It’s the first day of class at Indiana University. If you’re a student looking to make connections, or a nonprofit needing help, Suzanne Allen is the ultimate matchmaker. Allen is the director of IU Corps, the bridge between local organizations needing volunteers and students who want to help.

Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, working together to build a strong, healthy and engaged community. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in the WFHB listening area at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org

This episode of Activate! was produced by Addison Lawler

Emily Herr says animal welfare in our country is in crisis. Economic challenges are making it harder to afford pet food and veterinary care, and housing scarcity means fewer rentals that accept tenants with pets. The Bloomington Animal Shelter is constantly overwhelmed with animals needing new homes, and volunteers are crucial to carrying out shelter operations.

Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, working together to build a strong, healthy and engaged community. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in the WFHB listening area at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org

WFHB brings Bloomington to the world, but the Lotus Festival brings the world to Bloomington. WFHB and the Lotus Education & Arts Foundation grew up together, with intertwined missions to celebrate and increase cultural diversity. They also share a reliance on volunteers to carry out that mission, and RIGHT NOW is the time to sign up to be a volunteer for the 2025 Lotus Festival. Artistic director Tamara Loewenthal is offering a one-night pass to anyone who signs up.

Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, working together to build a strong, healthy and engaged community. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in the WFHB listening area at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org

This episode of Activate! was produced by Alan Galindo and Gracyn Mangelsen

Andrew Shannon has dedicated his entire career to building community. As the director of the Safe and Civil City Program in the City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, Andrew creates public-private partnerships to enhance public safety through programs and events.

Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, working together to build a strong, healthy and engaged community. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in the WFHB listening area at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org

Sarah Cassavaugh knows firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate the education system when your child has special needs. Her own experiences advocating for her son led her to want to help others. IN*SOURCE helps Hoosier families navigate the special education process, bridging the gap between schools and parents.

Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, working together to build a strong, healthy and engaged community. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in the WFHB listening area at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org

This episode of Activate! was produced by Gracyn Mangelsen

Daniel Schlegel believes the Monroe County History Center is more than just dusty old things. He says learning about the past is key to understanding the present…and the future. As the director of MCHC, Daniel wants history to come alive for visitors and reflect the diversity of the Bloomington community.

Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, working together to build a strong, healthy and engaged community. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in the WFHB listening area at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org

This episode of Activate! was produced by Griffen Waugh

Opportunity House is a Bloomington thrift store run almost entirely by volunteers. It started out in 1968 as a revenue stream to subsidize church-based childcare, and Suzanne Faulk remembers going there as a child with her grandmother. Today Suzanne is at the helm of an expanded operation helping all resource-constricted people, and all profits still go to the early learning center at Monroe County United Ministries, which is now called Pathways. Suzanne says volunteers are the heart of the operation, making it possible to keep costs down and pass those savings to shoppers struggling with poverty.

Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, working together to build a strong, healthy and engaged community. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in the WFHB listening area at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org

This episode of Activate! was produced by Luke Aardema

It really bothered Sharon Roualet that her neighborhood park had fallen into disrepair, so she did something about it. Sharon signed up for the City of Bloomington Adopt-a-Greenspace program, becoming a sort of “foster parent” for Crestmont Park on Bloomington’s northwest side. She really didn’t know anything about the invasive plant species that had taken over, but Sharon knew she wanted to be proud of the little park where she walks her dog every day. YOU can take care of YOUR neighborhood green space too!

Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, working together to build a strong, healthy and engaged community. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in the WFHB listening area at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org

130,000 people depend on Lake Monroe for clean drinking water and none of them are in charge of protecting its water quality. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns the land and the state manages the lake and the city treats the water they pull from the lake…but no official entity safeguards the supply. Maggie Sullivan says this is why Friends of Lake Monroe is so important – a grassroots nonprofit watchdog for the lake and the streams feeding it. Sullivan is the Friends of Lake Monroe watershed coordinator, and she’s here to bring people together around protecting Lake Monroe.

Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, working together to build a strong, healthy and engaged community. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in the WFHB listening area at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org

It’s that time of year when some kids go to summer camp, but Camp Kesem isn’t your typical summer camp. Kesem is for kids with parents who have cancer. They get to do all the fun stuff kids do at camp, but they also draw strength from being around other kids feeling the same feelings about the challenges facing their families. After camp week is over, the kids can continue supporting each other through online meet-ups and other year-round family support. Kesem is staffed by volunteers at major universities and Indiana University has a particularly active chapter, with more than 100 students working at the local Kesem camp in Brown County. Madison Stratton and Naomi Gebremedhin are here to ask your help sending more kids to the best week of their lives.

Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, working together to build a strong, healthy and engaged community. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in the WFHB listening area at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org

This episode of Activate! was produced by Ryan LaPedis