So...what's an “episodic volunteer”?

An “episodic volunteer” is an individual who does one-time or short-term volunteer jobs. These volunteers are generally busy people with hectic schedules -- jobs, family or social commitments --that make them prefer flexible volunteer opportunities.

Types of Episodic Volunteering:
* One-day special events or service projects, such as "walk-a-thons", service days or park cleanups
* Projects that recruit volunteers as needed throughout the year, such as helping with projects at a group home or Vets hospital or children's agency
* On-going activities that don't require specialized skills and welcome volunteers on a flexible, drop in basis such as Habitat for Humanity

Volunteer Ventures, which is sponsored by the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, help busy adults participate in episodic volunteer activities. Take a look at our monthly newsletter and calendar of projects. Come to a bi-monthly meeting where you'll meet other Volunteer Ventures participants and find out what's going on.

Sign up and catch the volunteer fever! You'll be glad you did!

Primed for PYLI

Early in July, the Volunteer Center trained a group of Korean American students at Prime Institute in Ridgefield, NJ in the Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute (PYLI).

Seventeen teens spent four days exploring leadership, the team-building process and community service. The ultimate purpose of PYLI is to help create stronger communities by training future leaders who will be equipped to make meaningful, lifelong contributions to their communities. PYLI provides an interesting and exciting curriculum, including classroom instruction and a variety of fun and challenging group exercises.

The Volunteer Center of Bergen County is certified to present PYLI to groups of students, both in school and in community organizations. The curriculum is flexible and can be presented during school, after school, during school breaks or during the summer. To find out how you or your school or youth group can participate in PYLI, call the Volunteer Center at 201-489-9454, ext. 118 or email demery@bergenvolunteers.org.

Brown Bag Buddies is on TV!

NY Channel 1 recently featured Brown Bag Buddies, a program of the Volunteer Center's Northern New Jersey Business Volunteer Council (BVC). Brown Bag Buddies was created to ease the burden of hunger for Bergen County children. For the past eight years, employees of member companies of the BVC have been donating food items to Brown Bag Buddies to help fill the Center for Food Action pantries in locations throughout Bergen County.

"July and August, believe it or not, are the busiest months of the whole year, because the kids are home from school," said Thelma Fedele, director of community and government relations for the Center for Food Action. "They're not getting their school lunches or breakfasts, and at the same time, our donations of food go down."

Click here to watch this in depth interview and read more about the program.

For more information on the Brown Bag Buddies Program or the BVC, please call 201-489-9454, ext. 119.