Request Volunteers

The Kernodle Center welcomes requests from the community seeking individual or group volunteers for one-time or ongoing projects that may not be met by Academic Service-Learning Courses or current Kernodle Center programs and events. Such requests might broadly address constant needs such as tutoring, serving meals to the hungry, teaching English as a second language, or addressing a particular local social issue. Other requests might focus on one-time events, such as a Haw River clean up, Easter egg hunts, calling scores at Senior Olympics, or planning an event for elderly residents of a nursing home.

The Kernodle Center cannot guarantee a student response, but the we will make a request known by posting in through our community engagement platform Phoenix Serve and then advertising it through our weekly e-newsletter and with other campus partners.

Please consider the following when making a special request:

Our Center gives priority to requests from non-profit organizations in Alamance County.
The best time for your non-profit organization to submit a request is prior to the start of a given semester. January and August often serve as planning months; submitting requests at those times gives the Kernodle Center more time to plan a way to recruit volunteers for event(s).
If students will require training from your organization, please make sure to mark that requirement on the special request form. If volunteers will be working with children in any capacity, please note that, as they will require training from the Kernodle Center.
Although it is preferable to receive requests as early as possible, they must arrive in the Kernodle Center office at least 2-3 weeks prior to the service event date(s).
Students will contact organizations directly so the organization may monitor how a specific need is met.
It is helpful to keep a list of responding students handy to contact directly in the future should needs arise.
Individual organizations, not Elon or the Kernodle Center, are responsible for volunteer insurance.
Requests must be agency-based. The Kernodle Center will not post requests for individual needs in the home, such as caretakers and drivers.
To remain nonpartisan and in compliance with the University’s guidelines on Civic Engagement, requests for volunteers for political affiliations will not be announced.

Special requests involving service in a private residence (e.g. tutoring, yard work, etc) or transporting individuals (e.g., to appointments, schools, etc) will not be processed.

How to Make a Request

Three-to-six weeks before an event (or events), determine the specific need, including dates, times, and number of volunteers required. Be sure to clearly define the responsibilities of the volunteer and determine a date by which you need a response. Fill out our volunteer request form on Phoenix Serve by clicking here. Once you click this link, you will have to create a basic account on our platform in order to be able to submit a request.

If you have questions about filling out the form or making a request, email elonvols@elon.edu