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You can make a difference — volunteers significantly impact the quality of life for Soldiers, civilian employees, retirees and family members in the Fort Riley military community. There are multiple opportunities available no matter how much time you have available or your interests. There is something for everyone.

All volunteers must be registered with Army Community Service before volunteer service can begin. Call (785) 239-9435 for information on volunteering on Fort Riley.

Volunteer Today!  If you are interested in lending a helping hand and making a difference in the community where you live, we are here to help you with locating a volunteer opportunity!

Volunteers make a meaningful difference in the lives of Soldiers and their Families every day. Army Volunteer Corps (AVC) is designed to help you find local volunteering opportunities with organizations that benefit the Army community.

The AVC has redefined volunteering within the Army. We embrace existing volunteer programs, unite all volunteers who support Soldiers and Families, including the Active Force, National Guard and Army Reserve, and formalize the Army’s commitment to volunteerism.

No matter where people volunteer in the Army community, they usually want to contribute to Soldiers and their Family members. We recognize this common goal and want to help you find the right opportunity for you.

Volunteering helps your community and helps you as well. When you participate with AVC, you’ll:

  • Gain a sense of satisfaction/achievement by meeting challenges
  • Learn about the Army, our sister services, and the community
  • Acquire new skills and/or expand old ones
  • Obtain work experience
  • Build new friendships and become a cohesive part of the community

Contact your local Army Volunteer Coordinator within your Army Community Service Center to register and learn about volunteer opportunities across the Army.

More information is also available from Army Family Web Portal

The Army Volunteer Corps focuses on supporting Soldiers, Family members, surviving spouses, and civilian personnel through community involvement. Volunteer opportunities are available both on and off post. Individuals are matched to volunteer positions according to skill, experience and time available. Childcare is offered in some activities. Participants learn new skills, make friends, and become a part of the community. Volunteering can also be a wonderful way to gain job experience.

Go to Army Family Web Portal  to register and apply for available positions or contact us to learn more about available volunteer opportunities

The Fort Riley Army Volunteer Corps (AVC) supports the Army's mission by promoting and strengthen volunteerism by uniting volunteer efforts, supporting professional management, enhancing volunteer career mobility, and establishing volunteer partnerships to support individual personal growth and life-long volunteer commitment.

The Fort Riley Army Volunteer Corps office is the center for volunteer recruitment, referral, recognition and professional development for volunteers and volunteer leaders. Volunteers can be placed in a wide variety of positions throughout the installation and within the local community. Through volunteer service, volunteers can learn or improve skills and gain work experience that can increase self-confidence and improve marketability for paid positions.

Every minute, every hour that someone volunteers contributes to improving the quality of life of our community; therefore volunteers change the world. Join the movement to make our installation, our city, our nation a better place for all Change the World, Volunteer!

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The Reasons Why Volunteers Are Required to Register and Input Hours into Volunteer Management Information System (VMIS):

  • Mandated by law and DoD
  • Liability
  • All work completed to support the Mission – to include statutory volunteer involvement, is required to be placed in VMIS so the Army Volunteer Corp Coordinator can report the status for the installation Status Report (ISR)
  • ISR feeds into the Base Operations Requirements Model (BRM) that ultimately determines staffing and program support dollars.

Volunteer Management Information System

  • DA developed the online system for registering and tracking volunteer hours, trainings, awards, and certifications.
  • VMIS is used by all services on Army Installations.
  • VMIS is accessed via Army Family Web Portal

Title 10 U.S. Code Section 1588

  • Any program which provides services to members of the Armed Forces and their Families can accept statutory volunteer labor.
  • Statutory is defined as a registered volunteer.
  • Appropriated Funds (APF) and Non-Appropriated Funds (NAF) monies are authorized for training, travel, supplies, compensation for injuries, and recognition of statutory volunteers only.

