Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to get involved, utilize your talents and give back to your community and to the residents of Orange County. Volunteering helps to enable people to improve their lives and community through involvement in our program areas of Agriculture, Families, Youth, Environment, and Economic Development.

Your volunteer time with Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County gives you the opportunity to directly support educational programs in your local community. Opportunities to work with children, consumers, entrepreneurs, farmers, low-income families, older adults and caregivers are available.

Volunteers are the heart of any organization and Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County is no exception. We presently have many volunteers leading program opportunities with adults and youth, adding value to their lives and making a difference within our communities. Volunteers have an endless energy, skills, and knowledge which enhances the lives of our residents and our programs.

Current Volunteer Opportunities

Program Area	General Information	Current Opportunities	Contact Information
4-H	4-H is America’s largest youth development organization – empowering nearly six million young people with the skills to lead for life, college, and career through hands-on experiential learning opportunities.	Share subject knowledge by leading a project, program, or workshop in sewing, coding, animals, public speaking, etc. Expose youth to learning opportunities that will foster a 'spark' or interest that encourages long-term growth.	Leah Brown 4-H Program Educator lbr72@cornell.edu (845) 344-1234 (ext. 225)
4-H Farm & Family Fair	From 4-H youth exhibits and 4-H animal shows to hands-on activities, amusements, local vendors, Jeremy’s Shake Shack, and other fun activities, volunteers help bring it all to life. Join us in creating an unforgettable community event!	Sign-ups open mid-May! Join us in creating a welcoming, fun, and educational fair experience for all!Opportunities will include helping run fair games and interactive activity stations, and making and serving milkshakes at Jeremy’s Shake Shack.	Jill Van Aken Development Officer jd863@cornell.edu (845) 344-1234 (ext. 261)
Board of Directors	The Board of Directors plays a critical role in advancing the Association’s mission and vision. The Board is responsible for establishing organizational identity, ensuring the availability of resources, and providing strategic oversight.	Ideal candidates should be familiar with CCE or partner agencies & should be committed to representing the broader community, engaging in thoughtful deliberation, and expanding understanding of the land-grant system and the Cooperative Extension network.	Maire Ullrich Executive Director mru2@cornell.edu (845) 344-1234 (ext. 256)
Climate Stewards	The Cornell Climate Stewards Program trains residents and community leaders to plan and implement volunteer projects related to climate education, mitigation, and adaptation to inspire and support local, community-based engagement.	Next training starts in Summer 2026 Registration information will be posted on our website.	Arina Soler Community Resilience Coordinator als572@cornell.edu (845) 344-1234 (ext. 231)
Community Resilience Builder  (CRB)	CRBs take a 10-month training to learn frameworks and practices that support well-being for individuals, communities, and the environment.As volunteers, they support climate resilience initiatives, workshops,community dialogues, tabling, etc.	Tabling opportunities to engage people in the Middletown and Port Jervis to participate in a climate survey & community climate action groups. Next training starts in October 2026, registration will be on our website.	Arina Soler Community Resilience Coordinator als572@cornell.edu (845) 344-1234 (ext. 231)
Gleaning	Gleaners gather produce for the Hudson Valley's hungry! Usually we re-box harvested produce, checking items for quality. Occasionally, we'll harvest straight from a farm's field! All food is then delivered throughout the HV to food distribution sites.	Starting in late May, check VolunteerMatters to sign up for gleans & mini deliveries. Email notifications will be sent when an opportunity is posted on Volunteer Matters.	Carolyn Coletti GleanMobile Volunteer Program Coordinator cmc589@cornell.edu (845) 344-1234 (ext. 255)
Master Food Preservers (MFP)	After completing a 40 hour, comprehensive training, MFP's lead presentations and workshops, table, and distribute helpful information to promote food preservation knowledge and skills in the community.	Though the next 40 hour training is to be determined, there are opportunities to support programming like gathering and distributing resources for newsletter, tabling in community, and supporting event preparation.	Olivia O'Connor Nutrition Educator oco8@cornell.edu (845) 344-1234 (ext. 246)
Master Gardener Volunteers (MGV)	After completing a year long training, MGVs teach classes and workshops, work in school and community gardens, provide information at public events, and answer gardening questions, etc.	Our next MGV Training starts in January 2027. Our training consists of online work done one your own time in conjunction with in-person classes held one Saturday a month. Register for a Discussion Panel in September 2026 to learn more about our program.	Susan Ndiaye Community Horticulture Educator sgn32@cornell.edu (845) 344-1234 (ext. 250)
Program Advisory Committee (PAC)	This committee assists program staff with developing sound program direction and measurable program impacts. Ensure programs are responsive to community needs.	Currently seeking advisory members to join the existing committee.	Suzy McCormack Family and Community Development & 4-H Youth Development Issue Leader sm2678@cornell.edu (845) 344-1234 (ext. 266)
Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP)	RAPP is a support program for relatives who are raising children in place of their biological parents. This includes, resources, referrals, support groups, legal assistance, respite opportunities, and family events.	Support for monthly programs including youth activity facilitation (arts & crafts, etc.), childcare, and general program support (setup, breakdown, etc.) One area of support is fine. Not all are required.	Caitlin O'Brien Relatives and Parents Program Manager cmo223@cornell.edu (845) 344-1234 (ext. 269)
Two Generation Family & Youth Programming	We work to create a safe, welcoming space where youth and caregivers can grow together. Through various activities, youth build confidence, leadership, and communication skills. Families strengthen connections and are empowered to thrive.	Working on a ten-week project in both locations, the volunteer will follow the curriculum of activities.	Adhara Jimenez-Banse Two Generation Family & Youth Program Manager aj485@cornell.edu (845) 344-1234 (ext. 276)

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CCE Orange County uses VolunteerMatters, an online Volunteer Management System to keep track of our volunteers. This system will help us better serve all of our volunteers. It will be used to:

• Fill out paperwork
• Complete background checks
• Record volunteer hours
• Recruit volunteers for upcoming events
• Online training

Volunteers will use this system to keep up to date with required paperwork including background checks and the annual Sexual Harassment Prevention Training.  

If you already activated your account, you can go into “My Profile”, click the red “edit” button, then scroll down to the “Volunteering” section and select which opportunities you would like to be notified about.

If you do not have an account, click here to create a NEW!

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Last updated April 28, 2026