Needs From: United Way of the National Capital Area

Network Up is a short-term mentoring program offered by Britepaths and the Financial Empowerment Center at South County that matches under- or unemployed men or women with a volunteer mentor. Mentors and mentees meet virtually two to five times for a conversation focused on helping the mentee create or expand his/her professional network; and establish a career strategy and job search plan. We especially need mentors who work or have worked in the fields of technology/IT, nonprofits, and accounting, but we welcome professionals in all fields in Northern Virginia/DMV. This has traditionally been an in-person activity, but mentors and mentees are meeting via phone and zoom or other virtual platforms while Covid-19 protocols are in place.

 

 

Mentors provide a wealth of experience, knowledge, and networking connections to help mentees land - and succeed in - the right job for them!

Are You Eligible to be a Mentor? You Must Be:

An established professional living in the Northern Virginia area Looking for an opportunity to become involved in your community Interested in helping people develop their professional goals and networking connections Willing to use your expertise and knowledge to help someone advance their career Network Up is NOT a job placement program. Rather, it is a workforce development opportunity designed to help someone achieve their career goals.

Contact Muhanad Alobaidi at malobaidi@britepaths.org

Britepaths is seeking volunteers who are experienced with Federal and/or non-federal resume writing and would be willing to work with our clients to provide edits, reviews, and feedback for their resumes, as well as with cover letter writing assistance. Volunteers should have strong writing skills and attention to detail and be knowledgeable about resume formatting and styling, use of keywords, bullets, and language so that clients' strengths will be highlighted. Clients receiving either support are enrolled in a Workforce Development Program and are committed to working with our staff and volunteers to improve their career outlook through gaining resume skills and improving their employment prospects. Volunteers' time is flexible, and help may be given via phone calls and/or Zoom meetings.  This would be a flexible, ongoing, as-needed volunteer position with Britepaths.

 

Contact: Muhanad Alobaidi at malobaidi@britepaths.org

 

Britepaths is seeking volunteers to work with our Workforce Development clients in two capacities. The first opportunity is working with clients to create and/or edit LinkedIn profiles. Volunteers need to have strong writing skills and be LinkedIn users. The second opportunity is working with clients on mock interviews. Volunteers should have experience hiring candidates for jobs, strong interpersonal skills, and are willing to meet virtually with clients to provide immediate feedback and tips for connecting with interviewers. Clients receiving either support are enrolled in a Workforce Development Program and are committed to working with our staff and volunteers to improve their career outlook through gaining interview skills and developing LinkedIn profiles. We welcome professionals in all fields. Volunteers' time is flexible, and meetings occur on video-chat platforms. This would be a flexible, ongoing, as-needed volunteer position with Britepaths.

 

Contact: Muhanad Alobaidi at malobaidi@britepaths.org 

 

Sometimes a small act of receiving a thoughtful note could make someone's day. Each card could take up to 20 minutes to create.

This “virtual” volunteer event provides YOU the ability to inspire and support those in our community most in need of a positive message. All creative skills are welcome! Volunteers will use their creativity to bring encouragement to our ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) individuals and families. These notecards will be added to our essential needs kits to provide a positive and personal message to the recipient.

Steps to complete notecards:

Download the template here.Follow these instructions to create notecards.Mail or drop-off notecards to our office.

For any questions, reach out to us at volunteer@uwnca.org.

At this time, we are unable to verify service learning hours for notecards of encouragement. 

United Way of the National Capital Area works to improve the health, education and economic opportunity of every person in the National Capital community.  WHEN NONE ARE IGNORED, ALL WILL THRIVE.

United Way NCA’s essential need kits are vital to supporting our communities, building resiliency, and preparing individuals for success. Our healthy snack kits are thoughtfully created to provide students with nutritious, easily-prepared snack items for children and their families.

Project Overview

Collect or purchase the following items to assemble healthy snack kits that United Way NCA will distribute to our partners, including community schools, after-school programs, and shelters. Whether you purchase the items from the store or set up a collection drive amongst your friends, colleagues, or family, every kit you contribute will impact a student and their family, providing some essential need items that can help them build resiliency. 

