Beginning this weekend, Tuscaloosa is asking all of the city’s volunteers to go to McAbee Center to be credentialed so the city can keep track of its volunteers as well as have them sign a release form.

“Ultimately, this is a long-term process for the city and its volunteers,” said Wahnee Sherman, director of the Community Service Center. “By having people register, it allows the city to be able to go back and say, ‘Now we need someone to go back and do this job,’ for future efforts.”

Sherman said the time immediately following the tornado was a tough one for the workers at St. Mathias who were credentialing all those who wished to volunteer because the people who run the credentialing system lost much of their supplies and records during the storm.

“They were housed in the local EMA building, which was heavily damaged during the storm,” Sherman said. “Immediately following that, it became tough to accommodate the sheer number of volunteers who wanted to volunteer throughout the city and many people were discouraged. No one could have been prepared for the way that all of that happened and the loss that they suffered.”

Many students who tried to volunteer right after the storm were turned away from St. Mathias because of such problems, Sherman said.

“Now is a good time for UA students to go and sign up for credentials because there aren’t too many people signing up for them right now,” Sherman said. “Once they sign the paperwork, they’ll be added to a contact list and will be contacted on where volunteers are needed as needs arise. Some students may get something immediately, others may have to wait.

“We want to be of help to the city without hindering their recovery efforts. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We’ll need volunteers for many months to come, so we ask our students wishing to volunteer to please be patient.”

While students are waiting to be contacted by the city after they’ve filled out their paperwork, Sherman said she also recommends they fill out the Community Service Center’s online volunteer form so they can be contacted with opportunities from the school as well.

The form will enable students to learn of up-to-the-minute opportunities, and is found at https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEF5bUJUTTRRUnRWQmpfS3VKOGZBY2c6MQ#gid=0.

Upon signing up at the CSC’s website, Sherman said students will receive emails twice a day with opportunities to help the community.

“There will be no shortage of opportunities,” Sherman said. “We need students to continue to be committed for the long haul. Dedicate yourself and find things that you can do on a consistent basis without hindering the efforts of the city. We’ll need the help of our students in July, August, September, October, and so on. As I said before, this is a marathon.”

Tara Bullock, a senior majoring in journalism, said she’s been volunteering since the tornado hit.

“It seems like the city has gotten very strict in that all of the volunteers need to have credentials to access the areas with the heaviest damage,” Bullock said. “I have just been helping people that I know recover from the storm’s damage and haven’t needed them, but I do plan to apply later this week.”

Opportunities available as of 11 a.m. Thursday (information provided by Community Service Center)

1.        We are staffing the City of Tuscaloosa volunteer hotline call center with UA students.  We will be doing this Wednesday-Friday from 7 am to 7 pm.  The shifts are 7 am to 11 am, 11 am to 3 pm, and 3 pm to 7 pm.  We need more volunteers for the 7 am to 11 am and 3 pm to 7 pm on Thursday as well as all three shifts on Friday.  Please let us know if you can do this.  If you want to volunteer for any of these shifts, please email Barbara Grimes at [email protected] or call at 205-348-2865 and let her know which day and which shifts you would like to volunteer for.  The call center is located in the City Hall Human Resources Office (enter the City Hall on the University Blvd entrance next to Children’s Hands On Museum – Human Resources is across the hall when you enter City Hall).  Please make sure to contact Barbara to sign up because space is limited at each shift.

2.       Attention nursing, social work & community health majors: the Alabama Disability Advocacy Network needs volunteers to help man a disability support hotline for Tuscaloosa.  If you are interested in a 9 am to 1 pm or a 1 pm to 5 pm shift, please contact Barbara at the CSC at [email protected] or 348-2865 to let us know which shifts on Thursday and Friday you would like to help with.

3.       On Saturday morning, they need volunteers at Holt High School starting at 9 am to help move one of the distribution sites from one location to another.  Please contact 553-5360 if you would like to volunteer.  Holt High School is located at the end of Jack Warner Parkway.

4.       For the rest of the week, we need a group of dedicated volunteers to help with a project for Compassion International.  It would involve making phone calls from the Community Service Center during the hours of 8 to 5.  If you are interested, please let Barbara know.

5.       The City of Tuscaloosa has opened a new warehouse to house donations that have been given.  They need help each day from 8 am to 5 pm to help with deliveries.  The warehouse is the Phifer Warehouse located at 2505 Greensboro Avenue.  You MUST become a credentialed volunteer through the St. Mathias Church in order to volunteer here.

6.       UA Greek Relief needs help Thursday and Friday at the DKE House to help package and deliver meals as well as unloading and sorting donations.

**Note: Opportunities change on a daily, even hourly basis. For up-to-the-minute volunteering opportunities, Sherman asks students sign up on the CSC’s website.