Volunteer with us!
Volunteer Appreciation Event on Thursday, April 11
If you are a current volunteer, please join us on Thursday, April 11 to celebrate you and your contributions to Cornerstones!
The Volunteer
Appreciation Breakfast is 8 – 10 a.m. at our administrative office location: 11150
Sunset Hills Road, Suite 210, Reston, VA 20190 (2nd floor large conference
room). The Volunteer Appreciation Happy Hour is 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at The Bike
Lane: 11150 Sunset Hills, Reston, VA 20190. Please RSVP for either or both
events below. Thank you to The Bike Lane for their support of the afternoon
event!
Volunteer Opportunities
To begin your volunteer journey with Cornerstones, you will need to create an account in VolunteerHub, our volunteer management system. Once you have created an account, you can immediately sign up for available opportunities that you see listed. Please note that new volunteers will have access to some, but not all, volunteer opportunities. Others require a more in-depth onboarding process, including, but not limited to, a background check.
Please note that our minimum age to volunteer for most positions is 18. There are some opportunities for those 16 years of age and older. On occasion, we have opportunities for those as young as 13. Volunteers between 13 and 15 years of age must volunteer with a parent or guardian, and we ask that both the teen and parent or guardian create separate accounts in VolunteerHub at the same time (please use a parent’s or guardian’s email for both accounts). The parent or guardian is a volunteer and must actively participate in the volunteer activity with the volunteer who is under 16 years of age.
See below for some of our volunteer opportunities:
- Event Assistant
- Farmers’ Market Gleaner and Lead Gleaner
- SNAP at Market Assistant and Lead Assistant
- Front Desk Assistant at shelter
- Kitchen Assistant at shelter
- Organization Assistant at shelter
- After-school Assistant
- A Simple Gesture Helper
- Seasonal Drive Helpers
- And more!
On-site Group Volunteer Opportunities
We strongly recommend submitting a group request at least one month before your desired date. Shifts are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, and for the best experience, we recommend groups of up to 15 volunteers. We are also unable to guarantee specific project areas or duties for groups. Please note that volunteers must be 16 years of age or older to participate in group volunteer projects on-site at most locations. Volunteers must 18 years of age or older to participate in group volunteer projects at the Embry Rucker Community Shelter.
Please complete our on-site group request form, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
For a list of possible off-site project ideas, please click here. These opportunities are open to those under 16 years of age.
Off-site Group Volunteer Opportunities
If you are looking for a volunteer activity that can be done at home, school, or as an off-site group opportunity at a location of your choice, please consider one of our six off-site volunteer opportunities.
- Make Bedtime Snack Packs for Children
- Make Snack Packs for Adults
- Make Bagged Meals
- Catering for the Embry Rucker Community Shelter
- Build a Kit (Kitchen Staples, Food for Kids, Welcome Home, Personal Hygiene)
- Host a Drive
These activities are good volunteer options for those under 13 years of age, which is the youngest age possible for volunteering on-site with Cornerstones. To learn more, visit our Off-site Volunteer Opportunities document.
Please note the following:
- Off-site volunteer opportunities do not qualify for court-ordered community service. Please visit our Court-ordered Policies and Procedures document for more information.
- You or your group will be responsible for the purchase of supplies and creation of whichever off-site volunteer option you choose.
Teen Community Service
Teens often need to fulfill a community service requirement for school. Please note the following regarding our volunteer program:
- Our minimum age to volunteer for most on-site positions is 18.
- There are a few opportunities for those 16 years of age or older.
- On occasion (infrequently), we have opportunities for those as young as 13. Volunteers between 13 and 15 years of age must volunteer with a parent or guardian, and we ask that both the teen and parent or guardian create separate accounts in VolunteerHub at the same time. The parent or guardian is a volunteer and must actively participate in the volunteer activity with the teen who is under 16 years of age.
The teen can also volunteer off-site by working on a project from our list of off-site activities. There is no age restriction for off-site opportunities; however, the teen must be approved in advance by contacting Volunteer and Community Engagement staff at volunteer@cornerstonesva.org before working on a project from the list. Once approved and at the project’s completion, staff will sign off on the teen’s hours.
Please note that this option CANNOT be used for court mandated hours or adult volunteer hour needs.
Court-Related Community Service
Cornerstones accepts a limited number of volunteers seeking court-ordered (or attorney advised) community service hours for traffic court related matters. Only individuals with a traffic misdemeanor may qualify. Individuals must also meet the following criteria:
- Be 18 years of age or older,
- Complete the Court Ordered Policies Agreement,
- Pay a $50 administrative fee. The receipt of payment must be e-mailed to volunteer@cornerstonesva.org, and
- Create a VolunteerHub account, selecting the “I need court-ordered community service hours” option when prompted to do so.
Cornerstones staff will not recognize or approve any court-ordered (or attorney advised) community service hours if the criteria have not been met.
Please also note that court-ordered (or attorney advised) community service volunteer opportunities are only available at the FREE from Hunger Center (aka Food Hub). The volunteer opportunity is listed as “Food Sorter” in VolunteerHub. Cornerstones staff will not recognize or approve any court-ordered (or attorney advised) community service hours scheduled and performed at a location other than the FREE from Hunger Center (aka Food Hub).
Court-related (or attorney advised) volunteers must keep a record of their hours. Individuals who break volunteer protocol and/or are found tampering with their hours will be removed from service and no documentation of service will be provided. Also, please note that current clients of Cornerstones are not eligible to fulfill a court-ordered (or attorney advised) community service requirement with Cornerstones. Please contact Volunteer and Community Engagement Staff at volunteer@cornerstonesva.org for more information.
Volunteer FAQs
Interested in volunteering with us but have some questions? We’ve created a list of answers to some of the most asked questions about volunteering at Cornerstones.
I see that your minimum age for some volunteer positions is 13 years old. Are there any opportunities to help for those younger than 13? We have off-site opportunities for youth under 13 that can be done at home, school, or as a group, please click here.
Do I need to register to be a volunteer at Cornerstones or can I drop in? All volunteers, including parents or guardians, are required to register in VolunteerHub, our volunteer management system, before their first shift with Cornerstones. After volunteers have created a volunteer account, they are able to select volunteer opportunities. To create your volunteer account, please click here.
Do I need to schedule a time to volunteer? All volunteer opportunities should be scheduled in advance. Volunteers are not permitted to show up to a volunteer activity without registering ahead of time. After volunteers have created an account, they are able to select from a variety of shift times and shift lengths in a variety of different areas.
Is there a dress code for volunteers? For many opportunities, volunteers are required to wear closed-toed shoes. Comfortable shoes and comfortable work clothes are recommended. Please dress appropriately for the volunteer opportunity, taking into consideration location and weather conditions.
When does Cornerstones host volunteer shifts? There are a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the year on weekdays, weekends, mornings, afternoons, and nights. Once you have created an account in VolunteerHub, our volunteer management system, you can view opportunity descriptions that will include location, date, and time.
Are there other ways I can help neighbors in my community through Cornerstones? Absolutely! For a list of our most needed current items at the Embry Rucker Community Shelter, please click here. You can also donate clothing to The Closet. We do not accept used toys or books. Please consider donating used toys to The Closet and books to your local library.
Contact Us
We want to hear from you! Please contact Volunteer and Community Engagement Staff at volunteer@cornerstonesva.org