New Bedford Mayor Calls on Residents to ‘Volunteer Some Time’

It's possible that hours spent channel-surfing (is that still a thing?) or staring at your cell phone could be more productive, if not gratifying, by volunteering instead.

"The city urges everyone to volunteer some time," New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said. "We're all busy, but there's always some time you can give."

Maybe you have thought about volunteering but don't know how to begin or what opportunities exist. Sometimes, trying to figure it all out can be daunting, so we give up. Perhaps identifying a few areas of interest might be a place to start.

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"Join a neighborhood clean-up, coach a youth sports team, help seniors; whatever you're interested in, there's an organization doing good work in Greater New Bedford that could use an extra hand," Mitchell said.

Maybe you don't have a particular interest or don't have a connection to something that you might find rewarding. There are resources to assist you.

New Bedford Public Information Officer Jonathan Darling said: "The United Way of Greater New Bedford has become the go-to local resource for volunteer opportunities.

"People who contact City Hall and our Community Services department, which houses VolunteerNB, are directed to United Way's online portal, which has a comprehensive listing that orgs update to reflect current needs around the region."

Darling added: "Mali Lim, the volunteer coordinator in our Community Services department, will help people navigate the United Way's portal to find volunteer opportunities that fit their interests."

GiftstoGive is another resource for teachers, coaches, or other groups looking to do something as a class or team. Darling says GiftstoGive "has the space and experience to handle large groups of volunteers."

United Way of Greater New Bedford portal also has a team option available.