Sometimes, local organizations need one-time or occasional volunteers. More often, they prefer volunteers who can commit to making more sustained contributions to their work. In either case, Bates students benefit from participating in the wider community. The very best way to keep up with the many volunteer opportunities available to students is to hop on CommunityPulse, the college’s volunteer platform. Below are some sample volunteer opportunities.

One-Time or Occasional Volunteer Opportunities

• Aspirations Programming: Plan on-campus aspirations events for local children and youth. Contact Ruby Hill (rhill@bates.edu). 

• Blake Street Towers and Meadowview: Plan social events (meals, game nights, performances, etc.) at Lewiston Housing Authority residences for low-income elderly and younger disabled folks. Contact Evangeline Kpetsey (ekpetsey@bates.edu).

Ongoing or Sustained Volunteer Opportunities

Mentoring Programs

• Mentoring Programs
• Big Brothers Big Sisters: Engage in one-on-one weekly one-hour matches with elementary school kids at Connors Elementary School.  Contact Jennifer Cartmell (jennifer@bbbsmidmaine.org).
• Auburn Middle School: Provide biweekly mentoring for middle school students.  Contact Natalie Gersen (ngersen@bates.edu).
• Lewiston High School: Provide bi-weekly mentoring for high school students (particularly suited for Bates students committed to mentoring for longer than one year). Contact Sophie Cohen (scohen2@bates.edu).
• Lewiston Middle School Math Tutoring: Provide weekly math tutoring one-on-one or with a small group of students. Contact Rowan Drant (rdrant@bates.edu).
• Montello Elementary School: Engage in one-on-one weekly one-hour matches with elementary school kids. Contact Trinity Roesch (troesch@bates.edu).

Tutoring and Enrichment Programs

• Aspirations Programming: Plan on-campus aspirations events for local children and youth. Contact Ruby Hill (rhill@bates.edu).
•  Book Buddies: Read to early-elementary-age children during the school day. Contact Noe Winter-Hamaoui (nwinterhamaoui@bates.edu).
• Boys and Girls Club: Help plan and lead after-school programming. Within walking distance from campus! Contact Rowan Drant (rdrant@bates.edu).
• PAL Center: Engage in educational and athletic after-school activities for youth in Auburn. Contact Renee Shrestha (rshrestha@bates.edu).
• Tree Street Youth: Volunteer with pre-k – high school youth who live in downtown Lewiston. There are a variety of opportunities, such as: structured play and hanging out with younger students; homework help, tutoring, and credit recovery with older students; and alternative programming for students currently not enrolled in school. Contact Renee Shrestha (rshrestha@bates.edu).

Food Accessibility

• Gather to Grow: Engage in community gardening and cooking classes. Contact Ava Viola (aviola@bates.edu).
• Jubilee Center Soup Kitchen: Help serve meals 7 days a week. Contact volunteer@trinityjubileecenter.org.

Elderly/Younger Disabled

• Blake Street Towers and Meadowview: Serve Sunday brunch to elderly and younger disabled residents. Contact Evangeline Kpetsey (ekpetsey@bates.edu).
• Hearts and Crafts: Engage in a wide range of crafts activities with senior citizens. Contact Christopher Kim (ckim3@bates.edu).
• The Legacy Project: Connect with older adults for multigenerational friendship and storytelling. Contact Anjali Dasari (adasari@bates.edu).

The Arts

• ArtVan: Help provide mobile arts therapy with non-profits in Lewiston-Auburn. Contact Frances Hochleutner (fhochleutner@bates.edu).

Immigrant Integration Programming

• The Jubilee Center: Help immigrants and refugees with employment, housing, education, and other challenges. Contact Elianna Umana Kimura, (eumanakimura@bates.edu).

Health-related Programs

• Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice: Provide hospice visiting, event assistance, and office help. Contact Mohamed Awil (mawil@bates.edu).
• Central Maine Medical Center: Help transport patients within the hospital, assist with departmental projects, deliver flowers to patient rooms, greet patients, provide directions to departments and more. The only requirement is a desire to help others in a friendly and personable manner. Contact volunteering@cmhc.org.
• St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center: Help transport patients within the hospital, assist with departmental projects, deliver flowers to patient rooms, greet patients, provide directions to departments and more. The only requirement is a desire to help others in a friendly and personable manner.  Click here for more information.

Other Programs (May require extensive training)

• Greater Androscoggin Humane Society: Provide direct animal care, cleaning and enrichment, to events, data-entry, marketing, photography, customer service, craft-making and so much more. Contact volunteer@gahumane.org; 207-783-2311.
• Sexual Assault, Prevention & Response Services (SAPRS): Get trained to be a hotline volunteer. Contact Jamie Demers (jamie.demers@sapars.org).

Don’t see what you’re looking for?  Contact Mohamed Awil (mawil@bates.edu) to talk about other options!