OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE

Residents of the Williamsburg area and Governor's Land are enthusiastic volunteers. With hundreds of educational, social service, religious and environmental groups at work in our community, matching your interest to a specific need is easy.

Sharing Knowledge and Experience. For current and former business executives residing in Governor's Land, the College of William & Mary's MBA mentoring program offers a way to share their extensive experience to future business leaders. Other residents mentor public school students who are “at-risk” due to family difficulties or academic failure. Still others volunteer their time at the Rita Welsh Adult Literacy Program at William & Mary, providing one-to-one tutoring in basic reading, math, GED preparation, and English as a second language to adults in the Greater Williamsburg area.

Aiding Medical Services. 

If supporting the medical community is your interest, area healthcare facilities welcome volunteers of all ages. The Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center volunteer team is comprised of adults, college students, and junior volunteers over the age of 14. Volunteer opportunities are available in clinical and non-clinical settings at both on-site and off-site hospital locations.

At the local Hospice there are over 60 patient/family volunteers who work directly with patients and caregivers and over 90 others form a Hospice Guild. These volunteers do everything from gardening and maintenance around Hospice House and delivering equipment to needy families to office assistance and cooking for patients in their homes or at Hospice House.

Olde Towne Medical Center seeks medical and non-medical volunteers. The Center is a public-private, nonprofit, 501(c)3 facility that provides quality, cost-effective, coordinated and preventive primary health care to clients, regardless of ability to pay. There are also local branches of the Red Cross, American Cancer Society, and other medical and research arms.

Assisting Social Services

Service and religious organizations in our community offer a myriad of outreach and mission projects. Volunteer help for low-income or infirm people is provided through organizations such as FISH (food and clothing bank), Meals on Wheels, and AARP tax preparation. The CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) provides help for youth from troubled families, while the Avalon home for battered women offers volunteer opportunities supporting their helpline, life skills education, childcare, transportation, office support, property repair and maintenance efforts.

Supporting Cultural and Historic Venues.

The Historic Triangle, encompassing Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown offers a range of volunteering opportunities for individuals interested in history. On any given day, volunteers from Governor's Land can be seen greeting and directing museum guests, supporting costumed interpreters, assisting in the gift shops, conducting school tours and generally providing added support as required. At Jamestown Settlement, volunteers even support the professional sailing staff by maintaining and crewing on replicas of Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery.

Local museums and theaters provide an opportunity for volunteers interested in the arts. Here in Williamsburg, we are fortunate to have a marvelous resource in the form of the Muscarelle Museum of Art located on the William & Mary campus. In close proximity, the Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall and Kimball Theatre present opportunities to become involved in the art community.

Protecting the Environmental

There are several venues for those who wish to volunteer their time to protecting our environment. One of which is the Williamsburg Land Conservancy that is dedicated to preserving significant natural, scenic, agricultural and historic land in the Historic Triangle.

Neighbor-to-Neighbor.  Within our immediate community, a network of volunteers provides timely assistance - from one neighbor to another.  This dedicated group of neighbors greets all new residents and provides needed information and assistance, helping acquaint all newcomers to the area and introduce them to others in the community with similar interests.  Should a neighbor require added assistance after the birth of a baby or while recovering from an illness,  a representative will match just the right resources to assist as needed.  Governor's Land is truly a community of caring neighbors.

Whatever your interest, the Williamsburg area offers ample opportunity to serve.