5 Nonprofit Organizations Where Milspouses Can Volunteer
Constant moves, remote locations, childcare Issues...the list goes on. As military spouses, we are often expected to put our careers on the back burner. Aside from binge-watching Bridgerton and grabbing coffee with friends, we crave ways to fill our time. For many, like myself, that means choosing to give back to the community.
Sometimes it is hard to know where to start. What skills do I have to offer? Is there an organization to volunteer with that will be flexible around my schedule? What causes mean most to me?
Aside from volunteering with MSAN, I have had some other really great volunteer experiences as a military spouse. I have been a Key Spouse, held a variety of board positions with spouses’ clubs and volunteered for the USO. These have all helped me grow my skillset, meet new people and enjoy each duty station more.
Make our community an even better place for everyone! Here are a few great places to start that can be flexible for military spouse volunteers while filling gaps in your resume and helping you grow professionally:
Become a Key Spouse
The Air Force Key Spouse program, inspired by the Navy Ombudsman program, promotes individual, family and unit readiness; maintains contact with unit spouses and families; encourages peer-to-peer support and provides a link between families and unit leadership. Key Spouses are trained to know about available resources for families and relay important information as needed to families, especially during times of deployment.
To become a Key Spouse, you must have approval from your Commanding Officer and attend training offered by your Military & Family Readiness Center, or the equivalent office on your installation. Key Spouses work closely with the Squadron Commander or Squadron leadership and a Mentor spouse.
All branches of the military offer similar family readiness programs under different names: Family Readiness Support Advisor, Ombudsman, and Family Readiness Officer are all volunteer positions providing the same type of support for military families.
Join a Spouses’ Club
Almost every base has a spouses’ club. Many are combined clubs where spouses of officers and enlisted personnel are part of one group, while some are open to retiree spouses and spouses of Civil Service employees, too.
Spouses’ clubs offer a wide range of activities from social to charitable. Some spouses’ clubs operate a base thrift shop to raise money for programs like scholarships, welfare/community grants and more. Others raise scholarships for military spouses and dependents.
Socially, spouses’ clubs typically host a monthly event that is open to all members and those in the community. They may have several special interest groups (also called special activity groups, sub-clubs, mini clubs, etc). These sub clubs are based on a variety of interests like Bunco, wine tasting, hiking, crafting, and more!
Serving on a spouses’ club board can provide you great experience to include on a professional resume. Spouses can serve in publicity/public relations, scholarship committees, or even as secretary. The options are seemingly endless!
Spouses’ clubs sometimes have a negative reputation for being old-fashioned, full of cliques or just for older spouses but this is often an unfair stereotype. Spouses’ clubs are typically 100% volunteer run with spouses from all walks of life. Each club runs a little differently from the other, so be sure to learn about how the Spouses' Club is managed on your installation.
Save Lives with American Red Cross
Many military spouses have logged hours as an American Red Cross volunteer. They have been Blood Donor Ambassadors assisting with blood drives, volunteer nurses, or even preparedness and safety volunteers installing smoke alarms in homes to help save lives during house fires. The organization also offers community service opportunities for teens and children, so families can volunteer together.
My friend Jennifer logged over 2000 hours with the Red Cross in California assisting with wildfire disaster relief while her husband was on a 365 assignment, unaccompanied, to Korea. “I gained a better understanding of how a community comes together during a disaster and how much actually goes into setting up shelters and keeping them running effectively," she said. "I learned what it’s like to work with community members of all walks of life and how much support there is for one another. I also learned organizational skills, how to organize community events, how to adjust to ever changing situations. I learned a lot about working as a team under high stress situations and trusting one another.”
Aside from some specialized training, like nursing, the Red Cross will provide training for you to volunteer.
Join a USO Center
We are currently stationed overseas and it has given me the opportunity to volunteer with our very active local USO Center. The USO staff and fellow volunteers have been super welcoming. Plus, the USO swag that I've earned is pretty great, too! So far, I have earned t-shirts, a polo, a travel mug and a USO pin. Hours can transfer from one USO Center to another, so you can keep racking up the hours throughout your military journey.
According to the USO's website, “USO centers provide a warm and comforting place where service members can connect to loved ones via Internet or phone, play a video game, catch a movie, have a snack or just put their feet up and relax.”
Our USO Center, for example, hosts weekly giveaways (mostly involving food, of course), military spouse workshops, support for unit family days and more. There are opportunities to do behind-the-scenes volunteer work like baking, putting together giveaways and stocking snacks in the Center. Or, you can take on a leadership role by heading up a specific program like storytime, sewing circle, or holiday events.
Mentor Military Spouses with MSAN
Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not give a shoutout to the Military Spouse Advocacy Network. After volunteering as the PR/Social Media manager for the Shaw Spouses' Club, MSAN advertised the Marketing Coordinator position, and I thought it was the perfect fit. Now, nearly two years later, I have climbed into the Marketing Manager position, where I have increased our social media engagement, improved our branding and public image, and worked seamlessly with other departments to meet and exceed the organization's goals for growth.
MSAN truly values its volunteers, offering perks like professional development training and networking opportunities, while all volunteering can be done from home.
Want to support fellow milspouses? Consider becoming a Mentor.
Are you knowledgeable about finances? Check out our Financial Readiness Advocate position.
Want to spread the word about MSAN’s mission to support, empower and educate military spouses? Think about joining our Ambassador program.
Those are just a few options, but each will engage you and provide a really awesome bullet for your resume. Plus, you’ll meet amazing people along the way!
What are your favorite places to volunteer? Head over to the Mentorship-HUB to share so other military spouses can join you in positively impacting our local communities!
