engebretson, Youth Program Specialist, The Salvation Army of Marquette County, 222 E Division St., Ishpeming at Eli.Engebretson@usc.salvationarmy.org or (712)-541-1928.

Keeping our Great Lakes beaches clean starts with you! Adopt-a-Beach cleanups are a fun, free, easy way to give back to your community and keep plastic pollution out of our Great Lakes. It’s easy to jump right into the Adopt-a-Beach community. Join a cleanup today! 

Alliance for the Great Lakes is a nonpartisan nonprofit working across the Great Lakes region to protect our most precious resource: the fresh, clean, and natural waters of the Great Lakes. We are active in advocacy, volunteering, education, and research. Each year, through the Adopt-a-Beach program, thousands of volunteers work to keep the Great Lakes shorelines healthy by removing litter from our beaches and collecting important data. 

Join the Adopt-a-Beach movement today! You can take part in two ways: 1. Find an Adopt-a-Beach cleanup near you and sign up. A Team Leader will meet you at the beach with all the supplies! 2. You can also become a Team Leader and host your own cleanup with friends, family, or community members. This is a great opportunity to keep your community beautiful and engage those around you. We have lots of resources to help you organize a successful cleanup! 

For more information, contact cramirez@greatlakes.org. We hope to see you on the beach!

MooseWood Nature Center is a non-profit nature center located at Presque Isle Park in Marquette and provides opportunities hosting the center during open hours, helping care and feed its live animals, and providing environmental education and natural history programming. For more information, call 906-228-6250 or email moosewoodnc@gmail.com.

NMU Conservation Crew volunteers with various local, environmental organizations 1-3 times every week. Even if you are not interested in being involved with Crew, we are a good resource for nature-related volunteering opportunities that involve working outside. For more information, contact nmuconservationcrew@gmail.com.

The Noquemanon Trail Network (NTN) is always looking for volunteers to help with trail maintenance: including trail building, trail repair, volunteer for events at aid stations, start/finish lines, and more. For more information, check out www.noquetrails.org, getoutside@noquetrails.org, or call Jeni at 906-235-6861.

Did you know that the North Country National Scenic Trail extends over 4800 miles from South Dakota to Vermont? And we are lucky to have an incredible section right at our doorsteps. The Marquette Area Chapter of the North Country Trail is responsible for over 110 miles of trail spanning Alger, Marquette & Baraga Counties. We are always looking for help with trail maintenance and trail building for upcoming reroutes. We love to encourage students to explore the trail by joining us on hikes or at special events. We have been fortunate to have some excellent student representation on our board, and look forward to continuing that relationship. If you would like to volunteer, email mac@northcountrytrail.org or check out our website https://northcountrytrail.org/trail/michigan/mac/.

Partridge Creek Farm, 112 S. Main Street, Ishpeming

Farm and Garden Internship: Plant and maintain 5 PCF garden sites and the Intergenerational Farm site. Activities include but not limited to transplant production, planting, watering, weeding, soil amending. Participate in the harvesting, washing, packing, and delivery of produce through CSAs (Community-Supported Agriculture) distribution, wholesale accounts, and community donations. Ensure all food safety, planting and harvesting records are created and maintained. Media & Marketing Internship: Will spend the growing season creating a bank of edited and organized content that can be utilized by the PCF staff throughout the off-season. This person will be responsible for taking pictures and videos throughout the growing season and will work closely with our Communications and Marketing Vista to create fun and informative tik toks, reels, and social media content for our audience. 
Education Internship: Works with the Education Coordinator and Director of Programs and Partnerships to carry out weekly Farm to School lessons in the Spring (garden), Summer (summer camp), and Fall (garden/indoor learning). This position will also help with modifying the curriculum for the Farm to School program and will help with community programs. The goal of this position is to strengthen the connection between the youth and community in Ishpeming and PCF and provide access to food education through hands-on learning. 
Weekly Volunteer Days: Weekly Volunteer Days will take place again during the 2025 (June-Nov.) growing season. These occur on a weekly basis at a set time (TBD 2025). Volunteers are welcome to join as few or as many volunteer days as possible to help with various farm and garden activities! 2024 volunteers helped weed the sites,  planted native plants and produce, and helped remove invasive species from native wildflower areas at the Farm and Gardens. More info can be found at PartridgeCreekFarm.org/volunteer. 

The UP Luge, 230 E County Road in Negaunee, is always in need of volunteers to help shovel snow from the track prior to public trial sliding which is Friday evenings and Saturday from 11 am - 3 pm. We welcome spotters along the luge track during team practice and races. Any volunteers are always welcome! For more information, check out Upluge.org or contact Laura at Uplugeclub@upluge.org or 906-362-5234.

