COAR Programs
Alternative Break Trips
Alternative Fall Break: Donate your Fall Break to a worthy cause! Work with a group of UMW students in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity to better a neighboring community.
Council Contact: Kari Evans ( kari.anne.evans at gmail.com) and Jen Hicks ( jhicks2 at mail.umw.edu)
Alternative Spring Break: Spend your Spring Break working on a Habitat for Humanity site alongside other college students from across the country. Past groups have traveled to Tampa Bay, Daytona, and Atlanta.
Council Contacts: LucyBooth ( lbooth at mail.umw.edu), Brad Efford (bradley.efford@gmail.com), Nicole Conti (nconti@mail.umw.edu), and Vicky Hudspeth ( vhudspet at mail.umw.edu)
Animal Affairs
SPCA: Do you miss playing with your cat or dog? Then volunteer with the Fredericksburg SPCA, a shelter for abused or homeless animals.
Council Contact: Janet Greider ( jgreider at mail.umw.edu)
Therapeutic Horseback Riding: Like horses? Come volunteer at Hazelwild Farm and spend some time rehabilitating children and adults with disabilities while working closely with horses.
Council Contact: Kelly McIntire ( kmcintire at mail.umw.edu)
Bettering the Community
Best Buddies: Be a mentor to an adult with an intellectual or developmental disability living in the community. Best buddies spend time together as pairs and participate in special events for all best buddies.
Council Contact: Chelsea Brown (chelsbrown2@gmail.com)
Environmental Awareness and Action: Interested in helping the environment or educating the public on how to save the Earth? This program integrates environmental projects including river cleanups, working with Downtown Greens, and collaboration with the Ecology club.
Council Contact: Hannah Hopkins ( hhopkins at mail.umw.edu)
Food Bank: Help feed the needy by volunteering once a week at the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank by organizing food shelves and preparing care packages.
Council Contact: Sara Krechel ( skrechel at mail.umw.edu)
Habitat for Humanity: A program that works closely with the Fredericksburg Area HFH to provide safe and affordable housing for community members. Volunteers do not need any previous experience with construction.
Council Contacts: Kaley Huston (khuston@mail.umw.edu) and Taylor Quarles ( dquarles at mail.umw.edu)
Children’s Programs
Bigs in Schools: Partnered with the Rappahannock Big Brothers/Big Sisters Association, UMW students are paired with a student from a local elementary or middle school to mentor them after school during the week.
Council Contact: Sonia Roschelli ( sroschel at mail.umw.edu)
Campus Pals: In collaboration with the Rappahannock Big Brothers/Big Sisters Association, UMW mentors are matched with youth in the community to spend Sunday afternoon on campus.
Council Contact: Madalyn Crowell ( mcrowell at mail.umw.edu)
Head Start: Are you interested in early childhood education? UMW volunteers are paired with at-risk preschool classrooms to help implement lessons and activities on weekday mornings.
Council Contact: Amy Leap ( aleap at mail.umw.edu)
Heritage Park Mentoring and Tutoring: The Heritage Park Community Center provides several services for at-risk youth: Homework Club, Girl’s Club, and Boy’s Club. Become a tutor or mentor for these students and you will help make a difference in their lives!
Council Contact: Nadine Zaatar ( nzaatar at mail.umw.edu)
Hope House (Mom’s Time): Spend an hour one evening a week playing with children during “Mom’s Time” at this transitional living facility in downtown Fredericksburg.
Council Contacts: Rebecca Lee (rlee2@mail.umw.edu) and Madina Ahmadzai ( mahmadza at mail.umw.edu)
Olde Forge Junction: A one-on-one tutoring and mentoring program for at-risk elementary school students. The focus of this program is academic, but also includes building relationships with students from many different cultural backgrounds.
Council Contact: Laura Allan (lallan@mail.umw.edu) and Taryn Tashner ( ttashner at mail.umw.edu)
Thurman Brisben Center: TBC provides critical services to homeless individuals and families in the Fredericksburg area. Volunteers are needed to assist with various activities for children.
Council Contact: Emily Antos (eantos@mail.umw.edu) and Caleigh Ross ( cross2 at mail.umw.edu)
Walker Grant Middle School: Mentor middle schoolers after school is out on Tuesdays and Thursdays – anything goes as long as it’s fun for you and fun for the kids! Teach them guitar, play them in basketball, learn how to knit, or just sit and talk.
Council Contacts: Andrew Salatino ( asalatin at mail.umw.edu) and Maria Salas-Baltuano (msalasba@mail.umw.edu)
Young Women’s Leadership Program (YWLP): A mentoring program for adolescent girls at risk for poor academic, social, and/or emotional outcomes. It pairs college women with middle school girls for a semester of mentoring and leadership skill development.
Council Contact: Mary Richardson (mrichard@mail.umw.edu)
Health Care
Children’s Health: A growing trend in our country is childhood obesity. This program works with elementary and middle schools to help teach kids how to stay healthy.
Council Contact: Vince Noori (vnoori@mail.umw.edu)
Hospital: Are you thinking about becoming a doctor or a nurse? This program works with the Mary Washington Hospital, other area clinics, and the Red Cross.
Council Contact: Stephanie George (sgeorge@mail.umw.edu)
Working with the Elderly
Carriage Hill: Love old folks? Volunteer at Carriage Hill Senior Center and entertain a wiser generation. You’ll be sure to learn a few things too about how it was back in the day!
Council Contact: Stephanie Mattern ( smattern at mail.umw.edu)
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Can’t find anything on this list but still want to volunteer?
Stop by the COAR office in the lower level of Seacobeck Hall or contact us via e-mail. There are always plenty of events going on that we need volunteers for!!
