NORTHAMPTON — The partnership between HEC Academy and Western Massachusetts Rabbit Rescue began when a non-verbal student wanted to get involved with the community.

Many of the volunteer opportunities offered by the therapeutic public day school for students in grades 9-12, like work at the MANNA Soup Kitchen, rely heavily on verbal communication. In other words, none of the organizations fit with the student’s specific needs.

But rabbits don’t need conversation. Just a caring hand and warm body to snuggle. It was a perfect match.

A match that opened a whole world up to other HEC Academy students, like Key Club Vice President Veronic Dos Reis and Key Club Representative Abbie Ford. The two students volunteer regularly with the rabbit rescue, bonding with the bunnies and helping out with rabbit care like laundry and litter box cleaning.

“You can take your time to do something that you might consider a few hours or even a few minutes and it really impacts the way other people are living in a more positive way,” Dos Reis said. “And even if it’s like animals that I’m helping, it’s still something sentimental to me.”

In return, HEC Academy has become an integral part the rabbit rescue’s mission.

“They work their tails off and they don’t ask for anything in return. They just come and they want to do it. And I am so proud of them,” said Jordana Starr, founder of the rescue.

This is just one example of the type of match that nonprofits and other organizations throughout the Valley are looking for in their volunteer programs. For would-be volunteers, however, finding a place that meets their interests, skills and needs can be a daunting task.

That’s where events such as last Thursday’s Volunteer Fair 2024 at the Northampton Senior Center come in. Sponsored by the Senior Center, Northampton Neighbors and RSVP of the Pioneer Valley, the fair — timed to coincide with National Volunteer Week — sought to connect these interested individuals with 27 different volunteer-based organizations in the Pioneer Valley.

The fair returned this year for the first time since being shut down by the pandemic, giving would-be volunteers a chance to rub elbows with organizations that service children, seniors and even animals.

Northampton Neighbors Director Diane Porcella said the idea for the volunteer fair originated from one of the organization’s members, who suggested a fair would be a good way to see what organizations in the Pioneer Valley are in need of volunteers.

“It was an all-volunteer endeavor, all coming from one person saying I would like to see what’s out there,” Porcella said. “I’m pretty bowled over that this room is full and vibrant and varied.”

A big and fluffy dog named Comet, a member of Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, greeted people at the entrance near a Girl Scouts Nonotuck Service Unit’s plate of cookies. Groups focused on childrens’ programming, like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County and Massachusetts Department of Children & Families, were located next to organizations offering medical and social services to elderly, such as Life Path and Highland Valley Elder Services.

Volunteers who aren’t looking to work directly with people can offer time to It Takes a Village organizing community closets or building homes with Habitats for Humanity.

“I’m a younger boomer, and I think we’re more project oriented than ongoing volunteering oriented and that’s hard for some organizations to deal with. It’s easy for others,” said Wendy Parrish, a regular volunteer with the Northampton Survival Center. “That’s the thing: finding who fits what you need and what fits what you want to do.”

Parrish spends her volunteer hours inspecting the quality of donations for the survival center. She’s been with the organization for eight years, and finds satisfaction gazing at the empty incoming goods shelf, knowing it’s a product of her hard work.

“I know that they trust me to make certain levels of decisions and that’s valuable for a volunteer,” Parrish said. “The main thing I like is just seeing that clear shelf at the end and knowing that I made something better in that place on that day.”

While every organization was happy to accept volunteers of any sort, most looked to fill a specific need. The Northampton Recovery Center, a peer-based peer-run center for people in recovery, needs people to run the front desk to fill the newly expanded hours of the center.

Northampton Neighbors, which offers a range of services and support for those 55 and older in Northampton, needs people to help with transportation and their phone check-in program “Hello Neighbor.”

The Cooley Dickinson Patient Family Advisory Council, a group that connects community needs with top hospital administration, needs people with interest and expertise in the health care system.

“By having voices of patients in the community, we are better able to share what is offered in a way that’s really clear and helpful,” said Lisa Ekus, co-chair of the council.

Yet every group, regardless of need, noted how important volunteers are to the missions of the organization.

Jesse Buckley, volunteer coordinator for the Northampton Recovery Center, said the center uses an upside down triangle organizational chart, with members at the top coming up with program ideas, and volunteers just below carrying out the member’s visions. Yet, the biggest need right now are volunteers to run the front desk.

“Volunteers are absolutely crucial to meeting that mission, which is bringing agency to people in recovery from making their own life decisions as well as making decisions out of the center,” Buckley said. “Volunteers really are the ones who make everything happen.”

Emilee Klein can be reached at eklein@gazettenet.com.