We are in need of volunteers to help us carry out two of our big annual summer events in August, 2014.

8/15/14 – Blissful Bedrooms Annual Beach Day – Coney Island

Volunteers needed to:

Help unload van and setup camp on the beach at the beginning of the day (chairs, coolers, beach supplies, etc.) (11:00 A.M.). Help pack up and load van at approximately 4:30-5:00 P.M before the second half of our day at the amusement park begins.

Beach Buddies (11:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.)
– Escort/assist young individuals with disabilities so they can enjoy the beach experience and ocean water. This can simply mean lending an arm for support as you help a person walk into the water, piggy backing a young person into the sea, or assisting a team in transferring an individual on a sheet/chair into the water and fostering a safe and enjoyable experience for them.
– Assist the young individuals in building sand castles, flying kites, collecting seashells, playing catch, or whatever seems natural and fun at the time.
– Help with lunch distribution – some of the individuals may need you to feed them or assist them with eating.
– Help individuals get cleaned up and dressed after the beach.

Coney Island Boardwalk/Amusement Park Buddies (4:30-10:30 P.M)
-Help transfer young individuals with disabilities to the rides at Coney Island (Wonder Wheel and Bumper Cars to start with) and support them in having a great time in the amusement park and at the Fireworks display later in the evening.
-Assist them (or just be with them) with eating dinner at Nathan’s on the boardwalk.

Transportation
– Do you have a vehicle? While the majority of the disabled youth taking part use Access-a-ride to get to our events, others require transportation and many of them are located in the Bronx. (AM and PM – we ask that if you commit to transporting someone to the beach that you also return them home at the end of the day, if possible).


8/29-8/31/14 – (Labor Day Weekend – 3 days, 2 nights) – 2nd Annual Family Camping Retreat at the Blissful Cabin – Saugerties, New York (Catskills)

Volunteers needed:

Drivers – we are seeking licensed, experienced drivers to operate 15-seat Passenger Vans.
– This will entail picking up a pre-arranged van in midtown Manhattan at rental facility on Friday (8/29) morning at 8:30 A.M. and driving to a central meeting point in the Bronx where your passengers will meet you at 10:00 A.M. At this point we will need your help in assisting all passengers into the van. This may involve helping to transfer young individuals with disabilities from their wheelchair into their seat on the van and making sure they are seat belted in (there will be volunteers and family members present to help as well). There will be a separate cargo van for all wheelchairs and camping supplies. Once all the passenger vans are loaded, they will leave together to the Blissful Cabin Retreat in Saugerties, New York, approximately 2 hours from the Bronx.
-On Sunday (8/31), we will leave camp at approximately 4:00 P.M. and return to the same meeting point as on Friday, where you will help passengers off the van. The driver will then return the van to the rental facility in midtown Manhattan (and make sure to gas up beforehand) some time that evening.
– In addition, we may have one or two local field trips during the weekend, i.e., a farm less than 10 minutes away from the Blissful Cabin Retreat.

Transportation – Can you volunteer your personal vehicle to transport individuals and/or supplies up to the Blissful Cabin Retreat?

Cooks/Meal Attendants– we will need help preparing and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. We will enjoy many barbeques during the weekend as well and need experienced BBQ chefs to help.

Tent Leaders – there will be 2 tent leaders per tent (max 8 young individuals per tent). You will be thoroughly briefed on any special needs or circumstances your campers may have.
– Help organize belongings of assigned individuals to your tent after their arrival at Blissful Cabin Retreat.
– Make sure each individual has an assigned foam mattress, yoga mat (to place under mattress) and sleeping bag. Make their bed with the bed linens they bring (put plastic sheet over foam mattress).
– Help transfer individuals to their beds at bedtime and make sure they are settled in for the night – warm and comfortable tucked in their sleeping bags.
– Keep the peace in your tent ☺.
– Enforce the No food in tent rule.
– Escort individuals to bathroom if needed during the night or attend to their toileting needs. Flashlight and headlamp will be provided for each tent.
– Attend to safety of individuals. Be familiar with the directions to the hospital/Urgent Care and know where First Aid supplies/bug spray, etc. are located.
– Know which tent the each individual’s caregiver is located in (if present) and reach out to them in case of an emergency or issue with their child.
– Air out the sleeping bags after the kids wake up Sunday morning by unzipping the bags and leaving open before afternoon breakdown of camp
– Make sure all sleeping bags are neatly folded and put in their case, yoga mats are rolled up and strapped, foam mattresses are folded and returned to plastic bag and everything (including flashlights/headlamps, etc.) are returned to shipping container Sunday when we break down camp. *Attend to or alert of any soiled or damaged items for cleaning/repair so we are not surprised next time.
– Please make sure to sweep out tents often (there will be a hand broom and shovel in each tent) to keep out rocks, twigs, dirt, as we need these tents to last us a long time.

Weekend Guardian Angel/Protector
– Keep a watchful eye and take care of your “kid” the entire weekend from arrival to safe return to caregiver.
– Assist individual with hygiene and ADL needs during weekend, i.e., bathroom, dressing, eating, washing up, staying safe and protected from mosquitoes, etc. You will be informed of your “kid’s” special needs and levels of assistance needed (if necessary, you will be assigned a partner to help you with their care).

Set-up/Breakdown of Camp
– Set up tents in clearing on Friday morning in preparation for arrival of guests.
-Emergency Tarp Team: if by chance there is a strong prediction of rain the day of the camping retreat or it unexpectedly starts to come down, we will have to string up tarps over the main tents and will need your help to do this. Please know where the tarps and rope are located beforehand (deck box on deck).
– Carefully break down tents on Sunday before we leave camp, making sure tents and all tent pieces are neatly and securely returned to their respective case and put away on the shelf in the shipping container. Attend/Alert to any damage sustained to tent so it can be repaired before the next occasion.

Recreation/Entertainment
-Volunteer to lead a specific recreational activity and adapting it for all of our guests, especially the young individuals with disabilities – i.e., art project, yoga class, dance, volleyball, etc., etc. We are open to different ideas if you are open to planning, organizing and implementing them.


Ongoing Volunteers very much needed by our organization!

– Carpenters/Builders
– Artists
– Electricians
– Plumbers
– Handymen
– Skilled Tradesmen of all kinds
– Artists
– Drivers/Transportation
– Publicists
– Fundraisers
– Event Planners
– Grant researcher/writer
– Accountant
– Musicians/Entertainers/Performers
– Photographer/Videographer
– Makeup artists
– Children’s Entertainers/Face painters
– Website development/maintenance (WordPress)
– Recreation leaders – adapted art, sports, educational programs, etc.
– Occupational/Physical Therapists

* Interns and OT/PT student welcome to volunteer for course fulfillment.

Whether you are interested in doing a short-term assignment for a specific project or event with Blissful Bedrooms, or you are seeking a serious, long-term commitment (such as joining the Blissful Bedrooms Core Team), we can really use your help!

Please send an email to Martha@blissfulbedrooms.org introducing yourself, sharing your background and telling us a little bit about why you are inspired to be involved with Blissful Bedrooms so we can get to know you. Also, please let us know what you think would be the most fulfilling and productive way for you to be involved, your general availability and the skills and talents you are interested in contributing.

We are looking forward to hearing from you soon! Don’t forget to like Blissful Bedrooms on Facebook so you can know when we are coming together to do another project or event.

Please take a look at the Blissful Bedrooms Volunteer Guidelines if you are serious about getting involved!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN VOLUNTEERING WITH BLISSFUL BEDROOMS. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND CREATING MORE BLISS!