April is Global Volunteer Month and with the completion of its recent merger the Volunteer Center and Jersey Cares has expanded its services across The State to nonprofits, businesses and individuals, who are making differences everyday.

The Volunteer Center of South Jersey, now a program of Jersey Cares,  promotes volunteerism in the region and connects both individuals and businesses with opportunities to serve. The Center offers educational, consulting, and other support services to help our non-profit partners grow and serve the community.

The Volunteer Center (sjvolunteers.org) manages a mobile friendly platform that connects volunteers to local nonprofits. The Center recently launched its nonprofit capacity building initiative, offering professional development opportunities in Volunteer Engagement, Board Development and Service Enterprise Certification. In 2020, the Volunteer Center worked with Jersey Cares (jerseycares.org) responding to critical community needs throughout the State of New Jersey. The programs (and the partnership) created, include a shopping for seniors program, collections drives (coats, diapers, school supplies, etc.) and a robust Corporate Service Program, just to name a few.

Non-Profit Connect – Establishes relationships with NPOs through membership, providing one-on-one coaching, training and other consulting services. This includes volunteer recruitment and management through a mobile-friendly portal (GetConnected). NPOs are highlighted and can post volunteer needs, track volunteer hours, set schedules, and broadcast messaging. Over 7,000 volunteers are registered on the site. In addition, professional development opportunities are available and can fit any nonprofit budget. Training/education opportunities for staff, board members and volunteers. Includes Volunteer Engagement, Board Service, and Points of Light Service Enterprise Certification. A Service Enterprise is an organization that fundamentally leverages volunteers and their skills across all levels of the organization to successfully deliver on its social mission.

Campus Connect - Offers programs for youth seeking volunteering and service learning opportunities. The Youth Workforce Development Program provides a unique internship opportunity for New Jersey youth (16-24). YWD Fellows are exposed to real-life work experience through their project work with  a local nonprofit.

Corporate Service Connect - Leveraging more than 20 years of experience, Jersey Cares helps companies build authentic relationships with the community while providing meaningful employee experiences. The Jersey Cares Corporate Service Program provides our partners with tailored community service opportunities. Companies benefit from individualized corporate volunteer initiatives designed expressly for their employees and created specifically to accommodate their needs and schedules while addressing community-identified needs.