Volunteer Opportunities
Reading and recording services - Read to an adult who is visually impaired to support his/her employment, educational, and personal reading needs. Clients provide their own reading materials. Volunteers must be able to read at a college level.
Reading Service
- In addition to reading, our volunteers assist clients in filling out forms, conducting internet searches, etc.
- We match clients with volunteers best suited to meet their needs - and try to ensure that the same volunteer is available on an ongoing basis. Reading services are provided weekly for two-hour sessions; additional sessions and volunteers are available to provide up to 30 hours of reading per week.
- Volunteers can provide tutoring in some subjects.
- Volunteers also assist clients offsite who can't travel to the Lighthouse headquarters in Manhattan.
Recording Service
- Our volunteers record printed material on audiocassette tapes if no other recording is available to the public.
- Individuals and institutions provide all materials to be recorded.
Youth Programs - Assist instructors in a recreational, educational and social program for youth who are visually impaired. Work with youth between the ages of 7-18 years and utilize your artistic, athletic, computer and writing abilities. Requires 2 reference letters and some experience with youth.
Our Youth Programs include:
- Summer Youth Transition Program
- Lighthouse Career Services for Youth Program
- Youth Employment Program
- Saturday Program for School-Aged Children
The Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School - Help facilitate the Comprehensive Music Program (on Saturdays) by assisting students with the day's activities and classes (recruitment for the Music Program occurs in August), or assist students as they travel to scheduled performances around the city (on an as-needed basis).
The Lighthouse Store (Manhattan) - Help support our store, located at Lighthouse headquarters at 111 East 59th Street in Manhattan. Assist in a retail capacity as a cashier by restocking shelves and assisting customers with purchases.
POSH® Clothing/POSH® Interiors - These fundraising sales provide multiple opportunities for volunteers to serve. Before the events, solicit and sort merchandise and help with marketing. During the events, assist with sales, packing merchandise and arranging the sales floor.
- POSH Clothing sale takes place in the spring.
- POSH Interiors sale takes place in the fall.
Braille Services- Lighthouse International transposes all kinds of printed material into Braille. Volunteers who assist in this area have the opportunity to learn the basics of Braille.
Special Events Services - Assist at music events, seminars, movie screenings and other Lighthouse sponsored events. Volunteers will serve in some or all of the following capacities:
- Sighted guide - be trained to offer assistance to guests with a visual impairment
- Usher - provide general assistance with seating
- Greeter - assist by welcoming guests
- Tour guide - after intensive training, educate visitors about Lighthouse International's mission, programs and building design features.
General Support -
- Office assistance - Help our office function smoothly by providing administrative assistance. Work may include telephone projects, filing, data entry, proofreading and organizing mailings. Knowledge of Microsoft Office a plus.
- Creative services - Provide creative services or counsel on a freelance basis at special events or in the Lighthouse offices. Lend your creative talents to projects requiring such skills.
Client Services Representative - Educate potential/new clients of the low vision center about the programs and services offered at Lighthouse International. Also follow up with and collect feedback from clients who have taken advantage of our services.
Call Center Representative - Volunteers are thoroughly trained to appropriately answer questions and direct calls that come in through the Lighthouse main telephone number.
Photography - Skilled photographers who can provide their own equipment can help to document Lighthouse events.
Internship Opportunities - Students can provide and gain technical skills by applying for an internship. Lighthouse internships are unpaid, but are offered in multiple divisions and provide for multi-disciplinary learning. Areas of opportunity include office management, research, and the accounting department.
- College Internship
- Summer Youth Internship