BY KAREN BOSSICK

Wood River Valley residents looking to plug in to volunteer opportunities this summer are invited to do so through the Spur Community Foundation’s new online listing of local volunteer opportunities.

The volunteer portal is embedded in the foundation’s “It’s In Our Nature” website. And it serves as a central hub for those wanting to make a positive impact with their time and talents.

To access it, go to The Spur Community Foundation website at https://www.spurfoundation.org/. Click on “Our Community” and drag your cursor down to “It’s In Our Nature.” Go to “Get Involved” and drag your cursor down to “Volunteer.”

Girls on the Run can use some extra volunteers for its Color Me Fearless 5K run coming up May 31.

Volunteer opportunities range from maintaining trails to helping with Camp Rainbow Gold’s Family Camp to helping with summer events, supporting students and restoring natural areas.

“So much of what we all love about the Wood River Valley is made possible by people contributing to our local nonprofits," said Sally Gillespie, Executive Director of Spur Community Foundation. “As Spur works to nurture that give-back ethos, we want to make it easier for people to discover where volunteer help is needed and enable them to get involved with the causes they care about most.”  

To date, 35 of the Valley’s approximately 85 nonprofits have enrolled to post their opportunities on Spur’s volunteer portal. The number of postings will vary each time someone visits the site, but a person can expect to find a range of opportunities from specific assignments at scheduled times to ongoing openings for skills needed for advisory, committee, or board roles.

Volunteer opportunities are listed by the most immediate date, followed by general interest signups. Users can filter the list by areas of interest, such as ‘environment’ or ‘family friendly,’ as well as by their own availability and other parameters.

“At the end of each session of Spur’s recent Giving Thought Learning Series, which covered topics like charitable giving, immigration, childcare and the bonds of community, people asked, ‘How do I make a difference?’ ” said Gillespie. “The most consistent recommendation from our panelists was to get involved. Spending time volunteering is a great way to do that.”

Nonprofits that want to list opportunities on the site are encouraged to contact Spur at 208-450-2600.  

Spur Community Foundation is a Ketchum-based nonprofit inspiring effective philanthropy in the Wood River Valley by helping people to give purposefully and local nonprofits to achieve maximum impact.