Ways Get Involved With The SADS Foundation!

Volunteer Positions

Volunteers are the lifeline of The SADS Foundation and help us carry out our mission every single day. Here are some ways you can get involved by volunteering with the SADS Foundation. Sign up by contacting sads@sads.org or 800-STOP-SAD.

·         Fundraising Volunteer – Plan an event in your community to raise funds to support SADS programs and to raise awareness about SADS conditions. There are many opportunities and types of events – Golf Tournaments, No Ball At All, Jump-A-Thons, Fun Runs, etc.

·         Support Volunteer – This volunteer agrees to be available by phone, e-mail or in person to people in their area who are looking for more information about SADS conditions and/or wish to talk with someone with SADS. The Support Volunteer is often the first person with whom the caller is able to discuss the SADS condition on a more personal level.  If you have a good knowledge of The SADS Foundation and its services, you would be a great candidate for this job!

·         Share Your Story Volunteer – Help save a life by sharing your story! Use the SADS Power Point presentation to provide an overview of SADS conditions and risk assessment questions. This is an excellent opportunity to speak to local community groups (PTA, Rotary, etc.). You can also speak to federal employees for the Combined Federal Giving Campaign, where federal employees can donate to SADS.

·         Awareness Campaign Volunteer – Awareness Campaign Volunteer – There are many different awareness activities that go on throughout the year all targeted at different populations.  The main responsibility of the awareness campaign volunteer is to distribute posters and information to the current targeted area of focus.  It’s a simple way to be involved with the SADS Foundation and help save lives!

·         Heart Safe Schools Advocate – Help promote proper screening of elementary, middle and high school students by disseminating important information about SADS to local school nurses, athletic directors and coaches. Find out what your local school district’s policy is regarding pre-participation physical examinations, and advocate for improvements as necessary. We will provide you with a packet of information to help in making your initial contacts with school personnel. 

·         Media Awareness Volunteer – Help improve awareness in your local community by telling your story to your local media. Work with other local volunteers to help “pitch” other stories to the media. These stories can be linked to national stories, local fund raising events, or local awareness and education activities. We have a media kit prepared with sample articles and talking points to help with these important efforts.

·         SADS Safe Community Advocate – Alert the SADS Foundation about young, unexplained deaths in your area or community.  We will then activate the Sudden Death Response Plan, which includes contacting the Medical Examiner, the school or location of the event, the media, and our local physician experts—so that we can educate the community about the warning signs of SADS and help the family get properly screened.

The information generated by volunteers is also vital to helping SADS maintain funding. Please let us know what volunteer activities you engage in, how many people you educated, contact information if you found people who want to sign up to be a member of the SADS Foundation, and send us photos! We highlight our volunteer activities in our Newsletters and Online. We know you’re busy so we created the “Volunteer Hotline” to make it easier for you to tell us about what you’re doing in your communities. Just call 800-STOP-SAD and dial extension 117 or ask for the volunteer hotline where you can leave a quick message about your activities. Thank you for all that you do!