What is Single Volunteers of Boston?
How does Single Volunteers work?
What Types Of Things Do The Volunteers Do?
How do I join?
What do I have to do as a Single Volunteer?
What Happens If I Do Not Attend The Project I Signed Up For?
What do I do as a Single Volunteer Event Coordinator?
What's Happening With Single Volunteers On The National Level?
What Do Organizations Have To Say About SVB?
How does my nonprofit get volunteer help?
When are you going to have an event near me?
What other things does SVB do?
Are Children Allowed At Volunteer Projects Or Socials?
What's the Legal Stuff?
I don't have email, how can I get involved?
How do I change my email address?
Why am I not receiving emails?
Why are some events broken into age ranges and GLBT groups.

Single Volunteers is a group of energetic, single professionals with two common goals:

· Helping the local community
· Meeting other similarly minded people

Single Volunteers began in 1996 when two single women, Catherine Robertson and Dana Katherine Kressierer got tired of trying to figure out where to meet available, smart, sweet, funny, real people with whom to develop new friendships and relationships. Catharine and Dana decided to create an atmosphere where that is possible, and through which they can give something back to the community.

Since 1996, Single Volunteers has grown to include chapters around the country, and additional chapters are being added every year. The Boston chapter (SVB) was started in June 2002. We schedule volunteer opportunities and socials throughout the greater Boston area.

2) How does Single Volunteers work?

Most people want to do something to help their local community, but don't know how to get involved. Our Event Coordinator work with nonprofit organizations to schedule events where SVB volunteers can help the organization in any way that they need. Once organized, the events will be published on the Events page of the website and/or announced via the email mailing list. Volunteers should then sign-up (on a first- come first-served basis for those events which are limited in size) for those events in which they are interested.

More details (such as directions, things to bring, etc.) will be emailed to the volunteers for each event. The volunteers should then turn up at the right place, at the right time, with the right equipment, and have some fun while helping a good cause.

3) What Types Of Things Do The Volunteers Do?

Projects might be fixing or painting a house, assisting with food drives, clearing trails, registering runners in running events, distributing food and beverages at events, wrapping Christmas presents or parking cars. Members may volunteer for any projects of their choice.

4) How do I join?

1. Go to our Join SVB to receive information about our events.
2. Complete the Membership Form.
3. Check your email and the website regularly for new events and announcements, and volunteer for them!

The only requirements for membership are:
1. You must be at least 21 years of age.
2. You must be single.
3. If you volunteer for an event and you must show up on time
4. You are encouraged to stay after the end of the event to get breakfast/lunch/dinner, go roller-blading, or whatever else the Event Coordinator has suggested.

By participating in any Single Volunteers of Boston social or volunteer event, you are acknowledging that you have read and have accepted the terms as detailed on the Membership Form.

5) What do I have to do as a Single Volunteer?

1. Read your email and check the website for upcoming events and announcements
2. Email the Event Coordinator (listed on the Events page) to sign up for events in which you wish to participate
3. Arrive on time for your volunteer projects, and with the necessary equipment/supplies as stated on the website or detailed by your Project Leader
4. Try to stay until the end of the project unless you have a valid reason which cannot be avoided
5. Attend the social events as well as the volunteer projects
6. Increase membership by encouraging friends to join Single Volunteers

6) What Happens If I Do Not Attend The Project I Signed Up For?

The continued success of SVB depends on the support of its members. If a member chooses not to show up for a project, not only is the overall success of the project affected, but also the perception of how effective SVB can be in its obligations to the community and its members. For these reasons, SVB's policy for noshows is that a member who fails to attend two volunteer projects for which he/she is obligated, without prior notification to cancel, will have his/her membership terminated. You must notify your project team leader of your cancellation as early as possible, so that a replacement can be found

7) What do I do as a Single Volunteer Event Coordinator?

