Nov 9, 2022 5 min read

my friend came up w. it I cannot take credit for the name

in feb 2021 I want d opps to vol with my son who was 3 a the time they didn’t exist – I started a book group Facebook group I figured it would be my friends I started the Facebook on a Thursday afternoon by Monday morning there were 500 people in the Facebook group were stover 2,000 now at over plus 1,000 who’re on instagram – it took off in a way I had not anticipated 

we do it depends on the season when the weather is nice out we really like to get outside we have planted and harvested produce for cmmty food pantries, this past spring we had a worm lesson why worms are good for ur garden, we’ve hiked and we’ve picked up trash – this October we trick or treated in nursing homes – we do a little bit of everything

our tortreating those are really well attended – our group is usually b/w 20 and 30 over the summer we did super summer Sundays and we just did like a playground meetup – 200

we are – were actually we are expanding into Cleveland in the new year with our expansion we will b phasing out voluntykes – voluntots was OG ages 3 thru kindergarten – voluntykes to through grade 5 – any age restrictions or requirements will kind of fall by the wayside open to all kids walking through 18 or 17 I guess well just let ppl no way age group 

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everywhere – we have a steering committee divided into n, s, e, w and city anyone can go to any one they want this is ugh people aren’t gona cross a bridge or tunnel – food boxes mars squirrel hill and mt. Lebo (thanksgiving) – something big we have multiple sites of a similar event of diff. locations

as of now we do not we have a very strong south hills group we have gutter if anyone is interested in starting Washington pa they’re welcome to contact me

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bridge to homes our big holiday project were gona be in foster – toy and book clean outs b4 holidays – on sat. jan 21 well be having groups go in, do the heavy work, put together toys put together furniture, hang shelves – its just Presley ridge and auberlee were hoping to get eery child in Bethany christian services onboard – we haven’t been successful in getting in touch with them – bridge to home is last yr we sprtd foster care we raised presents for kids involved in the 3 river adoption council we helped Beth. christ. secs this is the 1st yr that we’ve actually created our own program – over the summer I was scrolling instagram I have 2 biological sons – foster kids is on mine and my husbands radar I saw someone posting about the sad state of visitation rooms I was like someone should rly do something about that wait a minute I can do something about that – 4,000 vols in the voluntots universe. – I kind of had this very lofty, well go in and paint then I started interviewing birth parents, specifically moms … overcoming drugs and alcohol … sojourner house … what would du like to see and they were incredibly helpful they helped kind of give me a better idea they suggested we do centers sort of like a preschool setup – 3 rooms, infant, toddler, older child room, age appropriate centers, toddler: book center, art center, imaginative center 

we have a rly goo relationship with them the women 

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were always look gin to get more kids involved if anyone in Washington county want to start a chapter that’s closer  tothem – if kids want to go through their playrooms, go through their books and donate their new org entry used stuff, I no parents have stuff its brand new they haven’t even brothers it out of the box because parents, aunts, uncles go a little overboard – ppl can email me (to arrange donation) as well as if ppl are interested in participating in any of the activities that I just described

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if people do if people are reading this and they live in closer to ugh were always recruiting for our steering committee, who plan and implement the projects

VOLUNTOTS OF SWPA 

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501c3 still waiting on our final IRS letter confirmation, they Calle dour board treasurer last week we have our EIN since February we’ve – we do we have a Venmo account, we have we’re gona have a Presley ridge wish list, that’s over amazon, through Facebook @Voluntots_SWPA (Venmo)

we’re coming up on 2 years its insane I was like I’m going to make a fun little group for my friends – planned volunteer groups in middle school – I was a social worker before I decided I was gona step away after my first son was born – familiar with not only some of the social concerns but I also new kind of who to contact to help make the most impact – I’m in wexford 

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older son 5 Bennett

second is 2 1/2 William