Yellow Dog Water Preserve (YDWP) offers three volunteer programs: stream monitoring in the Yellow Dog and Salmon Trout watersheds, land monitoring on YDWP properties, and lake monitoring on Lake Independence in Big Bay. Volunteers are needed primarily from May-June and September-October. A love of the outdoors is helpful. By participating in YDWP programs, you will acquaint yourself with new and often remote corners of Marquette County, meet like-minded people, and gain experience in field ecology. For more information, contact Brian Noell at 906-345-9223 or ydwp@yellowdogwatershed.org. Additional information can be found at www.yellowdogwatershed.org.

The Alzheimer's Association is looking for Alzheimer's Association Community Educators (AACEs) who are volunteer public speakers who help raise awareness, provide education and expand the research of Alzheimer's Association programs in the community. AACEs deliver Alzheimer's Association Core Curriculum using prepared training materials on topics related to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as well as information for individuals and families impacted by the disease.

KEY ACTIVITIES:

• Communicate effectively and deliver Core Curriculum (Common Programs) presentations and information to the community
• Adhere to Alzheimer's Association’s established curricula and position statements
• Work with Alzheimer’s Association staff partners to identify and coordinate education programs that reach target audiences; coordination includes securing program partner, scheduling, preparing presentations, and managing needed materials.
• Serve as presenter for chapter-scheduled education programs and conferences
• Connect members of the community with additional Association services by proactively making referrals to Alzheimer's Association programs & free 24/7 Helpline
• Complete necessary paperwork for reporting

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Proactive and passionate about the mission of Alzheimer’s Association
• Demonstrated success with public speaking, excellent presentation and education skills
• Understanding of adult learning principles
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Comfort with computers and familiarity with email and Powerpoint presentations
• Ability to network, and collaborate with staff, volunteers, and community partners
• Experience with dementia as a family member or health care professional preferred

COMMITMENT EXPECTED:

• AACE volunteers commit to a 1-year term delivering a minimum of 12 presentations
• Terms are renewable upon successful completion of annual goal-setting conversation with your staff partner
• Orientation includes: online program volunteer welcome and orientation (1 hour) + self-study or in-person role training with staff partner (~2 hours)
• AACE volunteers must observe 1 community presentation led by a staff or mentor + present 1 Common Program while being observed /evaluated by a staff or mentor prior to deployment in the community
• Background checks are required as part of the volunteer selection process
• Comply with Alzheimer’s Association volunteer policies and procedures
• Participate in initial training and ongoing education about Alzheimer’s, dementia and the Alzheimer's Association

BENEFITS TO THE VOLUNTEER:

• Perfect your public speaking ability and technique
• Serve your local community and people you care about
• Increase your knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
• Be recognized in your community as a leader and resource for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Build your resume and skill set
• Perfect your community engagement technique and help mobilize your community to create a world without Alzheimer’s
• Join a network of other volunteers, Alzheimer's Association staff and professionals and caregivers in the aging field
  
  For more information or to volunteer, please contact Jack Vander Lugt at jrvanderlugt@alz.org or 906-373-3107.

Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly, 131 W. Washington St., Ste. C, Marquette, is a non-profit organization in Marquette whose mission is to help relieve social isolation and loneliness among the elders in our community. We do this through two programs. The first being our Friendly Visiting program, where we pair a volunteer and an elder up to help them build a friendship. If you are interested, please e-mail danielle.berg@littlebrothers.org. 

The second is through our Holiday Meals. At our Holiday meals, we serve over 200 in our community. Some of them attend and some of them have their meals delivered to their homes. The importance of these meals is to not only provide them with food but with fellowship on a holiday. To carry out these meals we rely on volunteers. Last year we were lucky enough to have a hall volunteer and couple of other Northern students for our Easter meal. Our guests absolutely loved having them there. The connection with the youth of our community is so vital to them. Many of them attended Northern or had children or family that attended or worked at Northern. They love to see NMU students, because you are just starting to live your dreams, that alone is such an exciting memory and thought to them. 

To be able to serve this meal to our community it requires that we have the service of approximately 60 volunteers. I would love for half of those volunteers to come from Northern. It would make for a great story along with help promote and recognize Northern students and everything you give to our community. I will also have letters of service which I will be more than happy to sign for all volunteers to help them towards earning scholarships, recognition, or help along the job hunt. I will also be more than happy to write a personal letter of service/reference to any volunteers who help serve. So, if you are interested in joining Little Brothers, let us know. Whether it is a group or individual you will be greatly appreciated. We have several different volunteer opportunities available. If you would like to volunteer, contact Danielle Berg at danielle.berg@littlebrothers.org.

Marquette County Medical Care Facility, 200 Saginaw Street in Ishpeming, is looking for volunteers to work one-on-one with the geriatric population. Interested applicants are subject to a background check, a two-step TB test along with an interview and reference check prior to placement. This is a great way to share any special skills you have with the elderly. If you are interested, please contact Nick Kangas at 906-204-1021. 

