Give 5: Patch Connects with Volunteer Opportunities at Pillars

The most important part of Patch’s mission is to connect communities.

Patch was founded, in large part, as a means for volunteers to find local organizations in need of a hand.

We support that mission by providing free online tools, such as our Western Springs events calendar and blogs, that help nonprofits spread the word about their activities.

And we live that mission through our Give 5 program—five days each year when we put our notebooks and laptops aside and get out into the community to do good deeds.

Some of my favorite Patch memories stem from Give 5. It gets me out of my head and into the community in a different way than when I’m a reporter. I’m not an observer. I’m a participant.

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I approached Pillars in La Grange Park this week about volunteering with them. (Thank you to Karen Deane for the connection!)

I love the breadth of what Pillars offers, from grief counseling for children who’ve lost a parent to a safe house for victims of domestic violence. Its staff and volunteers aren’t afraid to step into life’s darkest moments, help people find hope, and let them know they’re not alone.

On Thursday morning, I met with Pillars staff members Sam Madan and Kathryn Sloan Smith, as well as volunteer Michelle Halm, who is co-chairing the 2014 ball.

They shared the myriad opportunities for volunteering with Pillars, as well as why community support matters so much to the 10,000 clients they serve each year.

In the short term, I’m going to offer them some advice about how to leverage social media and promote the great work that they’re doing in La Grange, Western Springs and beyond.

In the long term, I want to, as they say, get my hands dirty and help Pillars in a physical way, too. I’ve got my volunteer application all set.

If you’re considering getting involved, here’s what you need to know about Pillars:

There’s something for everyone. If you’re looking for a low touch, once-in-awhile commitment, you can be an envelope stuffer in an office or check people in at the door during an event. Those who want to embed themselves deeper can serve as an advocate for victims of sexual assault or become a life skills coach to clients who live in transitional housing. No matter how you lend a hand, it’s a big deal. “We have such limited resources, we’re trying to make every dollar count,” Smith said. “Something like just getting a little office help is huge.”

They’ll give you the tools you need. Pillars offers free training before dropping volunteers into any of its more involved programs, such as crisis intervention. “You’re not just thrown in,” Halm said. “You’re given the pieces to work with, and behind that, staff continue on with that work.” The training is transferable to other service organizations around the area, and many take advantage of Pillars’ courses for their own staff members.

You could change someone’s life. One of Pillars’ hallmark programs is Buddy’s Place, which provides support to children who have lost a loved one. Pillars provides a safe space for both kids and the adults in their life to process their grief, either through a monthly drop-in program or a more structured eight-week curriculum. Through the tools Pillars provides, kids learn to broach devastating emotions and begin to come to terms with death. In one group, Halm said a group of kids and moms started going out to dinner together after each session, bonding over their shared sadness. “They hadn’t talked about their fathers’ death (until then),” she said. “It’s a very heavy subject, but the program director makes it accessible.”

Visit Pillars’ website for more information about volunteering.