Enrich Attendees’ Event Experiences with Volunteer Projects

Ways to Volunteer While Attending an Arlington Event

In the capital area, volunteer opportunities abound with a host of non-profits, Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) and cause-driven organizations that can align well with your group or client’s mission. Activities can range from packing school supplies for local kids, joining in an environmental cleanup or even working as a volunteer at a charity run. If your clients’ organizational culture includes a focus on social responsibility, many local Arlington non-profits have activities that might be a good match for your attendees.

Engage in uniquely Arlington volunteer opportunities such as making honor visits to grave sites or laying wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery.  Or help wildflowers and native species return to an Arlington habitat by removing invasive plants in a group cleanup. Meaningful volunteer sessions, give-back events and unique service opportunities will resonate directly with your attendees and can strengthen relationships among teams.

Service Projects

If adding a service project to your agenda would enhance your meeting goals, here’s how you can find the Arlington volunteer activity that’s right for your group:

• Volunteer Arlington - Volunteer Arlington works with you to create a custom volunteer project, a tailored volunteer experience that incorporates the values and specific skills of your particular meeting group. Sort of like a wedding coordinator for volunteer service, Volunteer Arlington matches you with a project or non-profit group so that your attendees can have an experience that’s meaningful to them. Participants have done everything from visiting wounded warriors and making blankets for retirement communities to working at food banks and teaching kids interview skills, with every project uniquely aligned to the client’s specific culture. Contact Lisa Fikes, director of Volunteer Arlington, at (703) 528-2522 to arrange your meeting group’s Arlington service project.
• Arlington Parks and Recreation Department – Regularly scheduled environmental cleanups tackle invasive plant removal. For assistance on a project basis for invasive plant removal, for groups of five or more volunteers, contact Alonso Abugattas.
• VolunteerMatch.org – Peruse this general listing for one-off volunteer opportunities in the capital area.
• Serve.gov – Search for Arlington volunteer opportunities at Serve.gov, a government-sponsored website, or check Volunteer.gov for natural and cultural opportunities in national parks.

On-site Projects

On-site volunteer projects might be a good fit for meetings held in hotel space. You could create cards of inspiration for hospital patients at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where injured military members recuperate. Or coordinate with local organizations that assemble and donate care kits and emergency kits for a community in need.

How do you give back during meetings and conferences? Show us your project on social media using #stayarlington. And find out even more teambuilding ideas in Arlington.

Photos courtesy of Volunteer Arlington.