Looking for a way to do good on the Vineyard?
There are many Vineyard organizations currently looking for volunteer help. These organizations include:
Vineyard Village at Home, which provides rides for housebound seniors. The organization, founded in 2006 in response to a study that found that the greatest need for elders living alone was transportation, depends entirely on a volunteer base. There is no specific time commitment, an email blast alerts potential drivers of a need. Currently, Vineyard Village at Home serves dozens of clients. “You’re not just helping someone, you’re making friends,” Polly Brown, president, said in a press release. For more information, call 508-693-3038, or email vineyardvillage@gmail.com.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Martha’s Vineyard has a waiting list of kids looking to be matched with mentors. The organization especially needs men to spend one-on-one time with kids around eight or nine-years-old who need a little extra companionship. To sign up as a mentor visit: bbbsmb.org/cape-cod/be-a-mentor/.
Habitat for Humanity of Martha’s Vineyard employs a volunteer force to help provide affordable housing to families earning at or below 80 percent of the Dukes County Area Median Income. Currently, the local branch of the worldwide organization is completing a project using a house kit that requires almost no carpentry experience. A construction supervisor oversees the operation, and participating in the project is a good way to learn while you help. Teens are welcome, but age restrictions apply. Habitat also has non-construction volunteer opportunities. For more information, call 508-696-4646 or email houses@habitatmv.org.
Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary is dedicated to protecting some of the Vineyard’s valuable habitats. There are four areas in which volunteers can help out, even during the winter months. “We are very much volunteer-driven,” sanctuary director Suzan Bellincampi said in an article in the Times last year. “We couldn’t do what we do without the help of the community.”
Property managers work on the four miles of trails and the garden and help with invasive species removal. Education volunteers help lead field trips and assist with public programs and in-school education. Citizen science work involves wildlife research and monitoring (shorebirds, salamanders and horseshoe crabs are currently being tracked). For those with less inclination to brave winter weather, office and building staff volunteers help to greet visitors and answer wildlife questions. “Volunteers learn about nature and wildlife of the Vineyard and get involved in conservation,” Ms. Bellincampi said. For more information, call 508-627-4850 or email felixneck@massaudubon.org.
There are lots more opportunities listed below.
ACE MV
Adult and Community Education of Martha’s Vineyard
acemv.org/
508-693-9222
Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard
508-627-8662
Lisa Hayes, Shelter Manager,
lhayes@animalshelterofmv.org
African American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard Inc.
http://mvafricanamericanheritagetrail.org/
508-693-4361
American Legion 186 Martha’s Vineyard
(508) 627-8673
Angels Helping Animals Worldwide Inc
(508) 274-2604
Contact: Leslie Hurd hurdpub@gmail.com
Aquinnah Cultural Center Inc
wampanoagtribe.net/pages/wampanoag_acc/index
508-645-7900
Linda Coombs, program director aquinnahcc@gmail.com
Big Brother Big Sister of Cape Cod and the Islands
https://www.bbbsmb.org/cape-cod/volunteer/
617-542-9090
BiodiversityWorks
biodiversityworksmv.org/
800-690-0993
volunteers@biodiversityworksmv.org
Community Solar Greenhouse of Martha’s Vineyard Inc
508-693-2019
Cottagers Inc
Edgartown Library Foundation Inc
508-627-4221 and 508-627-1373
The FARM Institute
508-627-7007
Farm Neck Foundation Inc
508-693-3057
Featherstone Center for the Arts
508-693-1850
Contact Ann Smith, Executive Director ann@featherstoneart.org
Friends of Family Planning of Martha’s Vineyard Inc
508-693-1208
Friends of Mvyradio
508-693-5000
Friends of Aquinnah Public Library Inc
aquinnah-ma.gov/library_friends
508-645-9092 President Caroline Feltz
Friends of the Chilmark Public Library
chilmarklibrary.org/page.php?id=2
508-645-3360
Friends of the Up Island Council on Aging Inc
508-693-2896
Joyce Albertine, director, coa-director@westtisbury-ma.gov
Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library Inc
vhlibrary.org/libraryfriends.shtml
508-696-4211
Friends of the West Chop Lighthouse Inc
lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=626
Friends of the West Tisbury Library Inc
westtisburylibrary.org/library-friends/
