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Become a Volunteer

Chicago Hyde Park Village carries out its mission through volunteers. Volunteers provide social and personal services for members, technical support and advice, as well as recreational activities and programs. The Member Services Committee and CHPV staff work works with volunteers to match their skills and interests with the needs of the organization and its members.

Goals of the Volunteer Program

To support the mission of Chicago Hyde Park Village by providing volunteer support to members and the organization.
To assist members to accomplish small daily tasks and to provide transportation to errands, events and appointments that make it possible to live independently.
To seek volunteers to fulfill a member's requests before recommending a professional service provider.
To nurture and build community by developing connections among members and volunteers of all ages.
To provide opportunities for new friendships among volunteers and members as they participate in social and educational programs, share experiences and discover mutual interests.
To ensure volunteers have a pleasant and rewarding service experience
To develop a greater knowledge and understanding of issues affecting seniors in our community.

How the Volunteer Program Works

Schedule:

Volunteer scheduling will accommodate the availability of each volunteer. Some may prefer a consistent schedule, whereas others may prefer a more flexible schedule. Volunteers are contacted about upcoming volunteer opportunities that match their interests and can select which services they would like to fulfill through our self sign-up webpage. Volunteers may also be contacted directly when last-minute service requests are received.
Volunteer opportunities are based on member requests, so they are unpredictable. Some months, a volunteer might be called upon six times; during other months a volunteer may receive no calls. It will be helpful when you are flexible and understand that there may not be consistent service opportunities.
Volunteer service at CHPV is at the discretion of the volunteer. Volunteers may serve on a regular or periodic basis. Volunteers should feel free to accept or decline particular assignments, depending upon their personal schedules and preferences, without explanation.

Requests:

All member service requests come through the Village office--by way of servicerequest@chpv.org. The information is given to a coordinator who will recruit a volunteer trained to provide the service requested. The individual requesting the service will be contacted either by the coordinator or the volunteer.

Steps to Becoming a CHPV VolunteeR

Training Session

All volunteers participate in a CHPV volunteer training session. The training sessions are approximately 1 hour and are available in-person or via Zoom.

Background Check

Once you complete the training session, you will receive an invitation from Sterling Volunteers, the company that does our background checks. It usually takes a few days to process the background check and CHPV covers the costs. Please note that Sterling Volunteers will ask you to provide some private information such as your social security number, the addresses where you have lived for the past 7 years, and driver's license details (for those wishing to be added to CHPV's volunteer driving pool). Please upload this background check authorization form when you submit your application.

Vaccination information

Since we work with an older population that is vulnerable, we ask volunteers to be up to date on their vaccinations. Please provide details about your flu and Covid vaccination status on this form.

Other documentation

copy of a school or government-issued ID (a driver's license is required for volunteers joining the CHPV driving pool)

copy of car insurance (only for volunteers joining the CHPV volunteer pool)

If you are a current CHPV Member who is interested in volunteering, please click here for instructions.

If you are a new volunteer, and are not a current CHPV member, please click here for our online application.

If you would prefer to make an in-person appointment to complete your application, or if you have any questions, please contact Dorothy at dorothy.pytel@chpv.org or 773-441-8457.

We look forward to having you join us as a volunteer at the Chicago Hyde Park Village. Thank you!