The Volunteer & Information Center

HandsOn River Region matches volunteers with worthy community needs; a comprehensive resource for volunteer opportunities.  This multi-faceted organization focuses on mobilizing volunteers to create positive change in the community and links those in need to resources that can make a difference.  HandsOn River Region partnered with 170 agencies and linked them with over 13,000 volunteers to meet the needs of 464 service projects during 2012.  HandsOn River Region responded to the April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak in Elmore, Cullman and Tuscaloosa County to coordinate, register and manage over 4,000 spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers in four days.

Volunteerism

There have been great strides taken with successful
volunteer opportunities through our organization, HandsOn River Region. Through our website www.handsonriverregion.org we are able to manage non-profits and their volunteer needs plus those seeking to volunteer. Large volunteer events require organization and management by our staff in order to produce outstanding volunteer experiences.  This ensures not only a positive experience for the volunteers, but also inspires future volunteerism!  Recently we have orchestrated widespread volunteer opportunities involving 400 local high school students spread throughout our various non-profit partners.  Such activities were cleaning the grounds for the Montgomery Zoo, stocking shelves for The Elmore County Food Pantry and placing storm drain markers for The City of Montgomery.  Other volunteer opportunities were created locally through our management of The Christmas Clearing House.  This is our annual service to the community assisting those needing help providing Christmas for their families.  Volunteers were essential in this complex process from registering families to be applicable for help to organizing donations. Yet, even during a busy holiday season, we were still able to assist local non-profit associations with volunteers to assist in such activities as a tree planting event for The Hampstead Farm as well as volunteers for The Montgomery Zoo Holiday Lights Festival. Funding enables us to have the staff to implement favorable
opportunities and outcomes with volunteerism in the River Region.

Information Center

 2-1-1 Connects South Central Alabama is a program of The Volunteer and Information Center. Every hour of every day, hundreds of people need essential human services - they are looking for training, employment, food pantries, help for an aging parent, addiction prevention programs for their teenage children, affordable housing options, support groups and ways of becoming part of their community. 2-1-1 allows people to give help and to get help.
 
2-1-1 is an easy to remember telephone number that, where available, connects people with important community services and volunteer opportunities. In 2010, 2-1-1 services in the United States answered more than 16.4 million calls. The implementation of 2-1-1 is spearheaded by United Ways and information and referral agencies in states and local communities. United Way Worldwide (UWW) and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) strongly support federal funding so that every American has access to this essential service.

Keywords: education, environmental, youth, homeless, hunger, food, meals, disaster relief, housing, outreach, supplies, substance abuse, domestic violence, veteran, children, advocacy, animals, schools, arts

Zip Codes Served: 

36013, 36036, 36043, 36046, 36052, 36057, 36064, 36065, 36069, 36101, 36102, 36103, 36104, 36105, 36106, 36107, 36108, 36109, 36110, 36111, 36112, 36113, 36114, 36115, 36116, 36117, 36118, 36119, 36120, 36121, 36123, 36124, 36125, 36130, 36131, 36132, 36133, 36134, 36135, 36140, 36141, 36142, 36177, 36191, 36031, 36039, 36075, 36083, 36087, 36088, 36866, 36003, 36006, 36008, 36051, 36066, 36067, 36068, 36749, 36032, 36040, 36047, 36752, 36785, 36020, 36022, 36024, 36025, 36045, 36054, 36078, 36080, 36092, 36093