Want to give back? Here are five ways to help your community

Everyone’s laser-focused on the upcoming Super Bowl featuring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but once the cannons have been fired and the confetti cleaned up, many residents and organizations in our community will still have needs. The good news is that the Catalyst’s Impact Connector can help you quickly and easily find ways to give back no matter what your interests and schedule are like. Whether you want to help out at an academic competition, do some gardening or mentor a child, here are five ways you can get involved right now:

• Volunteer at the 2021 Spoonbill Ocean Sciences Bowl Competition: This event, which takes place virtually Saturday, March 27, is a tournament-style academic competition to challenge high school students’ knowledge on all things related to ocean science. Volunteers are needed in a variety of roles including moderating, judging and scorekeeping. The deadline to sign up is Feb. 12 and volunteers must complete two trainings. For more information, click here.
• Spend a day helping out at the Florida Learning Garden: The Florida Learning Garden, a project of Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful in partnership with the Florida State Fair Authority, is a permanent one-acre interactive educational experience at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Volunteers are needed to handle tasks such as planting, harvesting and weeding on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. To sign up, click here. 
• Give your time to support ALPHA House of Pinellas County: The mission of this organization is to prevent the cycle of homelessness and child abuse by providing a safe residence and supportive services to homeless pregnant women and babies. Volunteers are needed in a number of areas including babysitting, clothes sorting, building repair and maintenance and special events, among others. To learn more, click here.
• Be a mentor to a child through Lunch Pals: Lunch Pals, which pairs up a mentor with a Pinellas County student for a 30 minute lunch, is now virtual, making it easier than ever to get involved. To get started, sign up for a mentoring workshop here.  
• Donate food to The Kind Mouse: From March 15 to 26, the Kind Mouse, which helps provide food for children in the community, is hosting its annual Easter Food Drive. Someone from their team will drop off an empty bin and then pick it up once it’s full. For more information and to find additional volunteer opportunities, click here. 

If your organization is looking for volunteers, click here to submit your opportunity. We’ll get the word out to our readers.