Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers supplement and complement the work we do. You can use your unique talents and interests to provide children and adults in our many programs with experiences they might otherwise not receive. Opportunities for volunteering even a few hours a week are available at all of our locations.

You can be directly involved with children or adults:

Comforting a baby; Playing with a child; Tutoring a student; Sharing a special talent in music or art; Reading, helping an adult enjoy a trip to the mall.

Or, you can provide support services:

Organizing our Adapted Toy Library; Sewing adaptive straps or clothing; Building adaptive furniture; Working on a committee to plan a fund raising event; Writing a grant request for a special project.

Opportunities for volunteering exist in many areas of our programming:

• Infant and Child Care Services
• Special Education Programs
• Physical and Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language Development
• Therapeutic or Adaptive Equipment
• Toy Lending Library
• Family Support
• Community Recreational Activities
• Music, Art and Craft Activities
• Computer Technology
• Administrative Support
• Special Event Planning

You may volunteer as few as two hours a week of service in a consistent schedule. Most opportunities to work with children occur Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed in adult and senior day programs during the same hours and in residential programs for adults in late afternoon and early evening hours and on weekends.

When you call to volunteer (203) 386-2714, you will be scheduled for a personal interview and receive information about volunteer assignments currently available. You will be asked to provide some information about yourself and references. Once you are matched with an assignment, you will be oriented to the responsibilities of that assignment and, if you are working directly with a child or adult receiving services, a SVSNS staff member will be present with you throughout your volunteer experience.

Our "Friends of St.Vincent's Special Needs" Committee works nearly 10 months of the year planning for the annual LAST BASH of Summer dinner-dance in September and other fund raisers. New members are always welcome for long and short-term assignments.