Michigan Veteran Homes D.J. Jacobetti (MVHDJJ), 425 Fisher St., is a long-term care facility in Marquette and home to 100+ veterans. Use your skills and interests to find (or create) a volunteer opportunity that benefits our local veterans and is rewarding for you. Like playing cribbage? Want to help with bingo? Love cooking? Crafting? Play an instrument? Enjoy sports? Care to sit and visit? There is truly something for everyone.

Volunteering in a health care setting like MVHDJJ provides opportunities and challenges not found in other environments. In this setting, volunteers must be flexible to change, adaptable, compassionate, and respectful with a high level of integrity and a commitment to safety. We guarantee you will be well-supported – and that you will find volunteering with our veteran members rewarding. Serving the veterans who call MVHDJJ home is simply the best!

To inquire about volunteer opportunities, please contact Sarah Johnson at 906-226-3576 x2520396 or by e-mail at johnsons93@michigan.gov or check us out at https://www.facebook.com/MiVeteranHomesDJJ/. Interested applicants must be fully vaccinated and are subject to a background check, a two-step TB test along with a thorough orientation prior to placement. 

Additionally, one-time volunteer opportunities are available for your group, club, or organization (e.g., game night, bingo, karaoke, cooking, crafting, Vegas Days, Carnival, etc.). We would love to work with you. Please reach out and let’s make some fun for our nation’s heroes!

Bothwell Middle School is looking for students to help tutor middle school students in a variety of subjects. If interested, please call 906-225-4262. Your contact information will be forwarded to parents that are searching for tutors.

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of the Central Upper Peninsula will need volunteer mentors (Bigs) for the 2024-2025 Site/School-Based Facilitated Program. In this program, Bigs & Littles (Matches) meet at a designated location – like a school, community center, or other site. A BBBS staff member is present at all meetings and observing match interactions. BBBS staff plan activities for matches each week. Bigs will often eat lunch with their Little or hang out in the school’s library, gym, or other chosen location. These programs typically occur weekly for about 30-60 minutes on the same day each week (e.g., every Tuesday from 3-4 pm). The schedule follows the academic school calendars. Link for orientation and application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdl4qPxt792erdCJxYct52Fu8xIIrljn9TvLj-ctO0XpvxmtA/viewform. If you have any questions or want more information, please contact Carli at (906) 251-8047 or carli@bbbsmqt.org. 

Camp STAR is looking for volunteers, especially male volunteer buddies! This is a 3-night bereavement camp for kids and teens, aged 8-17, that have experienced the death of a significant person in their life. This camp will be held at the beginning of August with lodging and food provided at Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay, Michigan! On the Thursday prior to the camp, there is a full day of training for volunteers. Kids and teens arrive on the Friday.

Buddies are paired with a child or teen camper for continuous support and guidance throughout the weekend. Buddies and campers are part of a small group of other buddies and campers led by a leader and co-leader. All volunteers are trained and supported by trained professionals and volunteers throughout the weekend.

Volunteer positions available: Camp Buddy, Group Leader, Co-Leader, Activities Assistant, Camp Nurses, and a Photographer. Visit STAR Children's Bereavement Services – No child grieving alone (www.starcbs.org) for more information. Volunteer information and application (www.starcbs.org) Get Involved – STAR Children's Bereavement Services (https://starcbs.org/).

Child and Family Services of the U.P. - Before & After School Program is looking for volunteers to support program activities for school-aged children, ages 5-12, both before and after school. Volunteers would have an opportunity to plan daily activities both indoor and out. For more information, contact Margaret Rogers at 906-228-4050 or by e-mail at mrogers@cfsup.org.

Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes offers year-round opportunities to make a difference in lives of girls and young women through Girl Scouting. You will develop leadership and organizational skills while you enrich the lives of girls from kindergarten through 12th grade. We depend on local volunteers and offer positions in troop leadership, camp staff, and interest group leadership. Most troop activities begin during the fall semester, but troop assistants are requested year round. Let us help you find a connection that fits your schedule. Training may be required for your position. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. For more information, contact Lori Doney at ldoney@gsnwgl.org, check out gsnwgl.org, or call 906-361-3320.

The Lake Superior Village Youth and Family Center is looking for volunteers, interns, and tutors for our After-School Program running 3-6 p.m. on the weekdays. The age group is 5-15 years ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade. We are looking for passionate volunteers to contribute their time and talents to creating lasting and meaningful moments of guidance and mentoring with the youth at our center. Volunteers are the heart, soul and backbone of a strong community. If you are willing to inspire and share your skills with our youth, please contact Lake Superior Village Youth and Family Center, 1901 Longyear Ave., Marquette, at 906-225-1900 ext. 112 or 906-458-7550 (cell). The After-School Program is from 4-6 p.m. and Tutoring is from 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Marquette Area Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) needs volunteers to help with childcare during their meetings, the first Thursday of the month from September - May from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Meetings are held at Messiah Lutheran Church, 305 W. Magnetic St., Marquette. Children range in age from newborn through kindergarten. Any interested candidates over the age of 18 would be subject to a background check prior to their first volunteer date. If you're interested, please email Renee Jewett at rkivioja@nmu.edu to request a MOPS disclosure form or let us know if you are a returning volunteer. If new, you'll receive a Google "Disclosure/Release/Authorization" form to complete electronically. Once your information is received, a background check will be completed, and you'll be contacted. For more information, you may also message our Marquette Area MOPS Facebook page.