Kit Contents

Our healthy snack kits contain each of the following snack items (quantity). United Way NCA has created an Amazon shopping list to aid in your ordering process and are optional for you to use to order your supplies. Should you choose to use a vendor other than Amazon, please ensure the following items and quantities are in each kit. Completed kits should be placed into large, clear trash bags in sets of no more than 10.

Healthy Snack Kit Items

3 Applesauce  3 Pretzel Snack Packs 2 Granola Bars 3 Trail Mix Snack Packs 3 Fruit Snacks 2 Popcorn Snack Packs 1 16.9 oz Water Bottle 2 Cheese or Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers 1 Drawstring Bag 1 Encouragement Card

Download full instructions here. 

Ready to get started?

Let us know you're packing kits by responding to this opportunity! In the notes section, let us know about how many kits you plan to pack and when you plan to pack them. A team member will reach out to you soon after you respond to confirm this information and schedule your kit drop-off date. 

Once your kits are dropped off, let us know how many hours this project took you by tracking your hours. We estimate that procuring the supplies and packing 20 kits would take around 2 hours. 

Questions? Email volunteer@uwnca.org. 

United Way of the National Capital Area works to improve the health, education and economic opportunity of every person in the National Capital community.  WHEN NONE ARE IGNORED, ALL WILL THRIVE.

United Way NCA’s essential need kits are vital to supporting our communities, building resiliency, and preparing individuals for success. Our general hygiene kits are thoughtfully created to provide individuals with necessary personal care items that will support up to one month of regular hygiene. 

Project Overview

Collect or purchase the following items to assemble hygiene kits that United Way NCA will distribute to our partners, including shelters, community schools, and health-based organizations. Whether you purchase the items from the store or set up a collection drive amongst your friends, colleagues, or family, every kit you contribute will impact an individual and their family, providing some essential need items that can help them build resiliency. 

Kit Contents

Our hygiene kits contain one of each of the following products. United Way NCA has created an Amazon shopping list to aid in your ordering process and are optional for you to use to order your supplies. Should you choose to use a vendor other than Amazon, please ensure the following items and quantities are in each kit. Completed kits should be placed into large, clear trash bags in sets of no more than 10.

Hygiene Kit Items

Shampoo Conditioner Bar Soap Deodorant Lotion Toothbrush Toothpaste Chapstick Floss Hand Sanitizer WashclothDrawstring Bag Encouragement Card

Download full instructions here. 

Ready to get started?

Let us know you're packing kits by responding to this opportunity! In the notes section, let us know about how many kits you plan to pack and when you plan to pack them. A team member will reach out to you soon after you respond to confirm this information and schedule your kit drop-off date. 

Once your kits are dropped off, let us know how many hours this project took you by tracking your hours. We estimate that procuring the supplies and packing 24 kits would take around 2 hours. 

Questions? Email volunteer@uwnca.org. 

United Way of the National Capital Area is dedicated to improving the lives of every person in our community by removing barriers to better health, education, and economic opportunity.

Use your passion for graphic design to make a difference and join our volunteer team as a Graphic Designer! Become an integral part of our organization by producing enriching and engaging content on a variety of topics to increase awareness of our mission and the ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) we serve.   

If you have a passion for visually capturing the mission of the organization and graphically translating that into action – then this is the volunteer role for you! You will work directly with our Senior Director of Marketing and Communications to create a variety of content based on organizational needs and translate data into compelling visuals. Projects could vary in size and scope from the creation of flyers and event materials to more detailed infographics. Volunteers in this role will serve an average 2-6 hours per month and projects are assigned depending on your individual capacity.

Volunteers serving in this role should:

Have professional training and experience in graphic design or be seeking a degree in graphic design-related fields; Expertise in and reliable access to Adobe® Creative Suite applications (especially Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop) and Microsoft Office applications; Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and able to meet agreed upon project deadlines, and Passionate about connecting with key stakeholders to create visually appealing graphics that incorporate United Way NCA brand guidelines, iconography, typography, and photography. Click on the blue respond button to get started!

