Needs From: South Serves

The purpose of these service hours are to coordinate projects and support community building on campus and in the community

The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers—more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Our goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise. Zooniverse research results in new discoveries, data sets useful to the wider research community, and many publications.

At the Zooniverse, anyone can be a researcher.  You don’t need specialized background, training, or expertise to participate in Zooniverse projects. It's easy for anyone to contribute to real academic research, on their own computer, at their own convenience.

You’ll be able to study authentic objects of interest gathered by researchers, like images of faraway galaxies, historical records and diaries, or videos of animals in their natural habitats. By answering simple questions or completing specific related to them, you’ll help contribute to our understanding of our world, our history, our universe, and more.

With our wide-ranging and ever-expanding suite of projects, covering many disciplines and topics across the sciences and humanities, there's a place for anyone and everyone to explore, learn, and have fun in the Zooniverse. To volunteer with us, just go to the Projects page, choose one you like the look of, and get started.

To learn more and volunteer, visit https://www.zooniverse.org/get-involved

Don't forget to Respond to this Need, so you can track your service hours. You will need to send screenshots of your Zooniverse "Volunteer Certificate" page that displays the number of projects and hours you’ve completed for a certain time period to communityengagement@southalabama.edu in order for us to be able to verify your hours. Please track and submit the actual amount of time spent volunteering.

As an additional reminder, because the process for getting started is linked above, you won't receive a follow-up e-mail from the hosting agency when you Respond to this Need.

Volunteer for LibriVox by reading and recording chapters of books in the public domain (books published before 1923 and no longer under copyright), and making them available for free on the Internet. All recordings (including yours, if you volunteer) are also donated into the public domain.

Volunteers do not need any prior experience, nor do they need to audition or send LibriVox samples. All that's needed is your voice, some free software, your computer, and maybe an inexpensive microphone.  LibriVox records books in all languages.

All LibriVox activity (book selection, project management, discussion, etc.) happens on their Forum, and you’ll need to register there to join and get started. Forum members are a friendly bunch, and questions will be answered quickly (much more quickly than if you send them an email!).

Before registering and posting on the Forum, please read this information: https://librivox.org/pages/volunteer-for-librivox/, to get an idea of how everything works.

Don't forget to Respond to this Need, so you can track your service hours. You will need to send screenshots of your registration and links to your audio files to communityengagement@southalabama.edu in order for us to be able to verify your hours.  Please track and submit the actual amount of time spent volunteering.

As an additional reminder, because the process for getting started is outlined above, you won't receive a follow-up e-mail from the hosting agency when you Respond to this Need.

Become a Smithsonian Digital Volunteer and help make historical documents and biodiversity data more accessible.

Join 14,674 "volunpeers" to add to the 515,472 pages of field notes, diaries, ledgers, logbooks, currency proof sheets, photo albums, manuscripts, and biodiversity specimens labels that have already been collaboratively transcribed and reviewed since June 2013. 

Instructions for how to get started can be found here:  https://transcription.si.edu/instructions  Once you've familiarized yourself with how this project works, click here to get started:  https://transcription.si.edu/browse?filter=all&sort=notdone 

Don't forget to Respond to this Need, so you can track your service hours.  You will need to send either copies of your User History Report or screenshots of your online work or submission acceptance notices to communityengagement@southalabama.edu in order for us to be able to verify your hours.  Please track and submit the actual amount of time spent volunteering.

As an additional reminder, because the process for getting started is linked above, you won't receive a follow-up e-mail from the hosting agency when you Respond to this Need.

Become a volunteer Crisis Counselor for Crisis Text Line, a free, 24/7 text line for people in crisis in the United States.  This service is powered by volunteer Crisis Counselors who work remotely—anywhere with a computer and secure internet connection works.