Armed Forces May Accept Volunteer Labor

  • Title 10 U.S. Code 1588
  • DOD Instruction (DODI) 1100.21
  • AR 608-1

Volunteering in your community gives you a chance to give back. You will feel a sense of pride that you are volunteering your time, and a local organization will benefit, too. If you want to get started volunteering, find an organization that is a good fit for you, and then decide what you have to offer.

  • Every volunteer (to include youth volunteers) on Fort Riley must be registered in VMIS. This system was developed to give the Army a real-time snapshot of volunteer activities at any given time, at any given installation. VMIS provides all the tools needed to track volunteer hours, manage and track volunteers, post open positions, print reports and much more. All volunteer hours will be tracked through VMIS.
  • Volunteers may also look for volunteer opportunities on the Volunteer Management Information System (VMIS) at https://vmis.armyfamilywebportal.com.
  • Special event volunteer opportunities (one-time special events) are also available.

For more information, contact Army Community Service's Army Volunteer Corps Program at 785-239-9435.

Volunteers play an integral role in the life of soldiers and their families, and are found throughout the military community. The Volunteer Management Information System (VMIS)  web application assists the Army Volunteer Corps in managing these dedicated volunteers and provides volunteers a way to track their hours, awards, trainings and certificates. 

VMIS is the Army's official system of record for logging and tracking volunteers hours. Volunteers can apply for volunteer opportunities, record and track volunteer hours, and manage their volunteer service record. 

https://vmis.armyfamilywebportal.com/

VMIS Management for any volunteer

OPOC Management for appointed Organization Points of Contact

For dates and times of upcoming training, please call 785-239-9435 or email usarmy.riley.imcom.mbx.acs@army.mil. or visit https://www.facebook.com/rileyacs. 

A list of organizations typically seeking volunteers:

American Red Cross (ARC): The American Red Cross strives to improve the quality of human life through services offered at Irwin Army Community Hospital (IACH), Dental Clinics, and the Veterinary Clinic.

Army Community Services (ACS): ACS serves as the primary resource for the development, coordination, maintenance and management of the installation's Service Member and Family support programs. Volunteers are active in core ACS programs such as:

  • Army Family Team Building (AFTB)
  • Army Family Action Plan (AFAP)
  • Army Volunteer Corps (AVC)
  • Deployment Program
  • Employment Readiness Program (ERP)
  • Family Advocacy Program (FAP)
  • Financial Readiness
  • Information and Referral
  • Outreach
  • Relocation
  • Survivor Outreach Services (SOS)
  • Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)

Better Opportunities for Single Service Members (BOSS): BOSS members look for ways to improve the quality of life for single Service Members, single parent Service Members and geographic bachelors/bachelorettes.

Religious Support Office - Chaplain: The volunteer opportunities to support all religious programs, events and activities on the installation include:

  • Chaplain’s Family Life Counseling Center
    • Family Life Ministry
    • Marriage/Family Support
    • Pastoral Care/Counseling
  • Collective Worship Service
  • Religious Education
  • Rites, Sacraments, and Ordinances
  • Youth:
    • AWANNA (3rd – 5th grade)
    • Thrive Based Youth Program (6th – 12th grade)

Child & Youth Services (CYS): CYS provides quality child development and enrichment opportunities for all military children. Volunteer opportunities include:

Other programs, units and organizations on Fort Riley enhanced by volunteer involvement include:

A small sample of agencies that are part of our military community providing services enhanced by our military family volunteer involvement include:

  • CASA (Junction City and Manhattan)
  • Crisis Center (Junction City and Manhattan)
  • Flint Hills Center
  • Kansas State University
    • Extensions Services
    • Gardens
    • Konza Prarie
    • McCain Auditorium
    • Sport Events
  • Local Communities:
    • American Legion
    • Arts Councils
    • Auxiliary Club
    • Boys and Girls Club
    • Caring Place
    • Churches/Ministry’s
    • Food Pantry’s
    • Friends of the Animals
    • JC Opera House
    • Libraries
    • Hospice
    • Milford Nature Center
    • Museums
    • Schools
    • Sports (coaches, field/floor help and more)
    • Sundown Salute
    • United Way
    • VFWs
    • Volunteers with Fire Departments
    • YMCA
  • Manhattan Zoo (Manhattan)
  • Senior Center (Junction City and Manhattan)

Awarded to Servicemembers of the Armed Forces of the United States who perform outstanding volunteer community service of a sustained, direct, and consequential nature.

