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Serving Albany & Rensselaer Counties
Volunteer
Get involved and make a difference! Being a volunteer means making a positive impact on your community – and that makes it a better place for everyone. CLUB volunteers are especially important for providing critical programming and services to our Capital Area youth. BGCCA offers hands-on opportunities that provide a sense of accomplishment and gratification.
Club volunteers will do a myriad of projects including: setup and teardown of events at the Clubhouses or community sites, working on the volunteer teams at SPAC and MVP Arena concerts, indoor/outdoor beautification and cleanup projects, donation pickup, and so much more.
We are also eager to find help with: mentoring, interning, tutoring, providing career guidance, teaching a class, or coaching. We are always looking for skilled and dedicated volunteers to help us achieve our mission of improving the lives of children and families.
Please note: Background checks are required for any volunteer that regularly interacts with youth. All potential employees and recurring volunteers are required to be cleared in accordance with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services regulations.
For more information, please contact Soozey Walensky, Director of Community Engagement, at (518) 462-5528 ext. 1009 or swalensky@bgccapitalarea.org.
Volunteers of the Month
BGCCA has the best volunteers! We love to recognize the faces and personalities that do so much to help the organization. Click the photos to learn more!
10 Reasons To Volunteer
It can be hard to find the time to volunteer in our hectic lives but there are many reasons to prioritize giving back to others in your weekly routine. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area relies on the generosity of others to donate their time and talents for our program. We value the volunteers who help to make an impact in the lives of the youth we serve in Albany and Rensselaer counties.
1. Volunteering Can Make You Happy
The more you volunteer, the happier you will be, according to a study at the London School of Economics. They concluded that volunteers weekly reported a 16% increase in happiness over non-volunteers!
2. Volunteering Lowers Stress and Anxiety
Helping and working with others has been shown to drastically improve psychological health by decreasing stress and anxiety. There is nothing more uplifting and inspiring than working together to help others.
3. Volunteering Provides Work Experience
Volunteering can be used in any field as a way to get valuable career experience. Serving for Boys & Girls Clubs can be especially applicable if you plan to enter a social work field, such as a teacher, counselor, therapist, psychologist, social worker, or pediatrician. Even if you do not plan to go into those fields, working with local youth helps to develops many personal skills, and might make your relevant experience more attractive to future employers.
4. Volunteering Helps to Connect You With Others
Volunteering expands your ability to connect and relate to all sorts of different people. Whether you are working alongside a youth, helping to beautify a Clubhouse, or serving on our behalf at an event, the ways volunteering opens up your heart can be tremendous. Volunteering is all about uniting people from diverse backgrounds to work toward a common goal.
5. Volunteering Strengthens The Community
Community service and volunteerism are an investment in your community and the people who live in it. At Boys & Girls Clubs, our program supports families, mentors local youth, and helps to improves academic performance. Your help in our organization matters because you are making an impact in our community.
6. You Can Make New Friends
People who volunteer alongside you and the ones you serve can become lifelong friends. Sometimes these genuine relationships develop in surprising ways!
7. Volunteering Initiates Personal Growth
Most people who volunteer would say it improved their self-esteem, helped them be more grateful as well as generous, and gave them perspective. Putting yourself in situations where you have to humble yourself and give back oftentimes causes one to become more introspective. Beginning regular volunteer work is a great way to become the kind of person you have always wanted to be.
8. Volunteering Conserves Resources
The work you do matters to BGCCA in many ways. Volunteering helps to save our community and the programs you serve thousands of dollars. Every $1 invested in Boys & Girls Clubs returns $10.32 in economic benefits to Club members, their families and society. These include social benefits, such as mental health, education and healthy behaviors, not accounted for in a purely financial ROI.
9. Volunteering Teaches You New Skills
Opportunities to volunteer can provide the skills to build a relationship, build a website, or play a new game. There’s no limit to what you can learn through your volunteer experiences.
10. You Will Feel Awesome
The satisfaction you will gain from volunteering is indescribable. The boost in happiness, the humility in servitude, the gratitude that comes from perspective, and the self-esteem you will gain, will make you proud to know you are an awesome volunteer.
Volunteering for Boys & Girls Clubs benefits both our organization and your personal well-being. Apply today and join our efforts to make a difference in the lives of local youth. Thank you and have a great day!
Volunteer Photos