Marquette Area Public Schools/Superior Hills is looking for volunteers to assist with lunch supervision for elementary students ages junior kindergarten to 5th grade Monday - Friday from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. (grade levels are separate for 20 minutes at a time). The duties entail classroom support for stations and reading with kids (varies with instructor's schedule). If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Stephanie Anderson at standerson@mapsnet.org or 906-225-4295.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is looking for volunteers to assist with supervising parenting time visits with youth who are in foster care. The visits are with the foster youth and their parents/families. These visits must be supervised via court orders. The volunteer must be willing to transport and attend the visits, a State of Michigan vehicle will be provided. The visits are often conducted between 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. and are approximately 1-2 hours in length. This is a great opportunity to learn more about children services; the volunteer will be working alongside foster care workers and supervisors of MDHHS. A background check is required for this position. Please contact Jim Gray at 906-458-2714 or grayj13@michigan.gov.

MooseWood is a non-profit nature center located at Presque Isle Park in Marquette and is looking for volunteers to host the center and welcome visitors, care for live animals during the week, help with visiting school groups and fundraisers like the Haunted Bog Walk in October. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Scot or Tiffany at 906-228-6250 or moosewoodnc@gmail.com.

Music for All Kids (MFAK) is a Marquette based non-profit designed to offer music to any interested child in Marquette county. We are looking for someone to take over our social media, mostly our Facebook page, etc. We are working on a new trifold handout as well. Our board meets once a month for about an hour. MFAK has become a game changer for many kids, and we really need to promote our cause. It would be approximately two or three hours a month.

MFAK provides instruments and instruction in a fun supportive environment for 4 and 5-year olds up to age 18. Students learn fundamentals, may join an ensemble and advanced students can later learn engineering and recording their own work. We are largely supported by grants. We have programs at Great Lakes Recovery and the Alternative High School. We have also worked at Lake Superior Village.

If this sounds like something you would like to try, please contact Mary at 906-360-8412 or mkstb4@gmail.com.

The Salvation Army of Marquette County is looking for college students who are passionate about making a difference in their community. We are seeking dedicated individuals to assist with leading activities and to provide mentorship for students in need of support. Both programs are located in Ishpeming and are present fantastic opportunities for you to gain valuable experience, develop leadership skills, and make a positive impact on young lives. For more information, contact Eli Engebretson, Youth Program Specialist, The Salvation Army of Marquette County, 222 E Division St., Ishpeming at Eli.Engebretson@usc.salvationarmy.org or (712)-541-1928.

Special Olympics volunteer opportunities can range from showing NMU support at events/practices to becoming a 1-day Class C volunteer or becoming a certified Class A volunteer. There are also opportunities to become a coach or assistant coach in most sports offered. Opportunities working with Area 36 Special Olympics is of no cost to volunteers/coaches. Contact area36@somi.org for more information or sign up at https://www.somi.org/volunteer to list your interest areas. 

The YMCA of Marquette County, 1420 Pine Street, has many volunteer opportunities:  health and wellness, youth, childcare, sports, and aquatics. For more information, check out www.ymcamqt.org or Jenna at jzdunek@ymcamqt.org or 906-227-9622.

Check this link out for more opportunities.

Keeping our Great Lakes beaches clean starts with you! Adopt-a-Beach cleanups are a fun, free, easy way to give back to your community and keep plastic pollution out of our Great Lakes. It’s easy to jump right into the Adopt-a-Beach community. Join a cleanup today! 

Alliance for the Great Lakes is a nonpartisan nonprofit working across the Great Lakes region to protect our most precious resource: the fresh, clean, and natural waters of the Great Lakes. We are active in advocacy, volunteering, education, and research. Each year, through the Adopt-a-Beach program, thousands of volunteers work to keep the Great Lakes shorelines healthy by removing litter from our beaches and collecting important data. 

Join the Adopt-a-Beach movement today! You can take part in two ways: 1. Find an Adopt-a-Beach cleanup near you and sign up. A Team Leader will meet you at the beach with all the supplies! 2. You can also become a Team Leader and host your own cleanup with friends, family, or community members. This is a great opportunity to keep your community beautiful and engage those around you. We have lots of resources to help you organize a successful cleanup! 

For more information, contact cramirez@greatlakes.org. We hope to see you on the beach!

