In a smaller town as Tama, Iowa there are probably not as many opportunities to volunteer, but opportunities do exist. Three areas that one could consider would be the rescue operations as the ambulance service located at 305 Seigel Street, the local school at 1715 Harding Street, and the local animal shelter which is on 1406 5th Street. I have had personal experience with two of these organizations(the ambulance service and the school), so I know some of the procedures for volunteering in those organizations, and I know of people who have worked with the animal shelter. All of these organizations provide the opportunity to give back to your community.
The ambulance rescue operation and the firefighting organization in Tama are housed in the same building. The ambulance mainly consist of a director, a full time EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), which is a paid position, several other certified or in the process of getting certified EMT’s and drivers. EMT’s must pass test and classes to get certified where drivers learn on the job under the supervision of an established driver. All volunteers are encouraged to attend weekly meetings to review procedure and safety measures. These weekly meetings are also where the upcoming schedule is made to cover incoming calls. Each volunteer sign up for various shifts as 4:00 PM to midnight and are on call during these time periods. The members have to carry a pager during the times they signed up for, and if they hear the ambulance page they must get to the station as quickly as possible to fulfill their duties. However, safety is always emphasized.
The rescue unit also have social activities as the annual canoe trip on the nearby Iowa River, and do fund raisers to enhance the service’s budget or to get new equipment. Sometimes the fire and ambulance celebrate events together, but they also have separate gatherings. One reason events are scheduled is to promote teamwork which is vital to running a smooth operation.
Another possibility of volunteering is for the local school. I am more familiar with the High school volunteers because of my many years of teaching at that level. Most the volunteers at the high school level have been for assistant coaching positions, especially at the 8th and 9th grade level where the number is greater and there is more need. There have been parents who come in to track progress of their sons or daughters in the classroom to ensure sufficient progress is made. For volunteering in athletics you must take classes to get a coaching certificate, but this can be done in a relatively short amount of time (2/3 weeks). Both athletic coaching and classroom volunteers must be given a background check before they start.
Lastly most communities have animal rescue operations that accept volunteers. Tama’s animal shelter just moved to 5th street. I had a student who had a job and got paid to capture the animals, usually dogs, but all the time he spent at the shelter cleaning, feeding, and medicating animals was non paid. Tama’s community Vet has always been good about helping out to make sure the animals were up to date on shots and healthy.
There might be other volunteer opportunities, but the rescue unit, the local school, and the animal shelter are a good place to start if you are wanting to volunteer in Tama.