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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. CHPV works with volunteers to match their skills and interests with the needs of the organization and its members. Learn more about different volunteer opportunies available to you!

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 for Service:

All member service requests come through the Village office by way of servicerequest@chpv.org or telephone. A staff member will recruit a volunteer trained to provide the service requested. The individual requesting the service will be contacted either by staff or the volunteer.

Steps to Become a Volunteer

Training Session

For most volunteer roles, we require volunteers to participate in a training session. This is approximately 1 hour and available in-person or via Zoom. Contact us to schedule your training: volunteer@chpv.org.

For Event Volunteers

If you are simply volunteering once for an event, a training session may not be necessary. Sign up online to volunteer for select social gatherings and events.

Vaccination Information

Since we work with an older population who is at greater risk from illness, we ask volunteers to be up-to-date on their vaccinations. Please provide details about your flu and Covid vaccination status.

Additional Steps for Village Visitor, Driver, or Medical Appointment Companion

Some volunteer roles require that we gather more information from you. Please complete the application below if you wish to volunteer as a Village Visitor, Driver, or Medical Appointment Companion volunteer.

Once you complete the application and your volunteer training session, you will receive an invitation to complete a background check. CHPV contracts with a company called Sterling Volunteers to conduct background checks on our behalf. 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 (if you have one), addresses where you have lived for the past 7 years, and driver's license details (only required for volunteer drivers). Please download, complete, and return this background check authorization form when you submit your application (below).

Additional Required Documentation

The following documents are also required to volunteer for the Village Visitor, Driver, and Medical Appointment Companion volunteer roles. These documents can be uploaded during the application process (below).

Copy of a school or government-issued ID (valid driver's license required for volunteer drivers)
Copy of car insurance (only required for volunteer drivers)

Application to become a Village Visitor, Driver, or Medical Appointment Companion

If you are a current CHPV Member who is interested in volunteering as a Village Visitor, Driver, or Medical Appointment Companion, please click here for instructions.

If you are a new volunteer interested in becoming a Village Visitor, Driver, or Medical Appointment Companion, and you are not a current CHPV member, please click here for our online application.

Contact us at volunteer@chpv.org or (773) 363-1933 if you prefer to make an in-person appointment to complete your application or if you have any questions. We look forward to having you join us as a volunteer at Chicago Hyde Park Village. Thank you!