Break Away, a justice-based educational nonprofit, has an internship opportunity for any students interested in civic/community engagement, social justice education, nonprofit and university partnerships, or conference facilitation. In our programs, we aim to inspire and activate thoughtful community engagement across the country through justice-based trainings. Being student affairs people ourselves, we understand the importance of the summer internship. Our summer internship cycle typically opens up in January, and interns usually work late May through early August. Details and applications for this internship can be found on our website. For additional questions, contact hello@break-away.org.

Camp STAR is looking for volunteers, especially male volunteer buddies! This is a 3-night bereavement camp for kids and teens, aged 8-17, that have experienced the death of a significant person in their life. This camp will be held at the beginning of August with lodging and food provided at Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay, Michigan! On the Thursday prior to the camp, there is a full day of training for volunteers. Kids and teens arrive on the Friday.

Buddies are paired with a child or teen camper for continuous support and guidance throughout the weekend. Buddies and campers are part of a small group of other buddies and campers led by a leader and co-leader. All volunteers are trained and supported by trained professionals and volunteers throughout the weekend.

Volunteer positions available: Camp Buddy, Group Leader, Co-Leader, Activities Assistant, Camp Nurses, and a Photographer. Visit STAR Children's Bereavement Services – No child grieving alone (www.starcbs.org) for more information. Volunteer information and application (www.starcbs.org) Get Involved – STAR Children's Bereavement Services (https://starcbs.org/).

Cancer Care of Marquette County is looking for volunteers to help with internet sales of donated paintings and/or public relations of the organization. In this opportunity, volunteers would promote fundraising activities by utilizing free media sites and placing posters in local businesses. Opportunities for public appearances are possible if the volunteer is interested. For more information, please contact Dave Poirier at 906-273-0045 or poirph@msn.com or visit the Cancer Care of Marquette County Facebook page.

The Marquette Care Clinic, 1213 N. Front St., is looking for young Christian volunteers (office support, cleaning, yard work, and/or special events) who want to be a part of our mission of supporting women with unplanned pregnancies! For more information, check out https://www.careclinicmqt.org or email ggostomski@careclinicmqt.org.

As Michigan takes center stage on the political landscape for the upcoming elections, students in Michigan have an opportunity to make their voices heard and take leadership on their campuses. For Michigan provides a platform for students to be civic leaders in their community through voter registration, education, and turnout by building a scrappy and innovative operation to protect and expand democracy. Help create the future you want to see by getting involved with For Michigan! Volunteers receive training and education from campus organizers to learn about community organizing and connect with nonprofit and campaign professionals. 

Volunteer Responsibilities:

• Talk to students: Engage with students through door-knocking, high-traffic canvassing, relational outreach, and more.
• Build relationships: Collaborate with a coalition of administrators, student leaders, and student organizations on campus.
• Use social media: Engage with students and organize on campus through social media platforms.
• Work Tabling Shifts/Events: Man the For Michigan table at big events and during daily canvassing and providing students with information about voting and encouraging them to make a pledge to vote.

To apply, fill out a short form here.

Please contact our campus organizer, Amelia Henderson, at 703-870-8093 or amelia@4mich.org with any questions or visit our website (www.4mich.org) for additional information.

Goodwill Industries of Northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan is looking for volunteers to process donations, assist with office administration, help on the sales floor, aid in maintenance of the grounds, and other various jobs. Please contact Deb LaMere at 906-273-1830 or dlamere@gwnwup.org. for more information.

The Great Lakes Recovery Foundation is responsible for all fundraising, outreach and marketing of Great Lakes Recovery Centers. Volunteers are needed for various events throughout the year as well as with our annual report, mailings, office help, and/or monthly photography program at the Adolescent Services Center. For more information, please contact marketing@greatlakesrecovery.org.

Lake Superior Life Care & Hospice is looking for volunteers to be friendly visitors for hospice patients and support various office tasks such as fundraising, mailings, patient legacy, and more. Please contact Susie Duquette at 906-225-7760 or sduquette@lakesuperiorhospice.org for more information.

The League of Women Voters is nonpartisan, and our mission is to educate voters about candidates and the issues on all side of political debates. In addition we do voter registration work. Become a member (dues may be waived or subsidized for students) and help register students (high school and college) and participate in lots of fun community events. For more information, contact lwvmqtco@gmail.com, call 906-228-8650, or check out https://lwvmqt.org.

Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly, 131 W. Washington St., Ste. C, Marquette, is a non-profit organization in Marquette whose mission is to help relieve social isolation and loneliness among the elders in our community. We do this through two programs. The first being our Friendly Visiting program, where we pair a volunteer and an elder up to help them build a friendship. If you are interested, please e-mail danielle.berg@littlebrothers.org. 

The second is through our Holiday Meals. At our Holiday meals, we serve over 200 in our community. Some of them attend and some of them have their meals delivered to their homes. The importance of these meals is to not only provide them with food but with fellowship on a holiday. To carry out these meals we rely on volunteers. Last year we were lucky enough to have a hall volunteer and couple of other Northern students for our Easter meal. Our guests absolutely loved having them there. The connection with the youth of our community is so vital to them. Many of them attended Northern or had children or family that attended or worked at Northern. They love to see NMU students, because you are just starting to live your dreams, that alone is such an exciting memory and thought to them. 

