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Dear Interested Volunteer,
Thank you for your interest in our volunteer program. Volunteers are very important as we strive to meet our mission. Without the support of caring individuals such as you, we would not be able to offer many of our services. This is a very exciting time at TACT because we are reorganizing our volunteer program to better serve our clients and to better respond to your interests.
From office assistance to fundraising. We currently need volunteers to help with office tasks, data entry, mailings, and our weekly bingo games. You may be wondering how helping run a bingo game or selling tickets helps our clients. Well, as funding from a variety of sources changes, so must our efforts to raise money. By your helping make bingo more successful, a client will have access to a case manager when they need it; they will have the food pantry resources they so vitally need; there will be someone available when they have a crisis and need emergency assistance or transitional housing. Your helping with fundraising also makes it possible for our educators to reach more community members and offer information and supplies to help reduce the spread of HIV.
From client support to education. As we reorganize over the coming months, we will add volunteer placements that directly work with clients and assist with outreach to community members. There will also be a new training program that will provide volunteers with the most up-to-date information about HIV/AIDS and the needs of our clients and the community.
Regardless of the amount of time you have to give, we have a program that can use your help. To get started, simply print the volunteer application and fax or send it to the office. Mike Thomas or Alberto Torres will contact you for an interview and get you started on your volunteer journey with TACT. You can also stop by our office to complete an application.
Training. There are training requirements for our volunteer programs. We strongly recommend that all volunteers attend the core/basic training even if they are not going to have direct client contact or work in the office. Some additional training sessions will be required, depending on which volunteer placement you choose.
Again, thank you for your interest in our volunteer programs. Please send your completed application to the attention of the volunteer coordinator. When received, we will call you to discuss your application.
Sincerely,
Brian O'Dell
Executive Director
Connecting People to Purpose
You can help. Here’s how:
Client Services Support
These volunteers assist clients with housekeeping, grocery shopping, nutrition services, moving, caring for their pets, and emotional/social support, on an as-needed and/or scheduled basis. This work varies and some jobs are intermittent.
Are you a supportive person? This very special volunteer role directly assists clients with emotional, household and social support. These volunteers visit a client once a week for a couple of hours to socialize and assist clients with household chores. Additional support is provided by phone.
Hours are agreed upon by client and volunteer.
Positive Peer Support
Living with HIV can be tough sometimes. We need HIV+ community members to help meet the emotional, social and daily living assistance needs of people newly diagnosed with HIV, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, income or location.
Hours are agreed upon by client and volunteer, by phone and personal visit.
*This volunteer role is for HIV+ volunteers only. Requires additional agency training and criminal background check.
Food Pantry Cooks & Bakers
We are looking for dedicated cooks, chefs, and bakery specialists, as well as the good home cook to make ready-to-eat meals for our client food pantry. We have use of a church kitchen in Virginia Beach to prepare, cook, portion, and wrap meals. Volunteers will go with a staff person, prepare meals, and return them to the TACT food pantry to be frozen.
2-4 times each month (average once a week, sign up for as much or as little as you want) 2-4 hours each time meals are prepared, depending on the volume needed.
Education & Outreach Services
These volunteers assist staff with preparation of educational supplies (safer sex kits, personal hygiene kits, etc), preparing for and staffing outreach tables at community events, public speaking, and other office tasks on an as-needed and/or scheduled basis. This work varies and some jobs are intermittent.
Education Materials Packing
TACT educators distribute thousands of safety and personal hygiene kits every year. Who do you think packs them all? That’s right, volunteers! This placement is offered once or twice each month to create safer sex kits with condoms and information and hygiene kits for IDU outreach. By packing these kits, you make sure the information and supplies are available when outreach education staff needs them.
Weekdays between 9am-5pm, and arranged to fit volunteer’s availability.
Job requires finger dexterity and ability to stuff and seal Ziploc-style baggies.
Help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and reduce discrimination against people infected or affected by this disease through community education about risk reduction, current information about HIV and its impact locally as well as globally. You can also help direct people to the many programs and services TACT provides.
Most opportunities are on weekends and/or evenings, however, some day-time work is available during the week. Amount of time will vary depending on outreach events and staff capacity.
Education Table Staff
Do you like to chat with strangers? You can help staff educational tables to share information about TACT, HIV, and AIDS. The locations and times vary, and are usually health fairs, community festivals, and similar settings.
Most opportunities are on weekends and/or evenings, however, some day-time work is available during the week. Amount of time will vary depending on outreach events and staff capacity.
Latino/a Outreach
For community members who don’t speak much English, it is hard to get connected to information and supplies. This volunteer will give presentations in Spanish and staff education tables for our Latina/o community. Additional time is available for anyone who has written translation skills so we can develop a base of information for the Latino/a community.
Volunteers must be bi-lingual proficient (English and Spanish).
Bingo Floor Worker
Come have fun and help raise money for TACT! You’ll be walking the bingo floor selling tickets and/or special game cards. You can work every weekend or just once
in a while. It gets busy, so wear your sneakers!
TIMES
Saturday 10:30 am – 4:30 pm
Sunday 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm
OATH OF CONFIDENTIALITY
As part of the application process all persons who volunteer need to read and sign an Oath of Confidentiality stating the following.
I hereby confirm and agree that any and all records and communication, both written and verbal, direct and indirect, received by me as a volunteer, employee or client of The AIDS Fund, Inc. doing business as Tidewater AIDS Community Taskforce (TACT), a Virginia charitable organization, are strictly and absolutely confidential. I agree not to divulge any of such information at any time to any unauthorized person. Authorized persons include: current TACT Trustees, current TACT Employees, currently active TACT Volunteers and Agencies or Individuals who require supporting information in order to render assistance to TACT's clients.
I understand that I may be held personally responsible for any violation of this oath and that my liability may include payment of damages and other penalties as provided by state and federal law.
In addition, I hereby agree to abide by and uphold the written policies, office procedures and verbal directives of TACT, as set out by TACT's Staff and Trustees.
I assume this obligation of confidentiality now and forever.
You will be given a copy to sign from the Volunteer Department.
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