"I volunteer for Crisis Text Line because practicing empathy and reflective listening makes me a better friend, partner, and employee.” — Crisis Counselor, Student

How Crisis Counselors work

Volunteers answer texts from people in crisis, bringing them from a hot moment to a cool calm through active listening, collaborative problem solving, and safety planning.  Learn more from Crisis Text Line founder/CEO’s TED Talk:  https://www.crisistextline.org/volunteer/

We need you at night

Are you a night owl or early riser?  Looking for an odd-hours volunteer opportunity in crisis intervention?  You’ve found the right place!  When the rest of the country is sleeping, 2/3 of crisis situations, and by default texter volume, occurs at night. Our greatest need for Crisis Counselors is between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. CST.

Crisis counseling is a big commitment

Crisis Counselors commit to volunteering 4 hours per week until 200 hours are reached.  Ideally, you'll be expected to fulfill your commitment within one year.  Before you begin as a counselor, you’ll also need to complete a training period to give you all of the expertise you need to successfully and empathetically navigate crisis intervention.

This 30-hour training is free for you, but it costs Crisis Text Line $1,008 to train each Crisis Counselor, so volunteers need to commit to seeing training through to the end and serving out their 200-hour commitment.  You’ll walk away from training knowing reflective listening, collaborative problem solving, and crisis management. (These are skills that will help in your personal relationships too!)

Also, you can train from anywhere and can highlight this intervention training on your resume when interviewing for jobs, applying to grad school, and building out your LinkedIn profile.  This opportunity will help you hone your skills in communication, counseling, and intervention as you work alongside volunteers who are also social workers, therapists, and psychiatrists.

“Being a Crisis Counselor teaches me so much around believing in hope, trusting the process, and deepening compassion — for others and for myself.” — Crisis Counselor, Student

Ready to become a Crisis Counselor?

Crisis Text Line accepts applications on a rolling basis and begins new training cohorts every two weeks, although space is limited.

To apply, applicants must be 18 or older and have a U.S. Social Security Number.  You must also submit 2 references. To volunteer, Crisis Counselors must have access to reliable Internet access and a personal computer. 

Here's how to get started:

STEP 1 - Complete the 30-minute Crisis Counselor application and consent to a background check: https://signup.crisistextline.org/

STEP 2 - Complete the 30-hour web-based crisis counseling and intervention training.

STEP 3 - Take your first counseling shift and start changing lives!

Don't forget to Respond to this Need, so you can track your service hours.  You will need to send copies of your training completion certificates and screenshots of your Profile Hours Per Month tracking information after a text session is completed to communityengagement@southalabama.edu in order for us to be able to verify your hours.  Please track and submit the actual amount of time spent volunteering.

As an additional reminder, because the process for getting started is outlined above, you won't receive a follow-up e-mail from the hosting agency when you Respond to this Need.

7 cups is "building a world-class listening service made up of compassionate, caring individuals like you."  It provides free, 24/7 emotional support to millions via online chat and is working to make sure nobody has to face their problems alone.  

Having someone like you to listen can be all it takes to make a real difference.

How does it work?  It's easy! All you need is an internet connection to get started.  7 Cups will provide free online training & support:

To get started, there is a two-step registration process.  Click here:  https://www.7cups.com/listener/become-a-volunteer-listener.php to

Don't forget to Respond to this Need, so you can track your service hours. You will need to send copies of your training completion certificates and screenshots of your "Certification" information after each listening session is completed to communityengagement@southalabama.edu in order for us to be able to verify your hours. The Certification page shows the total number of chat hours, which is what we use to verify volunteer service hours.

As an additional reminder, because the process for getting started is outlined above, you won't receive a follow-up e-mail from the hosting agency when you Respond to this Need.

Volunteers are needed to help put the world's vulnerable people on the map.  

Each year, disasters around the world kill nearly 100,000 and affect or displace 200 million people. Many of the places where these disasters occur are literally 'missing' from any map and first-responders lack the information to make valuable decisions regarding relief efforts. Missing Maps is an open, collaborative project in which you can help to map areas where humanitarian organisations are trying to meet the needs of vulnerable people.

How does it work? 

Step 1:  Remote volunteers like you can participate in Mapping Now by tracing satellite imagery into OpenStreetMap

Step 2:  Community volunteers then add local detail such neighborhoods, street names, and evacuation centers

Step 3:  And finally, humanitarian organizations use the mapped information to plan risk reduction and disaster response activities that save lives. 

