How to Help

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Strong Communities to help protect children. For more information on any volunteer opportunity or if you have a suggestion for a creative way to support families, call 864-688-2214 or email strongcommunities@clemson.edu.

The Strong Communities initiative is based on the premise that child protection should be a part of everyday life everywhere children live, study, and play. Therefore, all of us have the potential to serve as volunteers in helping to build the kind of community where children are protected and families are supported.

Strong Communities partners with community institutions including schools, churches, local governments and public safety agencies to further common child protection goals. Many individuals have found expression of their commitment to children through Strong Communities-supported volunteer activities in their houses of worship, apartment complexes, neighborhood associations, civic clubs, etc.

Opportunities are available for groups of people, such as Sunday School classes, or for individuals within groups. Individuals are also encouraged to volunteer who are not affiliated with a group.

Businesses can support the work of Strong Communities by underwriting the costs associated with family support efforts and publicizing support activities to employees. Businesses can encourage employees to provide hands-on labor for renovation and improvement of facilities and encourage individuals to provide social support for families.

Strong Families is a component of Strong Communities that works directly with individual families of young children.

• Help identify families with new babies or families with children under three who are new to the community
• Make copies, organize information packets, etc. in preparation for mailing to families
• Help identify families with new babies or young families new to the community
• Donate/collect supplies and assemble gift baskets including disposable diapers, age-appropriate toys, children's books, etc. to be given to families with children under six
• Become trained as a Family Friend to provide encouragement to families
• Help organize and facilitate play groups
• Provide child care and/or food for a Parents' Night Out
• Lend expertise to workshops aimed at young parents
• Make appropriate space available to hold activities
• Publicize activities in your church, club, or workplace

Other Strong Communities Volunteer Opportunities include:

• Work to organize mutual support in your neighborhood or apartment complex using block parties and other special events
• Organize or re-energize a neighborhood association with an emphasis on keeping kids safe
• Provide child care and/or food for a grandparent support meeting
• Assist with the organization and distribution of Strong Communities bulletin inserts to churches
• Assist with organization and distribution of Blue Ribbon Sabbath materials annually in April
• Assist with Strong Communities newsletters and other mailings
• Translate materials into Spanish
• Enter data
• Donate/collect supplies for use in the Toy Library in Fountain Inn
• Staff the Toy Library during operating hours

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