Volunteers in Action

Our volunteer center is sponsored by Barton Community College. The college provides office space, equipment, iT assistance, fiscal oversight and other needs.

The AmeriCorps Seniors program is a part of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). AmeriCorps Seniors is under the umbrella of Senior Corps which encourages people 55 and better to give back to their community and in turn stay active in body and mind.

Volunteers In Action was created through a grant from the Kansas Volunteer Commission and the Volunteer Generation Fund grant. This program encourages volunteerism in all areas of the community and strives to help other non-profits build their capacity through utilizing volunteers. The KVC continues to support our program through the Volunteer Generation Fund grant and other mini-grants.

The United Way of Central Kanas is a vital partner for VIA/AmeriCorps Seniors. The funds received from United Way help to supplement many of the programs that deal with access to care, access to food, access to vital information.

Barton County along with the City of Great Bend and Emergency Aid help fund the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Program.

Other funders include the Golden Belt Community Foundation, Meals On Wheels and individual donations.

The answer is it varies. Depending on the volunteer position(s) you accept. We encourage volunteers to know what time commitment you are willing to give and stick with that amount of time.

The registration form makes sure we have your contact information, emergency contact and the information for the supplemental insurance and beneficiary. It also has a photo release and an opportunity for you to choose events, projects or programs that you would consider helping with if you have the time.

The supplemental insurance is complimentary to all our volunteers and carries with it a life insurance benefit (small one). This is a secondary pay insurance, so the volunteers insurance pays first. All volunteer centers are required to maintain this for their volunteers and we must have it on file.

Training for each volunteer position is different. When you register with our program, you will receive general information about Volunteers In Action/AmeriCorps Seniors as well as how to report hours and the other benefits. Each volunteer assignment will then have a separate training that pertains to the position as well as the organization you are helping.

Reporting hours can be done by going to our web page and clicking on the “Report Hours” box. This will take you to a simple on line form. Many of our agencies keep a time sheet that they will turn in for you. If you sign into to your volunteer opportunity, you do not need to report those hours. If you volunteer on your own at a position that was not accepted through VIA/AmeriCorps Seniors you can still report those hours using the online form. If you are not comfortable with computers you can call your hours into our office at (620) 792-1614.

Volunteers In Action/AmeriCorps Seniors will call you about a volunteer opportunity if it is something you were interested in. The majority of the time, we will send out an email letting you know an opportunity is available. We will also post those opportunities on our web page and on our Facebook page.

Volunteers are encourage to attend our annual banquet held in August at Barton Community College Student Union. There is also a volunteer reception held every February at the Great Bend Recreation Centers’ Burnside Room. We also highlight volunteers in our quarterly newsletter as well as on our Facebook page.

Volunteer opportunities are posted on our Facebook page as they come up and on our web page. If you selected that type of opportunity on your registration form we will send out an email request or a phone call.

Anytime you are putting in volunteer hours you may count them. Just make sure you record them online or call us with the Date/Place/What you did/Amount of hours.