To qualify for the MOVSM a Servicemember's service must meet the following:
(1) Be voluntary.
(2) Be to the civilian community, to include the military Family community.
(3) Be significant in nature and produce tangible results.
(4) Reflect favorably on the Army and DOD.
(5) Be of a sustained and direct nature.

The rules for processing award of the MOVSM are as follows:
(1) Recommendations for award of the MOVSM will be submitted through official military channels using memorandum format. The MOVSM template is available at https://www.hrc.army.mil//tagd/awards/%20and%20decora-tions%20templates
(2) Individuals are only presented an MOVSM on initial award. Subsequent awards of the MOVSM are indicated by bronze service stars.
(3) The MOVSM may be awarded posthumously.
(4) The MOVSM will be worn immediately after the HSM.
(5) The MOVSM is categorized as a service medal and, as such, no orders are issued to announce its approval and there is no award certificate. Approval memorandum will be uploaded to Soldier's AMHRR and MOVSM will be posted to DA Form 4037 for officers and on the ERB for enlisted Soldiers.

The overall level of volunteer participation and impact of an individual's community service is key, not defined by a specific time period or number of volunteer hours, approval authorities will ensure the service to be honored merits the special recognition.

~The MOVSM recognizes service provided to a community over time; therefore, multiple awards of the MOVSM during a single assignment or tour of duty are not authorized.
~ Qualifying volunteer community service may encompass successive tours or assignments. Letter/MFR of regarding the Servicemember's previous volunteer
service which did not result in award of the MOVSM.
~ Approval authority for award of the MOVSM will be commanders (overseas and CONUS) serving in the rank of lieutenant colonel (LTC/O-5) and above. Substantiating documentation, such as record of hours contributed, letters or certificates from activity supervisors, or other proof of the Service member's volunteer services may be attached as enclosures to the recommendation.

The MOVSM is not authorized for the following:
(1) A single act or achievement, as this does not constitute sustained community service.
(2) Merely attending membership meetings or social events of a community service group or organization
(3) Volunteer service performed while deployed to a combat theater.
(4) Service that is detailed or tasked, or performed as part of a military mission this service is not voluntarily in nature or is part of the command's mission.
(5) Service that results in personal gain for the Soldier.

To process or learn more about an MOVSM, please contact your Unit S1 office.


AR 600-8-22
5 March 2019

The Helping Hand Award is given to any person who has distinguished himself or herself by providing exceptionally meritorious volunteer service to the Fort Riley community. Volunteers must have at least 100 hours in the Volunteer Management Information System (VMIS). This award consists of the Helping Hand Award Certificate and the Helping Hand Medallion. This award may be presented anytime during the year by Commanders or Agency Executive Directors.

Nominations must be received no later than 30 days prior to presentation to allow sufficient time for processing by the Fort Riley Army Volunteer Corps Office. Also, prepare a proposed citation (see sample below) which includes the individuals full name, dates of service being recognized, and a summary of his or her accomplishments or contributions.

CITATION EXAMPLE

For the period _____________ to _____________, Mr. /Ms. /Mrs. _____________ was instrumental in organizing a consolidated family support seminar that assisted Soldiers and Family members in establishing a support network for _____________ (unit/organization). As President of the NCO Wives Club, he/she coordinated events that raised over $ _____________, which were distributed to the Fort Riley Family Member Scholarship Fund and Operation Santa Clause. Mr./Ms./Mrs. _____________ willingly gave his/her time and talents to ensure the success of installation Family support programs. His/her efforts have had a direct impact on the quality of life for Soldiers and Family members and reflect great credit on him/her, _____________ (name of nominating unit/organization), and the Fort Riley community.