Make Lasting Holiday Memories With These 5 Volunteer Opportunities In Bridgewater

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Volunteering is a meaningful way to connect with neighbors in Bridgewater and make lasting holiday memories for both yourself and the people you help.

Volunteering also fosters a sense of shared responsibility and purpose, leading to a more vibrant, resilient, and engaged community with a higher quality of life.

Many of the organizations that make life better in Bridgewater depend on volunteers, including food banks, animal shelters, first aid squads, and others.

Here are five ways to volunteer in Bridgewater:

The Food Bank Network of Somerset County at 7E Easy St., Bound Brook has a wide range of volunteer options. Some come in at regular times each week, others just once in a while; some work behind the scenes, others in the pantry areas with our clients; some are as young as 16, others are retired; some work alone, others in teams. Some of the things volunteers do are:

• Sorting and inspecting donated items
• Stocking and culling the pantry shelves
• Greeting clients and aiding their shopping
• Driving our van for store pickups
• Operating the forklift and other warehouse equipment
• Preparing the Backpack Program bundles
• Prepping and driving shipments to the Saturday pantries

Contact the food bank at 732-560-1813 to see how you can help or use the volunteer sign-up sheet at somersetfoodbank.org/need-help/volunteering

The Somerset Regional Animal Shelter, at 100 Commons Way, Bridgewater, has a number of volunteer opportunities, including:

• Daily Shelter Cleaning
• Daily Dog Walking
• Cat Enrichment
• Offsite Adoption Events
• Fundraising Events
• Socializing Shy Cats in Our Connect with the Dots Program

Visit srasnj.org/get-involved.

The Pregnancy Aid Center at 59 Thompson St. in Raritan is in need of volunteers. Call the center to volunteer your time or donate items at 908-526-8121 or email pregnancyaid59thompson@gmail.com.

The Martinsville Rescue Squad has been providing volunteer emergency services to Martinsville and Bridgewater since 1957. They need EMTs, ambulance drivers, and first aid assistants to respond to area 911 calls. Regardless of what role you fill, the minimum level of training the squad requires is healthcare provider-level CPR. The squad can provide this training free of charge. Drivers need defensive driver training, which they will provide, and those who provide patient care will need first aid training and can go on to get EMT-B certification. There is no cost to you for any of this training. For information, visit bridgewaterems.org/Volunteer.

Safe + Sound Somerset helps survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence with compassionate, trained professional help. Assistance is offered 24 hours a day – 7 days a week – 365 days a year at 866-685-1122. Their Helpline is the gateway to survivor-centered services that provide safety, hope and healing from the trauma of abuse and violence. They offer a number of different volunteer opportunities. For more information, visit safe-sound.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities.

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