Active Southern West Virginia is seeking local volunteers to be trained as Community Captains, champions of their communities who want to lead others to healthier and active lifestyles. They remove barriers preventing people in our community from being active by providing free weekly and monthly physical activity programs and have fun along the way. Activities range from walking and running groups to Tai Chi and yoga.
The 2020 training class will be held Saturday July 25th in a blended virtual and in-person setting with recorded videos and video calls. Any interested person can start the process by completing the volunteer application that collects information about you and your interests. Contact our office to complete a volunteer application prior to the training: Erin@activeswv.com, (304) 254-8488.
Each of the Active SWV Community Captains are provided leadership training designed specifically to help them confidently lead a safe and informative physical activity program. Training includes, CPR and First Aid certification, one on one program development, social media training, and on-going support and encouragement from our Active SWV team. Additional professional training and certifications will be offered as each program grows.
The activity a Community Captain leads depends on what resources are in their community and the skills and interest of the Community Captain. A Community Captain volunteers their time and is continually supported by the staff at Active SWV.
Weekly activities in and around a volunteer’s home town works best for walking groups where there are no equipment needs and the Community Captain volunteers can receive one-on-one Leadership Training at a time and place convenient to them. Volunteers may also lead virtual programs.
Benefits of Volunteering
Volunteering can be a very rewarding experience and there are many benefits to volunteering in your area.
- Volunteering helps connect you with new friends and contacts and can help increase your social and relationship skills.
- Volunteering is also great for your mental and physical health. It can counteract stress, anger, and anxiety. It can combat depression and make you happy by increasing self-confidence and providing a sense of purpose. It can help you stay physically active and it is important to remember that even with limited mobility you can still volunteer to help yourself and your community.
- Volunteering can also help advance your career by gaining new job skills and valuable experience. Some of the most valuable skills that you will gain while volunteering is compassion, positive attitude, open mind, and willingness to do whatever is needed.
- Volunteering can bring fun and fulfillment to your life, so get the entire family involved. Children watch everything going on around them and learn from those experiences. Teaching them how powerfully beneficial volunteering can be will help them grow as a person.
Volunteer are needed are needed to teach these programs: Group Exercise, Pickleball, Walking Groups, Tai Chi, Stand Up Paddle Boarding, Guiding Hikes, Trail Running, Rock Climbing, Trail Bicycling, Yoga
Active SWV is always interested in new physical activity programs, if you have an idea for a program that is not on this list let us know. We can work with you to get training in something you are interested in or already have skill in.
