Get Involved and Give Back!
There are many ways to carry out service, volunteerism, and community engagement at UMW. UMW staff have a long history of being involved in service and volunteer activities and making a positive difference in the greater Fredericksburg area. Here are a few ways UMW staff can get involved to give back to our Fredericksburg community:
1. Get involved in service activities through the Staff Advisory Council.
The Staff Advisory Council coordinates several service activities, including a canned food drive, a school supply drive, a Day of Service, and other events. Visit their events page to learn more about upcoming events.
2. Use your paid time off to help the community.
Did you know that UMW gives all full-time employees (classified and A/P Faculty) up to 16 hours of additional paid leave in any leave year to provide volunteer services through eligible non-profit organizations within or outside their communities? Such service may be provided as a member of a service organization or through authorized school assistance (volunteering at your child’s school). If you serve with a volunteer fire department and rescue squad or auxiliary unit thereof, you can take up to 24 hours of paid leave in any leave year (or 8 additional hours over the 16 for community service). The purpose of this policy is to set forth Virginia’s philosophy and administrative guidelines regarding volunteer and school assistance leave and to support the Governor’s Commission on National and Community Service which encourages Virginians to dedicate service to others. For more information about what qualifies as eligible service activities, read the policy. In order to take this leave, go into menu to request time off, and choose “Community Service” for community service hours, and “Fire-EMS Comm Service” for working with a volunteer fire department. For more information or clarification of the policy, visit with your HR benefits administrator.
3. Help with the annual Gift Box Drive.
Every November, our student COAR program coordinates a holiday Gift Box Drive where we ask students, faculty, and staff to help us fill gift boxes for local school children who participate in the Head Start and Virginia Preschool Initiative programs. Stop by the Center for Community Engagement, check out a box, and fill it with toys for local children! For more information visit our Gift Box Drive page.
4. Search through volunteer opportunities and sign up.
We list current volunteer opportunities on our MyUMW page. Visit our portal to browse our current volunteer opportunities, or visit the local Rappahannock United Way volunteer page for a broader listing of volunteer opportunities and ways to get involved in our the broader Fredericksburg community.
5. Have an idea for a service project? Reach out to us.
Stop by the Center for Community Engagement in Suite 320 in the UC or email Sarah Dewees at sdewees@umw.edu.