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Why Volunteer for LINK?
LINK needs the
continuous financial and volunteer support of our local businesses,
churches, and residents. Loudoun and Fairfax Counties
enjoy great prosperity and privileged circumstances. We believe we are an
enlightened community. As our
community continues to become more aware of neighbors in need, it becomes
clear that we must all inevitably protect and help one another. What
better way to get on board than by serving others?
What
Can You Do?
Hundreds
of volunteers are needed for LINK's special holiday basket programs held
at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Help make someone's holiday special -- Click
here for details about the volunteer opportunities available.
LINK is run entirely by volunteers. Please contact us if
you are interested in volunteering! Typical needs include food sorting,
packing, food delivery, screening food applicants, and coordination of
these activities.
If you belong to a church, civic group, business, or other
organization that shares our compassion for those in need, and with
members who are eager to be engaged in LINK activities, contact us about joining as a member.
Details about Volunteer Roles
Food Coordinators (FC) retrieve food request messages from the
LINK voice-mail box. FCs call the applicants who are requesting food and
interview them to determine their financial situation, number of family
members, and whether the applicants qualify. Once qualified, the FC calls a Pantry
Distributor (see below). LINK tries to have 8 FCs, each serving half a
month every 4th month.
Pantry Distributors (PD) pack the food (quantities based on LINK
guidelines) for the specific individual or family recipient and position
it at the pantry for pick up. The
FC (above) then calls the LINK Member Representative on duty for that
designated time period and provides the food recipientıs name, address
and telephone number. The LINK
Member Representative then calls the Delivery Volunteers (see below) to
schedule food pick up.
Delivery Volunteers (DV) contact the qualified applicant, schedule
the time of delivery and transport the bags of food to the individual or
family's place of residence.
Delivery volunteers are always needed and often come from LINK
member churches and organizations during their month committed to food
delivery.
Partnerships and Volunteering
LINK works
closely with The Closet in Herndon and the Good Shepherd Alliance Thrift
Store in Sterling. These stores are "Not for
Profit" facilities that collect donated items and sell them at a
nominal price. LINK encourages its
members to volunteer their services at these stores, and the Closet and
Good Shepherd, in turn, provide LINK customers with low cost or free
clothing, and the Good Shepherd can occasionally provide furniture from
its Thrift Store. Qualified
families are provided certificate letters of credit or vouchers
authorizing them to obtain a specified dollar amount of clothing articles
or furniture.
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