volunteer opportunities:

Volunteers can get involved in many ways:  

1.    WORK WITH WINDWOOD DAYS: Individuals (age 14 or older. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a supervising adult) and businesses, as well as civic and church groups, volunteer their time and talents to Windwood Farm.  We could not carry out our mission without this support.  We have several monthly workdays scheduled throughout the year when volunteers can tackle projects on our campus. Since we only have one maintenance person for 110 acres, volunteer help is vital!  Work with Windwood Days from Sept. 2010 through Oct. 2011 are tentatively scheduled as follows:

(Dates are subject to change.  Emails will

be sent to our email list to notify of

upcoming workdays and any schedule changes.)

We ask that volunteers on workdays be at least 14 years of age and that anyone under 18 be accompanied by a supervising adult.  There are many other ways to involve your children with Windwood Farm.  See the section below with volunteer ideas just for children.

Your group may also schedule your own workday during the week or on a Saturday.  Volunteers generally work four hours, then share lunch with the boys (our treat!).  You can come for a full day of work, if you prefer.  Contact Callie Vanderbilt at 843-884-5342, ext. 229 or e-mail callie.vanderbilt@windwoodfarm.org to sign up for a regular workday or to schedule your own.  We also welcome contributions to help defray the cost of workday expenses. 

2.    SPECIAL EVENTS: You may volunteer to help with special events:

HOPE-BUILDERS' BREAKFAST

A "Hope Builders'" Breakfast Fundraiser is held once every 18 months.  The next breakfast will be held in October of 2010 -- our 25th Anniversary Year.  Call Callie at 843-884-5342, ext. 229 or email callie.vanderbilt@windwoodfarm.org if you would be willing to attend or help us fill a table with eight people who want to know more about Windwood's mission and might be able to help us financially. The breakfast is free of charge and last one hour. 

 

Reaching New Heights

 YOUTH SERVICE FESTIVAL

One Saturday is set aside each April for Windwood's annual YOUTH SERVICE FESTIVAL.  Games, music, entertainment, and the joy of helping others!  This is an awesome opportunity for young people (ages 14 and up) to volunteer and learn about serving their community.  Contact callie at 843-884-5342, ext 229 or email callie.vanderbilt@windwoodfarm.org for full information.  We also need some adult help, and we can promise you -- everyone will have a terrific time! 

3.    PARTY WITH A PURPOSE � This is a fun event that can be held at your church, in private homes, at the office, or at Windwood Farm!  Invite club or church members, friends, and/or work colleagues to a �theme party� to learn about the mission of Windwood Farm.  The party can be purely informational to raise friends for Windwood, or it can be a fundraiser � your choice.  We�ll provide the program; you provide the party. 

A.  At Home, Club or Church: Host a theme party and invite family, friends, members of your church/synagogue/club or coworkers to a party to learn more about Windwood.   Some ideas: Silver/Gold Exchange � attendees bring old jewelry, coins, etc. to be sold; proceeds donated to Windwood.  Re-Gift Event � Bring gifts you have received but don�t use or want. Wrap them as �mystery� gifts to exchange with others while you learn about Windwood Farm (or for others to purchase, with proceeds going to help Windwood).  Host a Dinner � Everyone bring a dish and something for the boys at Windwood (check out our Wish List on the Web).

B.  At Work or Church: Organize a lunch for employees that provides information about Windwood, with the cost of the meal ($5 for example) going to Windwood Farm.  You could also take orders and deliver brown-bag lunches with brochures enclosed about Windwood Farm.

C. Give us YOUR Ideas: If you have a new idea of how to help, call Callie at 843-884-5342, ext. 229.  Our photo page on the web show ways others have helped.

4.    CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS: April is Child Abuse Awareness Month.  Display our Child Abuse Awareness poster at your place of business or worship. Organizations or individuals can go one step further and sponsor Child Abuse Awareness Ads in local newspapers.  You may choose any local newspaper, and your organization�s name and logo will be shown as the ad sponsor.  Call Callie for an example.  Help fight child abuse with education and awareness! 

5.    WAL*MART DAYS: Several local Wal*Marts are allowing us to set up a display and ask for funds outside their doors a few Saturdays this year.  We need outgoing, enthusiastic, slightly zany people to man the tables for a few hours at a time.  Call Callie if this describes you!

6.    Your children can help too! There are several ways children can volunteer, depending on their ages:

a)    In April (during Youth Service Month), we host a Youth Service Day and invite area groups to participate in a festival emphasizing children as volunteers.  Your young people can coordinate a booth for activities like: face painting, a �fishing pond,� cake walk, concessions stand, etc. to be enjoyed by Windwood�s children and others who attend.  If your child�s school or church group would like to perform a musical number, skit, etc., we will provide a setting to showcase their performance.  There will be games, food, and loads of fun activities.  Call Callie at 843-884-5342, ext. 229 for information.

b)    Book Drives are always helpful to collect children�s books for Windwood�s school library or to provide each child with a book for his birthday or as a farewell gift when he leaves our facility.  Our boys are always happy to have books they can call their own.

c)     Bake Sales, Car Washes, Lemonade Stands, etc. are quick, simple fundraising activities that children can successfully organize and run. Some children have even celebrated their birthdays by asked their friends and relatives to bring contributions for Windwood Farm to their party rather than birthday presents for them.  Amazing!

d)    Food Drives help us provide food baskets to send home to the families (with financial needs) of our children at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  Children can help gather non-perishables and work with us on a Saturday prior to the holiday to put together attractive baskets.

e)     The Summer School tutoring program requires the duplication of many reading and math materials selected by our school�s teachers to continue the boys� studies during the summer.  We would be delighted to have children come to the school on weekends in the months before school ends to copy worksheets and compile workbooks at various age levels for the summer program.

f)    We'll be happy to discuss your own ideas to involve your children.

7.    There are always chores to be done or special projects at Windwood that individuals or a group from your office, church, or civic club might want to take on.  Call Judy to discuss your ideas or to find out about current needs and activities.  If you have ideas about specific ways to help, we�d love to hear them!

Contact Callie Vanderbilt at 843-884-5342, ext. 229, callie.vanderbilt@windwoodfarm.org , to discuss the many ways you can be part of the work of Windwood Farm.