Feel an Urge to Volunteer? Here Are Seven Ways You Can

Are you familiar with the Urbandale Community Action Network? If not, you should be.

Here are seven working opportunities the local non-profit offers if you're looking to get more involved with your community:

Caring Corps
As Urbandale has grown more diverse, so have the needs of our residents. This committee has conducted a community needs assessments, is working on bringing health and human services to community residents, connecting residents with English language classes, and providing information on existing human services to those who might benefit.   Caring Corps continues it’s mission to assist Urbandale elderly residents with transportation needs and minor home repair projects.

Communications
We can achieve other UCAN priorities only if residents are aware of them. The UCAN site, UrbandaleNetwork.org, will serve as a central point of information for all community and school events. Residents may sign up to receive email notifications on upcoming activities or needs. The communications committee works on how to keep residents informed about their community.

Events
Giving residents an opportunity to come together builds a sense of community and civic pride. This group plans events to help bring residents together from all parts of our community emphasizing that we are all part of one Urbandale. Activities will strengthen ties between Urbandale cultural attractions and the community. Additional projects include joint school/community projects, an Arts Festival, and planning our centennial celebration in 2017.

Friends of the Parks
The purpose of this committee is to build a greater awareness of the Urbandale Parks and Trails system by hosting events such as the semi annual Tour de Trails walk.   The Friends of the Parks committee encourages homeowner beautification projects by sponsoring the Yard of the Month contest every summer. The committee also serves as a vehicle to accept gifts and memorials on behalf of the Urbandale Parks and Recreation Dept.

Infrastructure
The building blocks of a great community start with a stable infrastructure. Membersof this committee are working with the city on street improvements (Douglas Avenue Beautification), improved signage identifying our community boundaries, enhanced signage for important community facilities, and studying the potential benefit of Self-supporting Municipal Improvement Districts (SMID’s).

Strengthening Neighborhoods
Great neighborhoods are the lifeblood of any thriving community. This committee is working on building neighborhood collaborations, encouraging block parties, and connecting people within and between neighborhoods.

UFit in Urbandale
UFit aims to serve as a community based model that will engage citizens and leaders from city government, schools, businesses, and religious institutions to improve the quality of life for all Urbandale residents.

Application forms for any of these volunteer committees can be found online.

Looking for volunteers for your cause? Post a call for them on Urbandale Patch's new boards.