NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, Pa. (WLVT) - The holiday season is a popular time for volunteering, but non profit organizations say they also need volunteers year round.
“The nonprofit community cannot get done what they need to get done without volunteers,” said Karen Smith with the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley. She said many people try to volunteer serving meals on Thanksgiving, but there are other ways to help out, like visiting a nursing home or going to a rehabilitation center for kids.
Cathy Barlok with Fellowship Community in Whitehall said the residents enjoy having visits from volunteers, because the staff are not always able to spend extra time with each person. “Some of them are lonely,” said Barlok. “Some of them don’t have a lot of family in the area, and our volunteers go room to room to visit them.” She said it is especially important during the holiday season, because of how many people don’t have family.
The volunteer center is hosting a Family Volunteer Day on Saturday, Nov. 23, and you can click here to visit their website for more information on how to get involved. If you’d like to volunteer with Fellowship Community, click here for their contact information. You will have to pass medical and background clearances to be a volunteer.