1. Accept Responsibility for Selected Projects and provide an email address and/or phone number to allow members to sign up for the event

2. Call/Email Members on the membership list where necessary to fill and/or balance out (age/sex) of the crew for a particular project

3. Arrive Early at the project site, take extra tools where appropriate, and be the last person to leave the project site

4. Welcome All Volunteers, make introductions, make a note of all volunteers in attendance (have a sign-up sheet for members to sign in an out - ask for email, arrival and leave times)

5. Get People Working! Make sure everyone has something to do

6. Supervise the Work, make sure everyone is okay, and make adjustments as necessary. Make everyone feel like what they are doing is important

7. Liaise With the Organization's Representative to make sure the volunteers are doing what is required

8. Thank the Volunteers, and the Organization's Representative for giving us the opportunity to help

9. Suggest an "After Volunteering Event" - eating, drinking, roller-blading, etc. (arrange beforehand if volunteers need to bring change of clothes, equipment, etc.)

10. Provide Feedback on the project, members in attendance, photos (or electronic images) of the event to the Volunteer Director (svbdirector@yahoo.com)

Please contact svbdirector@yahoo.com if you are interested in becoming a SVB Project Leader.

8) What's Happening With Single Volunteers On The National Level?

Single Volunteers has been featured in TIME magazine, People magazine, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan magazine and the New York Times. Single Volunteers of DC was displayed in NY Times in December 1998. SVTC was also featured on Oprah in December 1998 and was recently featured on Lifetime Television's New Attitude program.

10) How does my nonprofit get volunteer help?

If you are interested in SVB helping your organization, and your organization is:

1. A nonprofit or not-for-profit organization
2. Willing to accept a team of 10 or more volunteers of mixed gender for any one project
3. Have projects that will allow our volunteers to interact with one another while they work.

Please go to our Request Volunteers page to find out more information and submit your request. Our Director, or one of our Event Coordinators will be in touch to discuss the volunteer opportunity further.

11) When are you going to have an event near me?

SVB serves the greater Boston area. Our Event Coordinators are working to schedule events all over this area. If you are waiting for an event near you, why don't you lead one? You want to meet people right? See our Events page for more info.

13) Are Children Allowed At Volunteer Projects Or Socials?

Children attending SVB volunteer projects raises concerns with respect to the project's sponsoring organization, SVB members and children's safety. SVB's policy is that children are NOT permitted to attend any SVBC volunteer or social events.

14) What's the Legal Stuff?

By agreeing to attend any Single Volunteers event, social or meeting, I acknowledge that I have read and do understand all terms contained within the Single Volunteers Boston Volunteer Agreement.

15) I don't have email, how can I get involved?

Unfortunately SVB is primarily an internet-only group. We do not offer a snail-mail newsletter and phone calls are on a message only basis and must go through a 'middle man' ie. you don't contact the Event Coordinator directly and may miss the event. However, if you have a friend with email, they are more then welcome to sign up for you, and all of our correspondence will be sent to their address. Or, you can get a free email account through services such as Yahoo or Hotmail, both of which you can access through any computer with access to the World Wide Web (such as your public library or local Kinko's Copy Shop).

18) Why are some events broken into age ranges and GLBT groups.

Age ranges and preferences for events are a RECOMMENDATION ONLY. You will not be carded at any event, nor turned away if you happen to be older or younger then the recommended age or have to prove that you are heterosexual or otherwise (and if you are turned away please notify the Presidents (hyperlink to our email) of SVB, as this is not SVB policy).

However, other Single Volunteer chapters have found that events that are age range or preference specific are usually very helpful, especially at smaller events. People often want to meet others at or around their age or preference, and not be the only person over 40 with a group of 25 year olds, or vice versa, and so on. As such, sorting events really helps to give volunteers at least one commonality from the get-go.

Sorted events will only be allowed for groups of 20 or fewer volunteers. All larger events will be open for all, as larger groups tend to work fine with more diversity. Many events with fewer then 20 volunteers will also be for "all," as the age range (if any) is determined by the event coordinator, and many coordinators want their events to be open to everyone.

More on age ranges - Age ranges at events and socials will be listed as "something," e.g., "20 Something," "30 Something," etc. Ranges spanning decades will be listed as, for example, "30 & 40 Something" or "40 & 50+ Something."