To be able to serve this meal to our community it requires that we have the service of approximately 60 volunteers. I would love for half of those volunteers to come from Northern. It would make for a great story along with help promote and recognize Northern students and everything you give to our community. I will also have letters of service which I will be more than happy to sign for all volunteers to help them towards earning scholarships, recognition, or help along the job hunt. I will also be more than happy to write a personal letter of service/reference to any volunteers who help serve. So, if you are interested in joining Little Brothers, let us know. Whether it is a group or individual you will be greatly appreciated. We have several different volunteer opportunities available. If you would like to volunteer, contact Danielle Berg at danielle.berg@littlebrothers.org.

Lutheran Social Services/Voices for Youth is looking for volunteers to assist with several different tasks, such as: coordinating Homeless Awareness Month events, booths, brochures and packets; assisting with the food pantry; and visiting with others by assisting in games, computer/phone trouble and leading craft activities. Please call 906-225-5437 to volunteer.

The Marquette Area Mom Community (MomCo) is seeking volunteers to assist with childcare during their monthly meetings held on the first Thursday of the month, from September to May, from 5:15-7:15 p.m. at Messiah Lutheran Church, 305 W. Magnetic St., (conveniently located within walking distance from NMU). Volunteers will supervise children ranging in age from infant through lower elementary in a designated play space. During this time, mothers will meet upstairs while volunteers oversee the children downstairs. Volunteers must be over 18 years old and will be required to undergo a background check before their first volunteer date. Interested individuals are encouraged to email Renee Jewett, coordinator of the MomCo, at rkivioja@nmu.edu to request a disclosure form or to inform about their status as a returning volunteer. Volunteers are not obligated to commit to every monthly meeting. 

Marquette County Habitat for Humanity (MCHFH) is looking for one-day or on-going volunteers to work on home builds or repairs, admin or office work (data entry, cold calls, mailings, projects or events) or at the ReStore to help build strength and stability in our communities. Students have the opportunity to build their resumes and help their communities to become more financially independent. Please contact Cindy at 906-228-3578 or cindy@mqthabitat.org to get set up with a volunteer opportunity that fits you – no experience necessary just your willing presence!

The Marquette County Health Department (MCHD) Emergency Preparedness program, 184 US Hwy 41 East, Negaunee, is looking for volunteers to call upon in the event of an emergency. To volunteer, contact hharriman@mqtco.org. For more information, check out mqtheatlh.org.

The Marquette Regional History Center is a full-scale history museum and research library featuring the central Upper Peninsula region. We offer galleries and programming year round for the community. Our volunteers help us work towards our mission of preserving history and sharing it; opportunities for volunteers include helping lead school visitors through museum field trips, historical character reenactment, program activities, gift shop front desk attendants, library research, and artifact and exhibit work. For more information or to volunteer, check out our www.marquettehistory or email mrhc@marquettehistory.org.

The Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC), the state’s lead agency on volunteerism and service, can offer students meaningful service opportunities, internships, or career development in the nonprofit sector.

AmeriCorps

If you have not heard of AmeriCorps, many people refer to it as the domestic version of Peace Corps. AmeriCorps seeks to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. 

We offer opportunities with different time commitments and requirements, so that individuals can serve in whatever capacity works for their goals and lifestyle. AmeriCorps operates within six key areas: Education, disaster response, economic opportunity, veterans and military families, environmental stewardship, and healthy futures. Individuals who serve with AmeriCorps build new skillsets that they can take with them wherever they go, while older Americans can apply their hard-earned knowledge to make an impact in a new environment. AmeriCorps provides several benefits for its volunteers and members such as education awards, supplemental health insurance, loan deferment, and childcare. Benefits vary by program.

Your institution can be a conduit to these opportunities, is able to host members to serve a need at your college, or your institution can start its own program.

Volunteering

There are volunteer opportunities that meet the essential criteria in helping with the COVID-19 pandemic locally, however, MCSC is connecting volunteers to needs by working with state level networks and associations. We can help you and your students develop new skills and support your community.

Career Pathways

The MCSC is developing opportunities to help individuals develop skills through service to aid them in finding long-term employment.  Students participating in service will be offered professional development training and finding a career pathway that’s best for them.

If you may benefit from any of these experiences, please contact Eilis Gambill at gambille@michigan.gov or (734) 255-0577 to set up a meeting. 

MSU Extension health and nutrition educator can use volunteer efforts to help with updating nutrition and fitness education activities and materials, assist with cooking demonstrations and activities in classes of youth and/or adults, occasional health fairs. For more information, please contact Lynn Krahn at 906-475-5731 or by e-mail at krahn@anr.msu.edu.

