Before you start volunteering…

Remember that volunteering is determined and driven by community needs, it is population focused and a means for a social change and it is a tool to give back and develop yourself both personally and professionally. Take the Service Interest Inventory and Reflection is Key Handout to eplore what type of volunteering opportunity is best suited for you!

To ensure that each of your hours is accounted for, please consult Career Services.

Key tenets of volunteerism (which will help determine if your hours are technically "volunteer hours")

You cannot get paid for any service hours that you complete… All hours must be voluntary/non-paid experiences. You must work with a non-profit agency to complete your hours.  You may not work with a for-profit entity. 

How do I get involved?
There are plenty of ways to get involved in serving both the UWF community and the Pensacola community. Your first step would be to consider your interests.

One option to find out about volunteer opportunities would be to schedule a meeting with a Volunteer UWF! team member. Depending on your interests, a member of the Volunteer UWF! team can help you identify local non-profit agencies and Community Partners that match your interests. Each of our Community Partners has a specific discipline/social interest that they cater to and some of these include: adulthood and aging, children and families, athletics and recreation, animals and the environment, nursing and healthcare, education, adolescents, and mentoring to name a few.

Also, check out volunteer opportunities is through JasonQuest. JasonQuest is an online database offered through Career Services that contains information about volunteer opportunities, internships, part-time and full-time jobs and much more! JasonQuest is a great resource for students to utilize to explore possible service sites, agencies, and social issues. JasonQuest contains contact information for hundreds of Community Partners and non-profit organizations as well as some specific position posting information for upcoming volunteer opportunities. Students can find contact information for agencies in need, and then make contact with the agency to set up a time to find out more information about upcoming opportunities. To register, click HERE.

Where can I find a place to volunteer?
The best way to find a place to volunteer is to speak to someone from Career Services. Other options include consulting JasonQuest.

Basic Steps to Volunteering and Getting the Hours to Count

Volunteering options other than on JasonQuest do exist!
As long as it is a legitimate non-profit organization, governmental agency, faith-based agency, K-20 Institution, Health Care Establishment, or if it has been cleared beforehand with a Volunteer UWF! representative, you will be able to have your service hours count. If you are unsure if the organization you are considering volunteering with is a legitimate non-profit or other acceptable organization, just contact Volunteer UWF! and we will let you know. We do not want to limit anyone from volunteering at certain places, we just want to make sure that your volunteer work will count and that you will be safe wherever you choose to go!

Ways to turn in your Volunteer Timesheet
You may drop off your time sheet to Volunteer UWF! in Career Services (Building 19) anytime on or before the deadline date. If you cannot bring the timesheet in to our office in Building 19, please scan it in, save it as an attachment and submit your timesheet via e-mail at volunteer@uwf.edu or fax it in to us at 850-473-7255

If you are volunteering, not related to your academics, the volunteer work should be in an area that is valuable to you, where you are gaining experience and contributing to the mission of the organization/program/project. If for any reason you are unsure of hour to proceed correctly, please contact Career Services 850-474-2254 or Career@uwf.edu.

**Please note that any timesheet received after the current semester deadline will be reflected the following semester.**
If you have any questions, please contact Volunteer UWF! in Career Services at
850-474-2254 or email volunteer@uwf.edu.