Individual Volunteer Application

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Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Community Action Network (CAN)! This application helps us match you with the right opportunities based on your interests and availability.


Please note: Applications are processed on Thursdays. Thank you for your patience!

Let's get started!  
If you would like to volunteer as a large group (5+), please view our Large Group Volunteer Application.
Step 1: CAN Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities:

To learn more about our available opportunities, please select the box next to each opportunity type below.

At the bottom of each description is a check-box to select if you are interested in participating in that specific opportunity.

Donating Items
Providing High Needs Items
Each of our sites work with unique communities that have ever-changing needs. See what items are most needed at each site by clicking on this 'ways to give' page and consider purchasing something from a wishlist to be shipped directly to a site. 
Providing Meals for After School Program
Access to food is a basic need and an important aspect of our After School Programs (ASP). Each day, kids are provided nutritious, fun snacks and meals to help them grow and learn. Are you interested in helping to provide a meal?

Host a Drive for CAN Communities
Do you have a network of folks who are looking to support under-resourced families but aren't sure where to start? Consider hosting a drive for items CAN families often request and we don't always have on hand. Helpful drives include things like gift cards, food, diapers, and personal care items. 

Providing Food for Summer Camp
CAN hosts 6 weeks of educational summer camps for kids in CAN communities who are in rising 1st-6th grade. Campers are fed multiple times during these day-long camps. Most sites provide 2-3 meals and multiple snacks each day. It takes a lot of planning and support for CAN to provide this amount of food.

Are you interested in helping provide food for summer camp? There are opportunities for you to:
- cook a meal and deliver it to a camp for the kids 
- purchase non-perishable food for camp staff to prepare for the kids
- donate financially for CAN to purchase food to prepare for the kids

Providing School Supplies
CAN provides all of the children in our programs the supplies they need to have a successful school year. We typically distribute these backpacks and supplies in August. Donations are gathered over the summer. 

Working with Children & Youth in CAN's Educational Programs
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with CAN's After School Program! Recruitment for the Fall 2025 semester has come to an end. Please check back in late November or early December when we begin recruitment for the Winter/Spring semester. 
Opportunity 1 of 2- After School Program Mentor

This is a good fit for someone looking to be a strong role model for children in K-12 grades during our After School Programs. 

After School Program Mentors build meaningful, supportive relationships, help implement CAN's educational curriculum, encourage children's healthy social-emotional skill development, provide academic/homework support, and cultivate an environment honoring inclusion, flexibility, and collaboration. Mentors receive pre-volunteering training and ongoing support/check-ins from team members.

Program mentors receive pre-volunteering training and ongoing support/check-ins from team members.


Commitment:

  • A minimum of 2-3 hours a week with a consistent weekly schedule for a semester or more.
  • After School Program operates during the Fall and Winter semesters Monday-Thursday, typically between 3:30-6pm (times vary by site)

Opportunity 2 of 2- Beyond the Books Program Support
This is a good fit for someone who wants to attend a portion of the After School Program to support the success of our Beyond the Books program, which focuses on making reading fun and engaging for kids K-5.

Commitment: Minimum of 1 hour a week, typically between 4:30-5:30 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday


Working with Family Stabilization in CAN's Food Distributions and Pantries
Food Distribution Partner

This is a good opportunity for someone interested in supporting food security and family stabilization efforts. Food distribution partners help with unloading the food truck, inspecting and organization food, making bags of food, and distributing food to community members.

Food distribution partners receive pre-volunteering training and ongoing support/check-ins from team members.

Commitment: Typically a consistent schedule for a semester or beyond. There may be some flexibility based on the opportunities currently available. Please contact volunteers@canwashtenaw.org with specific questions.


Working on General Community Projects

Volunteers who partner with CAN come with a large range of interests and abilities. Some examples of ways volunteers have partnered with CAN in the past include: 

  • Community clean-up/trash pick-up events

  • Donating nutritious meals/snacks for kids to enjoy during our After School Programs and Summer Camps

  • Collecting food, personal care items, and cleaning items for families to receive through CAN's emergency food pantries 

  • Volunteering during and donating items for community center events and parties. This could include donating meals/snacks, party supplies, serving food, or leading fun activities at parties. 

  • Working with CAN families to prepare community gardens for winter or spring and/or general landscaping around the community centers

  • Deep cleaning CAN community centers 

  • Painting community center walls (touch-ups or repainting entire rooms)

  • Collecting new school supplies for CAN students (to be passed out at the end of August Back-to-School BBQs)

  • Assisting with renovation or center updates (including furniture assembling or dissembling, which requires some mechanical/tool know-how)



Step 2: Volunteer Availability & Site Preference
Map of CAN Community Centers
Availability For Working With Children & Youth
Please indicate your CAN location preferences: 
Arrowwood Hills Brick Bryant Creekside Court Green Baxter Court Hikone
Please indicate your available day(s) of the week (during After School Program): 
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Availability For Working With Food Distributions & Pantries
Please indicate what food program opportunity you prefer based on your availability:
Arrowwood Hills; 2nd Friday 8:30-Noon Brick: Every Thurs 9-11 Bryant OPTION 1: Mon, Wed, or Thurs 9-12 Bryant OPTION 2: Mon, Wed, or Thurs 11-2 Creekside Court: 2nd & 4th Wed 1-3 Green Baxter Court: Every other Wed 12:30-2:30 Hikone: Every other Wed 12:30-3
Availability For General Community Projects
Please provide your general availability to participate in these projects below: 
Weekday Morning Weekday Afternoon Weekday Evening Weekend Morning Weekend Afternoon


Step 3: Volunteer Information




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Once this form is submitted, CAN's Director of Volunteers will be in touch to discuss the details of how you can get involved with Community Action Network's programs and services.
Step 1: COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
At CAN, our mission is to partner with under-resourced families so they can thrive. A large component of this is ensuring we are doing everything in within our power to protect the vulnerable populations who are the most susceptible to the devastating effects of this virus. For that reason, all staff, interns, and volunteers who partner with CAN and CAN's families are required to have the Covid-19 vaccine and any eligible boosters. 

Please review CAN's COVID-19 Response Plan and contact dmiller@canwashtenaw.org if you have any questions.
CAN Definitions
  • Fully Vaccinated = Completed initial vaccine series + current eligible boosters

  • Partially Vaccinated = Some amount of vaccine completion, but not current eligible boosters

  • Not Vaccinated = Has not completed the initial vaccine series nor the boosters
Please review this website to check if you are up to date on the COVID-19 vaccine series and eligible boosters: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html?s_cid=11706:cdc%20covid%20booster%20shot%20guidelines:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN:FY22



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