We will ask for you to submit a brief resume and graphic design samples as part of your application.

Questions? Email volunteer@uwnca.org

Note: all content created through this volunteer role will remain property of and be published under the United Way NCA brand name.

 

United Way of the National Capital Area is dedicated to improving the lives of every person in our community by removing barriers to better health, education, and economic opportunity.

Use your passion for writing to make a difference and join our volunteer team as a Community Photographer! Become an integral part of our organization by producing enriching and engaging photography content on a variety of topics that inspires social change and tells the story of United Way NCA, the work we do, and the ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) we serve.   

If you are excited about exploring new parts of the National Capital Area and love telling a compelling story through photos, then this role is for you! You will work directly with our Senior Director of Marketing and Communication to pro-actively identify appropriate opportunities to capture images that tell our story all with the goal of building out an extensive content library to support our marketing efforts.

Volunteers in this role should:

Feel confident photographing strangers in the community 1-2 times each month (a monthly total of about 4-6 hours). Have demonstrated skill in photography and photo editing Have regular access to the technology required by this role including: internet, photo editing software, and camera. Access to reliable transportation to photo sites in DC, Maryland, and/or Virginia Click on the blue respond button to get started!

We will ask for you to submit photo samples and/or a link to your online portfolio as part of your application. 

Questions? Email volunteer@uwnca.org

The Fine Print

All photos provided to United Way NCA through this volunteer service opportunity will be considered as the intellectual property of United Way NCA for use as necessary for our marketing, social media, and communications campaigns. United Way NCA will provide the photographer volunteer with the appropriate photo release waivers to be signed by any and all subjects of your photography.

 

 

United Way of the National Capital Area is dedicated to improving the lives of every person in our community by removing barriers to better health, education, and economic opportunity.

Use your passion for writing to make a difference and join our volunteer team as a Community Videographer! Become an integral part of our organization by producing enriching and engaging video content on a variety of topics that inspires social change and tells the story of United Way NCA, the work we do, and the ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) we serve.   

If you are excited about exploring new parts of the National Capital Area and love telling a compelling story through video, then this role is for you! You will work directly with our Senior Director of Marketing and Communication to pro-actively identify appropriate opportunities to capture b-roll videography that tell our story all with the goal of building out an extensive content library to support our marketing efforts.

Volunteers in this role should:

Feel confident recording strangers in the community 1-2 times each month (a monthly total of about 4-6 hours), Have demonstrated skill in videography and video editing, Have regular access to the technology required by this role including: internet, video editing software, and camera, and Access to reliable transportation to photo sites in DC, Maryland, and/or Virginia. Click on the blue respond button to get started!

We will ask for you to submit video samples and/or a link to your online portfolio as part of your application. 

Questions? Email volunteer@uwnca.org

The Fine Print

All videos provided to United Way NCA through this volunteer service opportunity will be considered as the intellectual property of United Way NCA for use as necessary for our marketing, social media, and communications campaigns. United Way NCA will provide the videographer volunteer with the appropriate photo release waivers to be signed by any and all subjects of your videos.

United Way of the National Capital Area works to improve the health, education and economic opportunity of every person in the National Capital community.  WHEN NONE ARE IGNORED, ALL WILL THRIVE.

United Way NCA’s essential need kits are vital to supporting our communities, building resiliency, and preparing individuals for success. Our cold weather kits are thoughtfully created to provide adults and children with vital gear and products necessary for staying warm in DMV winter.

Project Overview

Collect or purchase the following items to assemble financial education kits that United Way NCA will distribute to our economic opportunity partners. Whether you purchase the items from the store or set up a collection drive amongst your friends, colleagues, or family, every kit you contribute will impact an individual and their family, providing some essential need items that can help them build resiliency. 

Kit Contents

Our cold weather kits contain each of the following items. United Way NCA has created an optional Amazon shopping list to aid in your ordering process. Should you choose to use a vendor other than Amazon, please ensure the following items and quantities are in each kit. Completed kits should be placed into large, clear trash bags in sets of 5.