MooseWood Nature Center is a non-profit nature center located at Presque Isle Park in Marquette and is looking for volunteers to host the center and welcome visitors, care for live animals during the week, help with visiting school groups and fundraisers like the Haunted Bog Walk in October. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Scot or Tiffany at 906-228-6250 or moosewoodnc@gmail.com.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Victim Services with our local volunteers learn about Victim Advocacy/services. It is a career path for both social work and other human service degrees. Volunteers can get court experience, experience working outreach booths, or experience assisting with grief/injury support groups. For more information, please call 906-474-9346 and check out www.madd.org/mi. 

Partridge Creek Farm, 112 S. Main St., Ishpeming, Michigan

Farm and Garden Internship: Plant and maintain 5 PCF garden sites and the Intergenerational Farm site. Activities include but not limited to transplant production, planting, watering, weeding, soil amending. Participate in the harvesting, washing, packing, and delivery of produce through CSAs (Community-Supported Agriculture) distribution, wholesale accounts, and community donations. Ensure all food safety, planting and harvesting records are created and maintained. 

Media & Marketing Internship: Will spend the growing season creating a bank of edited and organized content that can be utilized by the PCF staff throughout the off-season. This person will be responsible for taking pictures and videos throughout the growing season and will work closely with our Communications and Marketing Vista to create fun and informative tik toks, reels, and social media content for our audience. 

Education Internship: Works with the Education Coordinator and Director of Programs and Partnerships to carry out weekly Farm to School lessons in the Spring (garden), Summer (summer camp), and Fall (garden/indoor learning). This position will also help with modifying the curriculum for the Farm to School program and will help with community programs. The goal of this position is to strengthen the connection between the youth and community in Ishpeming and PCF and provide access to food education through hands-on learning. 

Weekly Volunteer Days: Weekly Volunteer Days will take place again during the 2025 (June-Nov.) growing season. These occur on a weekly basis at a set time (TBD for 2025). Volunteers are welcome to join as few or as many volunteer days as possible to help with various farm and garden activities! 2024 volunteers helped weed the sites, planted native plants and produce, and helped remove invasive species from native wildflower areas at the Farm and Gardens. 

More info can be found at PartridgeCreekFarm.org/volunteer.

Propylon Nonprofit Housing Corporation has three types of volunteer activities available. Activity leaders are those that lead activities for residents such as exercise, art, gardening, and more. Caregivers help residents with personal and apartment care or errands. Companions spend quality time with residents such as going out for coffee. Please contact Odessa Adams for more information at 906-869-0928, 906-228-4446, or odessa.adams@lsswis.org.

Room at the Inn, 447 W. Washington St., is a certified 501 C (3) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission has been to provide short-term shelter and services (i.e., food, career development assistance, and accessibility to resources) for any individuals unhoused. It is because of the help of community volunteers and support that we've been able to sustain services for more than 14 years. During our time, we have served 1,200+ unique individuals, served 350,000+ meals, and utilized 230,000+ volunteer hours. Volunteers and donors, such as yourself, contribute to the sustainability of our operations by serving meals for our guests, engaging in conversation, and ensuring that individuals experiencing homelessness don't have to experience it alone.

How to sign up: Room at the Inn coordinates volunteers through United Way's "Yoopers United" online portal https://uwmqt.galaxydigital.com/agency/detail/?agency_id=11525.

• If it is your first time using Yoopers United, you will need to create a sign in, which only takes just a minute.
• Under the date that you would like to volunteer, you can choose to either “Respond Individually” if you are looking to assist as an individual, or “Respond as Team” if you and 1+ other person(s) are looking to help

Your time, compassion, and service provided is what helps to Room at the Inn open to serve any unhoused person(s) in Marquette. Thank you so much for your contributions!

The Salvation Army of Marquette County is looking for college students who are passionate about making a difference in their community. We are seeking dedicated individuals to assist with leading activities and to provide mentorship for students in need of support. Both programs are located in Ishpeming and are present fantastic opportunities for you to gain valuable experience, develop leadership skills, and make a positive impact on young lives. For more information, contact Eli Engebretson, Youth Program Specialist, The Salvation Army of Marquette County, 222 E Division St., Ishpeming at Eli.Engebretson@usc.salvationarmy.org or (712)-541-1928.

S.H.I.N.E. (School Helpers Investing in Negaunee Education) is a district-wide volunteer program, which helps the need of our schools, staff, and administration through volunteer efforts. Popcorn helpers are needed every Friday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Publishing center editors and typists are needed every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., along with help needed weekly binding books, laminating, and copying. To see a complete list of one-time and on-going needs, please contact Diane Faust at diane.faust@negauneeschools.org

Special Olympics has volunteer opportunities can range from attending an event to show support to the athletes to being a part of an event in helping in multiple areas as well as becoming a coach and having opportunities to travel to other areas and State Games. For more information, please visit the Michigan Special Olympic website at www.somi.org/area36. 