This project first provides training on how to map and then provides access to OpenSTreetMap software so you can start filling in those missing map pieces. 

Click here to get started with training:  https://www.missingmaps.org/learn/. 

Once you're ready for mapping, go here:  http://www.missingmaps.org/#contribute.

Don't forget to Respond to this Need, so you can track your service hours. You will need to send screenshots of your "My Stats" page to communityengagement@southalabama.edu in order for us to be able to verify your hours.  Please track and submit the actual amount of time spent volunteering.

As an additional reminder, because the process for getting started is outlined above, you won't receive a follow-up e-mail from the hosting agency when you Respond to this Need.

For additional information, e-mail info@hotosm.org. 

Free Minds uses books, creative writing, and peer support to awaken DC youth incarcerated as adults to their own potential.  Through creative expression, job readiness training, and violence prevention outreach, these young poets achieve their education and career goals, and become powerful voices for change in the community.

For more information and to volunteer, check out these links:

https://freemindsbookclub.org/our-work

https://freemindsbookclub.org/poetry-blog

To learn more about the impact of your comments, and how to comment effectively, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdWV9sHGw7U&t=17s 

Don't forget to Respond to this Need, so you can track your service hours. You will need to send screenshots of your blog comments to communityengagement@southalabama.edu in order for us to be able to verify your hours.  Please track and submit the actual amount of time spent volunteering.

Dance/Cheer community service appearances in the Community. Volunteers must be members of the USA Cheer/Dance Teams.

The Office of Community Engagement promotes partnerships between the University of South Alabama community and the Mobile community, and we use South Serves to help make these connections.  We encourage you to look at the Needs and Events on South Serves to see what type of volunteer opportunities, partnerships, and experiences are available in the area.  Check out the types of Needs that connect to your different interests, and the large list of Agencies.  Some needs originate on our South Serves site, while others come to us from United Way's Volunteer Connect agencies. 

If you're interested in receiving training on how to use the South Serves system, feel free to click the blue RESPOND button at the top or bottom of this screen, complete the form that appears, and then click the blue SUBMIT NEED RESPONSE at the bottom of the page.  Someone in the Office of Community Engagement will reach out to you to schedule an orientation session.

If you're viewing this Need while in a South Serves training session, practice the process of becoming a committed neighbor by going ahead and responding to this Need -- click the blue RESPOND button at the top or bottom of this screen, complete the form that appears, and then click the blue SUBMIT NEED RESPONSE at the bottom of the page.  (You'll see that the box changes to "unregister" in case you find out later that you can no longer serve.)

Now you can select TRACK HOURS using the top right-side navigation (Using PC - see dropdown to the right of your initials; or using ipad/phone - the little white box with black slides).  You'll click "+ADD HOURS", and at Select A Need dropdown, you'll see this Need.  Complete the form to add .5 hour of service (one half hour/30 minutes is listed as .5).

Next, review your Volunteer Resume by using left-side navigation and selecting the Dashboard/Home.  You will see a link that says: View your full Volunteer Resume under the Hours By Interest graph.

Translators Without Borders (TWB) depends on volunteers to translate millions of words. We work with volunteers who have all kinds of great skills, and many learn new skills that they can use in their jobs.

Become a Translator Volunteer today!  You can volunteer with TWB if you are fluent in at least one language other than your native language. Whether you are interested in translating medical texts or translating for crisis response, there are engaging projects available to suit all preferences. Professional translators are especially encouraged to apply. Click here to complete our Translator Application Form.

Don't forget to Respond to this Need, so you can track your service hours. You will need to send screenshots of your work to communityengagement@southalabama.edu in order for us to be able to verify your hours.  Please track and submit the actual amount of time spent volunteering.

As an additional reminder, because the process for getting started is outlined above, you won't receive a follow-up e-mail from the hosting agency when you Respond to this Need.  Any additional information you receive will be the result of you completing the application form. 

Helping as needed with the Blue Roof Library Trail in collaboration with The Office of Community Engagement and Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama.  Planting library, taking pictures, stocking books, helping with landscape around library, etc.