Cold Weather Kit Items

1 Hat 1 Scarf 2 Pairs of Socks 1 Chapstick 2 one-oz Lotion (or 1 two-oz bottle) 1 Drawstring Bag 1 Encouragement Card

Download full instructions here. 

Ready to get started?

Let us know you're packing kits by responding to this opportunity! In the notes section, let us know about how many kits you plan to pack and when you plan to pack them. A team member will reach out to you soon after you respond to confirm this information and schedule your kit drop-off date. 

Once your kits are dropped off, let us know how many hours this project took you by tracking your hours. We estimate that procuring the supplies and packing 20 kits would take one individual around 2 hours. 

Questions? Email volunteer@uwnca.org. 

United Way of the National Capital Area is dedicated to improving the lives of every person in our community by removing barriers to better health, education, and economic opportunity.

Use your passion for writing to make a difference and join our volunteer team as a Content Writer! Become an integral part of our organization by producing enriching and engaging content on a variety of topics to increase awareness of our mission and the ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) we serve.    

Volunteer Content Writer Details and Requirements

Volunteers interested in this role should be passionate about furthering the United Way NCA mission through content creation on a variety of curated topics including health, education, economic opportunity, equity and more. Draft materials include (but are not limited to):

Blog posts for United Way NCA website Articles for United Way NCA’s Annual Report Impact stories for website and other channels

With support of the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, you will research, draft, and finalize written content that connects important global, national, and local issues with the United Way NCA mission.

Volunteers interested in supporting this role should expect to serve a minimum of 2-6 hours per month researching and writing 1-2 blog posts that will be published on the United Way NCA website.

Volunteers should also have the following minimum experience and skills:

Great proofreading, copywriting and copyediting skills. Knowledge of AP Style a plus. Bachelor’s degree in journalism, English, Creative Writing or other relevant studies is preferred, but not required. This opportunity is also open to college students pursuing their bachelor’s degree in the listed fields. Previous working experience at an advocacy organization or nonprofit will be an advantage.

Click on the blue respond button to get started!

We will ask for you to submit a brief resume and writing sample as part of your application. View samples of our blog posts on our website. 

Questions? Email volunteer@uwnca.org.

Note: all content written through this volunteer role will remain property of and be published under the United Way NCA brand name.

United Way of the National Capital Area works to improve the health, education and economic opportunity of every person in the National Capital community.  WHEN NONE ARE IGNORED, ALL WILL THRIVE.

United Way NCA’s essential need kits are vital to supporting our communities, building resiliency, and preparing individuals for success. Our menstrual equity kits are thoughtfully created to provide enough, quality supplies to support an individual through an average one-month menstrual cycle. 

Project Overview

Collect or purchase the following items to assemble menstrual equity kits that United Way NCA will distribute to our partners, including shelters, community schools, and health-based organizations. Whether you purchase the items from the store or set up a collection drive amongst your friends, colleagues, or family, every kit you contribute will impact an individual and their family, providing some essential need items that can help them build resiliency. 

Kit Contents

Our menstrual equity kits contain each of the following products and quantities. United Way NCA has created an Amazon shopping list to aid in your ordering process and are optional for you to use to order your supplies. Should you choose to use a vendor other than Amazon, please ensure the following items and quantities are in each kit. Completed kits should be placed into large, clear trash bags in sets of no more than 10.

Menstrual Equity Kit Items

1 package Disposable Wipes 1 Hand Sanitizer 15 Pads 25 Tampons 1 Small Product Zip-up Bag 1 Drawstring Bag 1 Encouragement Card

Download full instructions here. 

Ready to get started?

Let us know you're packing kits by responding to this opportunity! In the notes section, let us know about how many kits you plan to pack and when you plan to pack them. A team member will reach out to you soon after you respond to confirm this information and schedule your kit drop-off date. 

Once your kits are dropped off, let us know how many hours this project took you by tracking your hours. We estimate that procuring the supplies and packing 24 kits would take around 2 hours. 

Questions? Email volunteer@uwnca.org.