Overview
The Community Alliance is built on volunteers. Explore the tabs to find out the kind of volunteer opportunities we have. Children and adults of all ages have a fit. Our volunteers contribute directly to the community by increasing the amount of food available for hunger relief. As such, volunteer hours spent here qualify for service hours required at many area schools.
To volunteer, fill out the general interest form below. During the busy season, this general list will be replaced with a schedule of volunteer events.
Who are our Volunteers?
COMMUNITY
All members of the community are invited to volunteer with us. Families, children, seniors, and organizations are all welcomed. Whether you just volunteer for a day or continue to be a part of our network for many years, we’d love to have you come out and see what we do! We show our appreciation to our volunteers at our “snack chat” series, where volunteers have a chance to connect with one another and learn something new in a relaxed and friendly environment.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Need community service hours for school or a club? Look no further! High school students are welcome to volunteer with planting/harvesting in the summer or after school in the fall and spring. We can also support larger service projects like Eagle Projects (contact Amanda for more information about this). Sign up to be part of our email list in the overview tab to be kept in the loop for upcoming volunteer opportunities.
COLLEGE STUDENTS
Students from CSU, WCCC and CMU who interested in hands-on learning in small scale agriculture have a great opportunity with our program. We focus on building critical thinkers and leaders with our service-learning approach to training. Students will learn planning, planting, pest-management, harvesting and distributing. They will also gain a better understanding of the role agriculture plays in our community food system.
AMERICORPS MEMBERS
The Community Alliance hosts Americorps Service members through the Healthy Futures Program based out of Gunnison. Service terms range from three months to a whole year, and members are able to work in areas like food security, farm-to-school education, vegetable production, food safety, and many more. Americorps service allows individuals an immersive experience directly serving the Mesa County community while also furthering engaged scholarship and gaining relevant professional experience. For more information about Americorps, contact Amanda.
Fruit and Vegetable Harvests
FRUIT
We rely on the community to help harvest our nine acres of apple and fruit trees on weekday nights and on weekends in August and September. This fruit goes directly to food banks and volunteers get to take some home as well. We never send volunteers up on ladders and minimize the amount of weight they have to carry. If you are interested in joining a harvest, sign up on our form found in the overview tab.
VEGETABLES
On our four acres of land at Western Colorado Research Center, we grow vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, kale, and beets. Later in the season, we also grow a variety of squash and pumpkins. These vegetables are donated directly to local food banks and volunteers get to take some home as well. We need volunteers to help bring in the vegetable harvest throughout the growing season. If you are interested in helping, sign up on our form found in the overview tab.
