Volunteer With Us!
Volunteers are essential to being able to restore and enhance the land at Freetown Farm and create a Community Ecology Center where people can learn from hands-on experiences about how they can lead happier, healthier, more connected and sustainable lives. There are project areas for just about anyone, we welcome families with children as well as groups (small for now due to COVID), and individual volunteers 16 and up. We have numerous interesting projects for Scouts too!
All volunteers must complete a waiver before their first date of service at Freetown Farm. The waiver link is www.surveymonkey.com/r/CEIfarmwaiver. If you are interested in being added to our monthly volunteer newsletter so you can receive updates about upcoming service dates and projects, please email info@communityecologyinstitute.org
For all of our volunteer work we are now VOMO as our volunteer management system. VOMO will allow you to see active projects at the farm and their requirements, track the number of hours you have volunteered, get updates about specific projects, and see who you are volunteering with. You will also be able to earn rewards in the form of gift cards to restaurants, shops, and/or non-profit donations the more you volunteer!
Follow these three easy steps to sign up:
1. Download the app "VOMO" and join our organization with the invitation code: FREETOWNFARM
2. Create an account and complete the waiver (add a profile picture, we want to see your beautiful faces!)
3. Review the project areas (arts, farm stewardship, specific community gardens, etc.) and sign up for the opportunity and time that works best for your interests and schedule
*If you are new to the farm you will need to sign up for a volunteer orientation/tour sessions before coming out to work on a specific project.*
We can't wait to see you all start racking up rewards and coming out to the farm. Bring water, your own gardening gloves, closed-toed shoes, and sunscreen/bug spray whenever you come volunteer! Please also remember that masks and social distancing are required at all times at the farm through the COVID pandemic. Thank you for helping us keep our communities safe.
What Volunteers are saying!
“It brings me great joy to be a part of an organization that works so hard to connect and engage its surrounding community in an effort to better our planet. CEI is truly unique in terms of their approach to climate action through the various projects and events at the farm, my personal favorite being the Climate Victory Garden. My time at CEI has strengthened my love and respect for our planet and empowered me to continue working hard to protect it.”
“I got involved mostly because I needed the hours, but I stayed because I really enjoyed working outside and putting my work behind a tangible project. In school, I’m constantly preparing without having results for my hard work (at least that’s how it feels). On the farm, you can see things take shape right in front of you, and I’ve had the chance to witness and take part in all those changes. Volunteering at the farm was very important to me when I was in school because it helped keep me grounded, and even if I was having a bad day, I’d leave in a better mood (also because I liked the people I volunteered with)."
“The community is very welcoming and uplifting and you can really see how your work is making a difference. As a result of volunteering with CEI, I have stronger convictions to go into a field relating to the environment in some way because I have seen the type of people I would be working with and how I could really make a difference. Also, I have learned to look at environmental issues with a more inclusive and broader perspective.”
“I don’t think there’s a single aspect of the farm that doesn’t fascinate me and keep me motivated to come back the next day. Everyone with the CEI is determined to make their community a better place. It is an organization that brings people of all backgrounds together and promotes change and connection with nature. I have become much more aware of and in tune with my environmental impact and choices. My time with CEI has not only expanded my knowledge but my love for taking care of the earth and spending time helping our environment. Being in a community with so many others who share the same goal has been incredibly inspiring and joyful.”
“I got involved mostly because I needed the hours, but I stayed because I really enjoyed working outside and putting my work behind a tangible project. In school, I’m constantly preparing without having results for my hard work (at least that’s how it feels). On the farm, you can see things take shape right in front of you, and I’ve had the chance to witness and take part in all those changes. Volunteering at the farm was very important to me when I was in school because it helped keep me grounded, and even if I was having a bad day, I’d leave in a better mood (also because I liked the people I volunteered with)."
“The community is very welcoming and uplifting and you can really see how your work is making a difference. As a result of volunteering with CEI, I have stronger convictions to go into a field relating to the environment in some way because I have seen the type of people I would be working with and how I could really make a difference. Also, I have learned to look at environmental issues with a more inclusive and broader perspective.”
“I don’t think there’s a single aspect of the farm that doesn’t fascinate me and keep me motivated to come back the next day. Everyone with the CEI is determined to make their community a better place. It is an organization that brings people of all backgrounds together and promotes change and connection with nature. I have become much more aware of and in tune with my environmental impact and choices. My time with CEI has not only expanded my knowledge but my love for taking care of the earth and spending time helping our environment. Being in a community with so many others who share the same goal has been incredibly inspiring and joyful.”