Your City, Your Vote: A Guide to Volunteering in Everett
I talk to people about volunteering a lot. It’s my job to recruit volunteers for a nonprofit.
Many people I talk to feel like they should contribute something to their community, but aren’t sure what to do or where to begin.
To these potential volunteers I ask, “What do you care about?”
Do you want a city where pets have homes? Do you value the arts? Do you believe that good food is important? Do you want to live in a community where people are safe?
By volunteering you get to vote for what kind of city you want to live in. You don’t have to spend a dollar.
Where to begin? Here are some ideas for giving back to Everett.
The list is not exhaustive. There are many other good things to be thought of and done.
1. The Green Everett Partnership
The Green Everett Partnership protects 354 acres of urban forest. This program relies on volunteers to improve the diversity and health of natural areas in our city.
They have upcoming park cleanup projects listed on their website.
If you are looking to join a well-organized group, this is it. They’ve published a 20-year Forest Management plan, a full color 106-page PDF with charts and graphs. Any organization that’s planning two decades out is doing something right.
2. Sharing Wheels
Sharing Wheels is a community bicycle center that connects people with affordable bikes and bike repairs.
The shop repairs kid bikes for Christmas donations. They offer “bike basics” classes that teach people mechanical skills. And they host an annual kids’ Bike Swap where children can trade out their too-small ride for a bigger set of wheels.
There seems to be a lot of institutional knowledge here: volunteers teaching other volunteers about cable housing or disc brakes. This could be a good place to hone a skill set while connecting others to economical repairs.
3. The Everett Animal Shelter
The Everett Animal Shelter is always looking for volunteers. They hold monthly orientations. Volunteer options including dog walking, customer care, and vet services.
Elizabeth Person's depiction of the Everett Animal Shelter.
If you are a crafty type, you can make and donate doggie blankets for the shelter. And of course, the best way to support the animal shelter is to adopt a pet of your own.
4. The Everett Gospel Mission
The Everett Gospel Mission serves people experiencing homelessness in our community. They offer group and individual volunteer opportunities.
You can serve meals, take pictures, teach crafts to women and children, or put your administrative chops to work in the office.
The mission has a volunteer application online and they hold regular orientations.
If you believe in the organization’s mission, but are short on time, you can donate money online.
5. Other
Maybe you don’t care for any of the options listed above. Maybe your thing is advocating for more livable urban infrastructure. Or preserving bird habitat. Or raising awareness about leukemia.
You can find more volunteer positions that fit your skill set and area of interest using the search engine Volunteermatch.org. It’s like a dating website where you make a profile and the algorithm “matches” you to your perfect volunteer site.
Another way is to do your own thing. You don’t need a charter, bylaws, and a board of directors to bake cookies for your neighbor. Organizing a community event has never been easier thanks to social media.
Have fun with it and remember: nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.
Richard Porter is a social worker and musician. He lives in North Everett and enjoys running on Marine View Drive, bicycling down tree-lined streets, and trying to coax vegetables out of his yard.
