As a student at NDSCS, your educational experience can be greatly enhanced by volunteering either locally in the community, near your hometown or through a national non-profit affiliate.

What is Service Learning?

Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities. 

Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner

• Contact: Kirsten Lathrop - Inspiration Church
• Phone: 701-403-4709
• Email: klathrop37@gmail.com
• Website: www.inspirationchurch.org
• About: Every year, Inspiration Church hosts a Thanksgiving meal that is free and open to everyone in the community. Over 250 people come to the church for the meal, and over 200 meals are delivered to those unable to come to the church. Students are welcomed and encouraged to have their holiday meal with us! There are many volunteer opportunities. The week of Thanksgiving, there are set-up and food prep tasks each evening. Thanksgiving Day, volunteer shifts start at 9 a.m. for set-up and go until 1 p.m. with clean-up.

Crosses for Cameron

• Contact: Sarah Fisher
• Phone: 701-729-8283
• Email: CrossesForCameron@outlook.com
• Website: crossesforcameron.org and GardenofHealingFargo.com
• About: At Crosses For Cameron, students have an opportunity to create social media posts, make rock packets, clean ditches in the spring and fall, help research places they can share the organization's missions with businesses or nonprofits and enter names into an excel spreadsheet, and plant flowers in the garden.

FirstLink

• Phone: 2-1-1 or 701-235-7335 (SEEK)
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (answered locally by FirstLink):  1-800-273-8255
• Text your zip code to 898 211
• Email: info@myfirstlink.org
• Website: givingheartsday.org for volunteer opportunities, myfirstlink.org for community resources
• About: FirstLink is a great resource for students needing financial or emotional support. FirstLink is your local 24 hour service. Specializing in suicide support services, volunteerism and linking people to thousands of community resources. They are available 24 hours a day via the 211 helpline and National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.  FirstLink is a private, nonprofit human service agency that has been around since 1970.

Hospice

• Contact: Jenna Maxwell
• Phone: 218-643-2275
• Email: jennamaxwell@catholichealth.net
• Website: www.catholichealthinitiatives.org
• About: If you have some free time and are looking for positive and rewarding ways to help others in need, becoming a hospice volunteer is a great opportunity for you. Duties range from assisting with office work to visits with patients and families. Please contact Jenna Maxwell by phone or email if you are interested in learning more about how to become a hospice volunteer.

Hospice of the Red River Valley

• Contact: Julie Rivenes
• Phone: 701-356-1503
• Email:  julie.rivenes@hrrv.org
• Website: www.hrrv.org
• About: We are looking for the following volunteers: Patient care, Hairstylists, Massage Therapists, Pet Therapists, Light Housekeeping, Seamstresses.

Human Society of Richland-Wilkin Counties

• Contact: Erika Koppelman
• Phone: 701-672-1676
• Email: hsrwcbmh@gmail.com
• About: At the Humane Society of Richland – Wilkin Counties, there are a variety of tasks that are available to volunteers that greatly help us keep the shelter running smoothly, and to keep the animals as happy and comfortable as possible while they’re in our care. If you’re an animal lover and would like to have contact with the animals, there are opportunities to walk dogs, assist with the bathing/grooming of animals, cleaning kennels, and playing with dogs and/or cats while they have their “free time”. There are also opportunities for those that may not be as keen on animals such as assisting with enrichment activity prep, washing bowls, housekeeping, and organizing. There are also some office work opportunities that involve scanning, filing and organizing documentation. Tasks will vary as the seasons change. We greatly appreciate the help of our dedicated volunteers and welcome all to tour our shelter to see if this is a volunteer opportunity that they will enjoy. Our public hours are 3pm–7pm Monday through Friday, however we can discuss other volunteer hours if this timeframe is not a possibility.

Kinship

• Contact: Rebekah Christensen
• Phone: 701-672-0303
• Email: rwkinship@702com.net
• Website: rwkinship.org
• About: At Richland Wilkin Kinship we believe even the slightest positive influence has the potential to change a child’s life. All youth need adult support and deserve at least one mentor to come alongside them to help them succeed. Data shows that 1 in 3 of our nation’s young people are growing up without a mentor. Kinship needs reliable adult volunteers to mentor local youth ages 6-14 for four hours per month. We ask our volunteers for no less than a one year commitment. Kinship offers mentor support and one group activity per month. Choose to make a difference in a child’s life today! If you are interested, please contact us with questions or for more information.

Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program

• Contact: Toys for Tots Assistant Coordinator
• Phone: 701-642-8001 Ext 209 
• About: Toys for Tots is a national organization that assists children in need. We do this by collecting donations and toys in the local area in order to assist local families in providing Christmas presents for their children. During the October - December time period, coordinators responsible for each region will determine donation sites and will host donation events in order to collect toys and raise funds that will be spent in that area. Volunteers are always appreciated as this site has a small Marine Detachment with few local Marines. 

Volunteers assist in the following ways:

• Setting up drop boxes throughout Wahpeton and Breckenridge
• Collecting drop boxes when full
• Participating in Toys for Tots events in the area
• Sorting donated toys
• Organizing Toys for distribution
• Assisting in Distribution Event

Det MP Supt Company
4th Law Enforcement Battalion
2003 4th St N
Wahpeton, ND 58075

Meals on Wheels - Valley Senior Services

• Contact: Amy Laney
• Phone: 701-642-3033
• Email: alaney@valleyseniors.org
• Website: www.valleyseniorservices.org/senior-services/meals-on-wheels/
• About: Valley Senior Services provides nutrition, transportation, and resource services to older adults in Richland County. Our Meals on Wheels program provides a hot, nutritious meal Monday through Friday to homebound older adults in our community. We need volunteers to help us deliver those meals in Wahpeton! Volunteers start delivering around 11am and it takes about 30-60 minutes to deliver the route. We can accommodate your schedule, whether its once a week or once a month. Please contact us or stop in to the Wahpeton Senior Center to fill out an application. Join us in combating hunger and isolation while making a significant impact in the lives of our neighbors who need it most. 

Relay for Life of Richland & Wilkin Counties

• Contact: Carol Poppel
• Phone: 701-403-9232
• Email: mcpoppel@wah.midco.net
• Website: www.relayforlife.org/richlandwilkinnd
• About: Are you interested in joining in the fight against cancer and helping to create a world with more birthdays? 
  
  The Relay For Life of Richland-Wilkin is seeking passionate and dedicated NDSCS students to help in the planning of the event that is held annually at the NDSCS Blikre Activities Center. Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising event, and brings together more than 4 million people worldwide. Campus Relay For Life events are where teams of students raise funds for the American Cancer Society, walk the track, celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost and fight back against cancer -- right at their school. The funds raised through Relay For Life supports the American Cancer Society’s mission to save more lives from cancer by helping people stay well and get well, by finding cures and fighting back.
  
  Students: Relay For Life offers you an opportunity to add experience to your resume, develop team building skills and allows you to make a difference.

Richland Wilkin Food Pantry

• Contact: Lois Fenske, Director
• Phone: 701-403-0320
• Email: RWFoodPantry@outlook.com
• About: The Food Pantry provides food to families in need that live in our region. Part-time volunteers are asked to fill shelves with food and provide light cleaning.

Salvation Army Kettle Campaign

• Contact: Shirley Fox-Trydahl
• Phone: 701-403-9549
• Email: shirleyfoxtrydahl@gmail.com
• About: The Salvation Army serves the people in Richland and Wilkin counties. The money raised here stays here to assist the people in our counties in times of need. The Salvation Army is in need of bell ringers during their kettle campaign which takes place annually starting the day after Thanksgiving and ending on Christmas Eve.

Three Rivers Crisis Center

• Contact: Becky DeVries
• Phone: 701-642-2115
• Email: beckytrcc@midconetwork.com
• About: Three Rivers Crisis Center is a private, non-profit organization that serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child sexual abuse.

TRCC offers:

• 24-hour crisis line
• crisis intervention
• counseling with certified therapists
• assistance with Orders for Protection
• emergency shelter
• advocacy
• violence prevention education

Three Rivers Crisis Center is looking for caring individuals who are interested in helping others by joining our team of Crisis Intervention Advocates. TRCC’s office is open from 8:30-5:00 Monday-Friday.  When the office is closed the 24-hour crisis line is operated by trained Crisis Intervention Advocates who generously give their time, talents and support to those in need.  TRCC could not function without our advocates.  They are the reason we are able to provide services 24-hours a day.  Crisis Intervention Advocates are the men and women who answer the mobile crisis line on nights, weekends and holidays.  In the spring and the fall we offer a 20-hour comprehensive training on topics of: domestic violence, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, crisis intervention, listening skills and victim advocacy.  Applicants must be at least 19 years old.  If you are interested in applying to become an advocate, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Becky DeVries at 642-2115 or beckytrcc@midconetwork.com.

Nationwide Opportunities

• www.borgenproject.org
• www.dosomething.org
• www.idealist.org
• www.volunteermatch.org 
• www.volunteennation.org

If you are a non-profit organization interested in listing an opportunity on this page, please click here to submit your volunteer opportunity.