(Above) Gateway High School students picked produce for the school’s food pantry - Fall 2024
Student Volunteerism
Get Involved. Grow Your Skills. Make a Difference.
Whether you're in middle school, high school, college, or somewhere in between, volunteering is a powerful way to build real-world skills, explore career paths, and make a lasting impact right here in Wapello County.
From earning Silver Cord hours to gaining experience for college or job applications, your time and talents matter. We’ll help you find the right opportunity—whether it’s mentoring a younger student, helping in the garden, supporting a local event, or learning office and communication skills at United Way.
Volunteering isn’t just about giving back—it’s about becoming who you’re meant to be.
Earn Hours. Gain Skills. Make an Impact.
Students, your time and energy can change lives—and open doors for your future. Volunteer hours count toward Silver Cord, scholarships, and work-based learning experiences. Plus, you’ll build skills in leadership, communication, and teamwork.
✏️ Sign up through our Volunteer Interest Form to see opportunities tailored for high school and college students.
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Looking to explore a career path or build your resume?
Volunteering is a flexible, low-risk way to gain experience and confidence while supporting your community.
We can help you:
Find internship-style opportunities in nonprofit or business settings
Complete service-learning or practicum hours
Try out a career field before investing time and money
Make professional connections and learn real-world job skills
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Click to view our download:
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Volunteering can help you grow as a leader, meet graduation requirements, and build skills that look great on college and scholarship applications.
We’ll help you:
Fulfill your Silver Cord hours
Choose volunteer roles that match your schedule and interests
Explore causes you're passionate about
Gain valuable skills like teamwork, communication, and leadership
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Want to get your students involved in volunteerism?
We’re here to help you make it happen—whether you’re looking for a one-time service project, recurring opportunities, or something that connects to your classroom goals.
United Way of Wapello County can work with elementary school, middle school, high school, and college classrooms or student groups to create meaningful, age-appropriate experiences that build skills, spark community pride, and make a real impact.
Here are just a few ways we can support your class or team:
Hands-on Office Experience: Students can volunteer in our office to build work-based learning and soft skills like filing, scanning, scheduling, answering phones, shredding documents, or even helping with social media and marketing tasks.
Classroom-Based Projects: We’ll provide simple, purposeful activities students can complete from their classroom—like sorting and labeling garden seed packets, creating artful signs for our Community Food Pantry Gardens, or writing cheerful “Fan Mail” for veterans, first responders, or nursing home residents.
Join Our Pen Pal Program: Middle school, high school, and college students or clubs can participate in our Pen Pal Program with local 3rd and 4th grade classrooms—building literacy and mentorship through the exchange of handwritten letters during the school year.
Organize a Day of Service: Your students can participate in our Day of Caring or International Day of Service events, or we can help you organize a classroom or campus-specific clean-up day or a volunteer day in our Community Food Pantry Gardens.
Explore Career Paths: We can help arrange job shadowing or volunteer placements for students interested in specific career fields, giving them hands-on experience and connections in their area of interest.
Let’s work together to create opportunities that inspire, educate, and empower your students to become active citizens and leaders in their community.
Contact Allison:
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Flexible opportunities for students, clubs, and teams
Match with roles that align with your interests and goals
Volunteer experience that makes your applications stand out
Make a real difference in your community while building your future
Have questions or want help getting started?
📧 a.patzner@wapellocouw.org
📞 641-682-1264 ext. 18
(Above) Al Exito students helped assemble bath salts for care baskets for Awakening Grace, Day of Caring, May 2025
Future Leaders in Action