St. Vincent de Paul in Marquette, 2119 Presque Isle, provides critical services for "Neighbors in Need." Volunteers in the Financial Aid Office determine financial qualifications and in the past fiscal year interviewed 768 Friends-in-need and responded to 771 telephone inquiries. As a result, $40,479 in general financial assistance (e.g., water, electricity, heat, etc.) was distributed and an additional $34, 143 for rent (eviction prevention) was distributed. 

During the same fiscal year: 

• 723 pieces of medical equipment free of charge was shared with 635 people
• 275 people were provided vouchers to shop in the Thrift Store for free clothing or furniture valued at $5,276
• 2,957 families and 6,550 individuals received food and other supplies from the St. Vincent de Paul Pantries 
• 322 families received Christmas food baskets
• 326 children received toys and clothing that made Christmas special for them

We have 200+ volunteers and can always use more! Volunteer opportunities include: 

• working in the Financial Aid Office 
• working in the Thrift Store (sorting, pricing, and placing donated items in the store, assisting customers, etc.) 
• working in the Pantry (unloading and storing foodstuffs, preparing and distributing food baskets, etc.) 
• working with the Christmas Program (assisting with set-up and tear-down, loading/ unloading toys, assisting shoppers, preparing and distributing Christmas baskets, etc.) 
• assisting with promotion (website updating, arranging for medial coverage, assisting with publications, etc. 

Volunteers can work a few hours a week, a few or several hours a month or more if desirable. Very flexible schedules can be provided. Join us and NMU students who are already joining us as a "Neighbor Helping Neighbors!" To volunteer, email svdp@svdpup.org. For more information, check out svdpmqtdistrict.org.

Teaching Family Homes is currently looking for volunteers to help with their community event Hallopalooza. Volunteers are needed for help with face painting, our "spooky trick-or-treat trail," parking, and other tasks. Volunteers are also needed in their homes to do various activities with the children and help out during recreational times. Contact Deidre Robbert at 906-249-5437 ext. 121 or drobbert@tfhomes.org for more information.

The U.P. Luge, 230 E County Road in Negaunee, is always in need of volunteers to help shovel snow from the track prior to public trial sliding which is Friday evenings and Saturday from 11 am - 3 pm. We welcome spotters along the luge track during team practice and races. Any volunteers are always welcome! For more information, check out Upluge.org or contact Laura at Uplugeclub@upluge.org or 906-362-5234.

Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association is looking for volunteers to assist with two sled dog events: the UP 200 Dryland Dash and the UP 200 Midnight Run/Jack Pine 30 (held February 13-17, 2025). There are numerous volunteer positions available both indoors and outdoors. Possible opportunities include start/finish setup and takedown; team leaders for road crossings; crowd control; vet check; times and recorders; merchandise and silent auction; communications and public relations; web content and updates about trail development and safety. Additional information can be found at www.up200.org. To volunteer, check out https://www.yoopersunited.com/up-200. Please contact Darlene Walch at 906-362-3989 or dwalch@nmu.edu if you have questions.

Yellow Dog Water Preserve (YDWP) offers three volunteer programs: stream monitoring in the Yellow Dog and Salmon Trout watersheds, land monitoring on YDWP properties, and lake monitoring on Lake Independence in Big Bay. Volunteers are needed primarily from May-June and September-October. A love of the outdoors is helpful. By participating in YDWP programs, you will acquaint yourself with new and often remote corners of Marquette County, meet like-minded people, and gain experience in field ecology. For more information, contact Brian Noell at 906-345-9223 or ydwp@yellowdogwatershed.org. Additional information can be found at www.yellowdogwatershed.org.

The YMCA of Marquette County, 1420 Pine Street, has many volunteer opportunities: health and wellness, youth, childcare, sports, and aquatics. For more information, check out www.ymcamqt.org or Jenna at 906-227-9622 or jzdunek@ymcamqt.org. 

Campus service organizations are great resources for students who want to volunteer on a regular basis or meet other people who share their passion for service.  For more information on these or any service organization stop by the Center for Student Enrichment, 1101 Northern Center.  Be sure to submit volunteer hour logs for the Volunteer Center for volunteer activities done as part of these or other groups.

Marquette Ending Hunger: Did you know that hunger is a prevalent issue in Marquette? Join Marquette Ending Hunger to combat rural poverty and hunger in our community. Members will be given the opportunity to actively raise awareness in the Marquette community, fundraise to directly benefit those in need, attend planning meetings for the group and volunteer locally at food pantries. We will host the campus-wide event NMU Fights Famine, among many other events and activities. For more information, join us on Facebook "Marquette Ending Hunger," our Instagram account "marquetteendinghunger," or email jacunnin@nmu.edu. 

Ripple Effect: The purpose of Ripple Effect is to connect students with community members interested in supporting students' needs and foster positive interactions and good will between the campus and local community. Email kelryan@nmu.edu for more information.