Using This Site to Support SNAP and Medicaid “Community Engagement” Requirements
We know that the recent changes to SNAP and Medicaid benefits have made it more difficult for participants to maintain their eligibility. However, we believe that Guilford Volunteers can help make it easier, and we are actively working with DSS in Guilford County to help make the process as painless as possible.
If you are 19-64 years old and enrolled in SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as Food Stamps), or Medicaid, you will be limited to 3 months of benefits in a 3-year period unless you document at least 80 hours per month of “community engagement.” This can include paid work, a work study program to prepare you for paid work, or volunteer work for a nonprofit organization, such as the community service opportunities found both on this page and elsewhere on this site. There are some exemptions to these requirements: for example, health problems or caregiving duties.
Please start using the site by creating a free account, and then you can explore service options that meet your schedule and interests.
Please note that even if an organization offers a volunteer opportunity on this site, they still need time to process your interest and engagement. If you wait until the last minute, you may not be able to complete your hours. Also, if you sign up to volunteer, that organization is counting on you to show up.
Signing up to serve using this site allows you and the organization to more easily track and verify your hours of service. Please be sure to inform the organization before you begin your service that you will need to have the service verified in order to use it maintain your eligibility for these programs. We will continue to update this page with any changes or more specific verification instructions.
Below are few selected organizations that are accustomed to working with volunteers that require documentation of their service hours. We list them here for your convenience, but please know that many other volunteer opportunities you will find on the site should also meet the eligibility requirements.
HORSEPOWER Therapeutic Learning Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving the Piedmont Triad community since 1995. HORSEPOWER is a premier PATH International center and provides therapeutic equine activities for over 300 individuals with disabilities each year.
City of Greensboro – Parks and Recreation
Hours can be earned at various parks and recreation locations, which will be determined by the Volunteer Coordinator. Volunteers must complete an online volunteer application and background check before receiving placement.
Triad Goodwill:
Triad Goodwill’s Mission is to Improve Lives and Enrich Communities Through the Power of Work. Volunteers are always needed in their 23 Retail Stores, Monday-Friday between 10 am and 7 pm, Saturdays between 10am and 7 pm, and on Sundays between 1 pm and 6pm.
Responsibilities may include: assisting donation attendants with accepting, handling, and sorting donations, hanging and sorting garments; Inspecting and merchandising housewares; Cleaning and sanitizing carts and baskets
With 120 schools available as potential service sites, there are a wide variety of options available. For the safety of their students, and in compliance with board policies, volunteers who are 16 years old and older are required to register with GCS and complete a background check.