508-693-3366
wt_mail@clamsnet.org
Habitat for Humanity International Inc Martha’s Vineyard Hfh
508-696-4646
houses@habitatmv.org
Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard Inc
hospiceofmv.org/
508-693-0189
Island Autism Group Inc
Donate: crowdrise.com/island-autism-center/fundraiser/katherinedevane
Island Community Chorus Inc
info@islandchorus.com
Island Grown Initiative
http://www.islandgrownschools.org/
508-687-9621
noli@igimv.org
Island Theatre Workshop Inc
508-737-8550
itwonmv@gmail.com
League of Women Voters of Martha’s Vineyard
marthasvineyard.ma.lwvnet.org/
Library Friends of Oak Bluffs Inc
oakbluffslibrary.org/lfob-about/
Colleen Morris, (508) 693-3605
LibraryFriendsOB@gmail.com
Marine and Paleobiological Research Institute Inc
Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society
marthasvineyardagriculturalsociety.org/
508-693-9549
marthasvineyardagsociety@gmail.com
Martha’s Vineyard Area of Narcotics Anonymous
nerna.org/pages/marthas-vineyard-area
Martha’s Vineyard Association of Emts Inc
mvaemt.org/MVAEMT.org/Welcome.html
914-318-1477
mvaemtsec@gmail.com
Martha’s Vineyard Cancer Support Group Inc
508-627-7958
annemariedonahue54@icloud.com
Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living Inc
508-939-9440
Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society
508-696-8055
Martha’s Vineyard Community Television Inc
(508) 696-9760
Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative Inc
508-645-3690
mvtv@mvtv.org
Martha’s Vineyard Film Society Inc
Jessica Johnson, Director of Membership and Special Events, jess@mvfilmsociety.com
508-696-9369
Martha’s Vineyard Fishermens Preservation Trust Inc
mvfishermenspreservationtrust.org/
Martha’s Vineyard Girls Ice Hockey Booster
mvgirlshockey.com/booster-club.html
Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center
mvhc.us/
508-693-0745
Martha’s Vineyard Horse Council Inc
mvhorsecouncil.com/
508-645-3723
Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group Inc
mvshellfishgroup.org/
508-693-0391
Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby Inc
Martha’s Vineyard Theater Foundation Inc
508-310-7837
Martha’s Vineyard Youth Hockey Association Inc
508-693-3137
Mary P Wakeman Conservation Center Trust
bit.ly/VCS-DONATE
Signe Benjamin 508-693-9588
Media Voices for Children
508-693-0752
Mediavoicesforchildren@gmail.com
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 2052 Martha’s Vineyard NAACP
508-696-5785
Oak Bluffs Firemens Civic Association Inc
oakbluffsfireandems.com/events.html
Fire department phone 508-693-0077
Massachusetts Audubon at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary
Marion Hammond 508-627-4850 x101
Meals on Wheels / Elder Services of Martha’s Vineyard
508-693-4393
Permanent Endowment Fund of Martha’s Vineyard
508-338-4665
Red Stocking Fund
Co-Chairman Susie Wallo 508-776-6050
Sail Martha’s Vineyard Inc
508-693-7644
admin@sailmv.org
Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation
508-693-5207
Slow Food USA Inc Martha’s Vineyard
info@slowfoodmv.org
Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Massachusetts 9261 Vfw Mass
myvfw.org/ma/post9261/
508-693-9261
Vineyard Arts Project Limited
508-413-2104
support@vineyardartsproject.org
Vineyard Committee on Hunger
Betty Burton 508-693-5339
Vineyard House Inc
508-693-8580
Vineyard Open Land Foundation
Vineyard Playhouse Co Inc
508-696-6300
Women Empowered to Make Healthy Choices Inc
women-empowered.org/positive-choices/get-involved/donate/
Yard Inc
508-645-9662
Houses of Grace (Winter Homeless Shelter)
Dorie Godfrey dorie.godfrey@gmail.com
Island Food Pantry
508-693-4764
Island Grown Gleaning
Jamie O’ Gorman, 508-939-0841
jamie@igimv.org
Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
Volunteer Application: mvhospital.com
508-957-0195
Suzanne Hammond, Volunteer Coordinator: shammond6@partners.org
Martha’s Vineyard Museum
Mvmuseum.org
508-627-4441 x 117
Donation form: mvmuseum.org/pdf/MVMGivingForm.pdf
Martha’s Vineyard Boys and Girls Club
Peter Lambos 508-627-3303
bgclub@vineyard.net
Martha’s Vineyard Community Services
508-693-7900
Martha’s Vineyard Ice Arena
(508)693-5329
Polly Hill Arboretum
508-693-9426
Rising Tide Therapeutic Equestrian Center
risingtidetec.org/uploads/Volunteer_Form.pdf
SCORE of Cape Cod and the Islands
Capecod.score.org
(508) 775-4884
Vineyard Village at Home
Contact Polly Brown, President, 508-693-3038
Windemere
windemeremv.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/windemere-donation-form.pdf
508-693-0410 x 1933
YMCA
ymcamv.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Island-Impact-2013-Donation-Form1.pdf