First, watch our Volunteer Orientation video below and then, review the accompanying resources.

This will provide a quick overview of the process, policies, procedures, and the benefits of becoming a MetroParks volunteer.

Review these important volunteer resources:

 Volunteer Handbook  

This will help you understand how volunteering works at Five Rivers MetroParks including important policies and procedures. This will serve as your guide to volunteering with us!

Types of Volunteer Service

Find the right service type for you as a public/single day volunteer, a short-term volunteer, or ongoing long-term volunteer with us! Plus, information on youth, family-friendly, group service and more!

Volunteer Positions

Find the opportunities you most want to support under 1 or more of our 9 Volunteer Positions! Become a Volunteer Position FAN to stay informed when new volunteer opportunities, trainings and events are posted under that volunteer position.

 Next, sign up and create a Get Connected account.

Follow these instructions to start signing up and volunteering in just a few easy steps using Get Connected. Watch this demo video to quickly learn how to use our Get Connected site.

1. Find an Opportunity & Respond. 

View our available volunteer opportunities and if you find one that's right for you, click the blue RESPOND button. Not seeing what you're looking for? Or is your opportunity not yet posted (in-season)? That's okay, you can still create an account. Go ahead and move on to step 2.

2. Create an Account or Log In. 

If you haven't yet, create your Get Connected volunteer account by clicking the green sign-up button. If an account has already been set up for you, click log in.

If you know you have an account, but do not remember your password, you can reset your password here.

If you are still having trouble logging in, please contact volunteer.services@metroparks.org or call #937-275-7275 for assistance. Please do not create a duplicate account.

3. Complete Qualifications.* 

You will be prompted to complete qualifications when you respond to a volunteer opportunity that requires qualifications. Some of the basic qualifications required for our long-term and most short-term volunteer opportunities are as follows:

• Volunteer Profile- Complete your volunteer profile in your Get Connected account. If you haven't signed up for an account yet, it's easy, just press the blue signup button at the top of your screen. You can then access your profile to edit it here.

• FRMP Volunteer Handbook Review & Sign Off-Review and sign off on the Volunteer Handbook. If you have any questions regarding this process or any item in the handbook, please contact volunteer.services@metroparks.org or call #937-275-7275 to speak with a Volunteer Coordinator.

• Background Check- Most volunteer opportunities at Five Rivers MetroParks will require a complete background check for volunteers ages 18 and over. These are noted two says: Every opportunity that requires a background check will feature the initials "St" next to the title of the opportunity. Additionally, under Eligibility, the opportunity will state that it is open to long-term volunteer and/or short-term volunteers. There are some volunteer opportunities open to the public that do not require a background check. If you are 18 years or older, complete a background check through our site by responding to a volunteer opportunity you would like to serve at. Background checks are valid for 3 years with the exception of Volunteer Driver Background Checks that must be completed annually.

• If the opportunity you are interested in is an unscheduled and/or autonomous opportunity, please reach out to Volunteer Services at volunteer.services@metroparks.org for instructions on how to complete your background check or click the complete all your onboarding qualifications link below.
• Youth volunteers ages 14-17 looking to serve at volunteer opportunities that require a background check will require clearance from Volunteer Services. If you are a youth volunteer looking to serve at one of these opportunities, contact volunteer.services@metroparks.org to receive your background check clearance.

---->Complete all your onboarding qualifications here. If you are an adult age 18 or older and you are ready to make an ongoing commitment to volunteer with Five Rivers MetroParks as a long-term or short-term volunteer, you can complete our full volunteer onboarding by clicking the link and following the instructions provided for each of the required qualifications.

 *Note: Some volunteer opportunities may require additional training. Check the volunteer opportunity listing for any additional training requirements.

 Check-In & Start Volunteering!

4. Once your qualifications have all been completed, submitted, and approved by our Volunteer Services team, you will receive a message letting you know and inviting you to complete your volunteer opportunity sign-up. Your last step will be to check in to your scheduled volunteer opportunity. You can do that easily in one of the following ways:

• Check-in via Email. Get Connected will send you email reminders before your scheduled volunteer shift including an email prompting you to check in called “Today's Volunteer Shift: Almost Time to Check-In”. This email will include a link that you can use to check in to your volunteer shift. This is one of the easiest ways to check in to your volunteer opportunity!

• Check-in via Opportunity Responses. When you log in to your Get Connected account, click on Opportunity Responses to view a list of opportunities you have signed up for and select check-in to move through the check-in process.

• Check-in via the Cause Connect App. The app is free to download and use for volunteer check-in. Note that you can only check in to opportunities on the app that you "qualify" for. In order to complete new qualifications, please access the full Get Connected site on your desktop or tablet computer. Download from the App Store or Google Play for FREE.

• Check-in via Kiosk. Additionally, some park sites will receive volunteer kiosks in the coming months where you can check in on-site via a Five Rivers MetroParks computer station.

 *Note: Some volunteer opportunities are unscheduled and more autonomous in nature. These opportunities will require volunteers to "Add Hours" instead of checking in to a scheduled shift. This will be covered in the volunteer opportunity training if applicable.

Attend a Volunteer Open House! (Optional)

Need assistance with any of these steps, or simply want to learn more about volunteering with us? Join us for an in-person Volunteer Open House where you can sit down one-on-one with a member of our Volunteer Services Team to discuss your needs, interests, and availability. We'll help match you with the perfect volunteer opportunity for you and help you set up your Get Connected volunteer account and complete onboarding qualifications.