Share your Carpentry Skills & Make a Difference!

Are you skilled with tools, woodworking, and carpentry? Do you enjoy hands-on problem solving? Do you love making things with your hands? Do you want to participate in a community effort producing concrete, meaningful results for your neighbors? Volunteer with WindowDressers!

WindowDressers is a nonprofit organization that brings community volunteers of all economic and social situations together to improve the warmth and comfort of interior spaces, lower heating costs, and reduce carbon dioxide pollution by producing low-cost (no-cost for low-income households) insulating window inserts that function as custom, interior-mounted storm windows.

Southern Maine Agency on Aging has partnered with WindowDressers to fill a number of volunteer needs:

1. Measuring Volunteer:Measuring Volunteers work in teams of two visiting clients at home to conduct a measurement appointment. Volunteers will take measurements for installing window inserts and quote the client on the price of the install. At least one volunteer will be required to have access to a vehicle as well as a valid driver's license. Volunteers will be paired based on geographic proximity to clients and may choose to carpool to the client's home or drive separately. Access to a laptop and experience working with basic computer programs is a plus.

2. Local Coordinator: Community Builds are like old-fashioned barn-raisings for inserts! Volunteers gather together for several days to build all of the inserts that have been ordered in their neighborhood. Experienced volunteers teach new volunteers, food is provided, and the end results are high-quality inserts at a very affordable price and a stronger, more connected community. Community Builds typically take place between September and January each year.Local Coordinators are key volunteers who help anchor a Community Build in their neighborhoodorganizing the event from start to finish. The Local Coordinator helps recruit and organize a team of 4-10 volunteers to help run the event. They also work to secure a donated location for the Community Build, schedule the event, and oversee the event coordination. With a strong volunteer team, this is mostly a management role.

3. Food Coordinator:Providing food is an important community-building aspect of each Community Build. A Food Coordinator is a key team member for each Community Build; they help secure food donations, and are responsiblefor the set-up and clean-up of the food for each day of the Community Build.

Where will I work?
WindowDressers currently serves multiple communities in Cumberland and York Counties, including Portland, Peaks Island, Falmouth, Brunswick, Biddeford and Wells. We could use help with food coordination in any of these communities!

When will I work?
On your own schedule, in coordination with other local volunteers.Community Builds typically take place between September and January each year.

What length of commitment is expected?
Flexible options! Volunteer for a few hours on just one day for a Community Build, or help out for 9+ months to organizea Community Build as a Local Coordinator! It takes several weeks to secure food donationsas a Food Coordinator for a Community Build.

When and where will volunteer training/orientation take place?
As needed for new volunteers - we can work with your schedule!We provide two, 2-hour zoom trainings, plus in-the-field training with another experienced volunteer.

Contact us today to get started!
Southern Maine Agency on Aging Volunteer Services: [email protected] or 207-396-6595.