Start the New Year as a Volunteer

The following guest post was submitted by Mary Kate Dougherty, Program Manager, Travelers Aid--Bradley International Airport.

Did you make a New Year’s Resolution to get more involved in your community? If you want to land the right role, become a Travelers Aid volunteer at Bradley International Airport.

Travelers Aid volunteers staff the Information Center on the arrivals level daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and answer travelers’ questions regarding the airport, airlines, ground transportation, parking, and the Hartford-Springfield area. Volunteers are asked to work at least one weekly shift of four hours. Scheduling is very flexible.

There are currently 50 volunteers from Connecticut and western Massachusetts assisting the passengers at Bradley. The volunteers donated more than 7,200 hours of service to their community in 2023.

Here’s what some of our volunteers have to say about their experience:

• “I enjoy seeing the arriving passengers. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Navy cadets (that was amazing!), watching children greet their arriving grandparents, and men standing with roses in their hands waiting for their special person to arrive. I have a front row seat to these special moments. Volunteering is a wonderful experience. It doesn’t take a lot of time and the volunteer schedule is very flexible.” - Sharon, volunteer since 2023, from Bloomfield
• “I had the pleasure of reuniting a very nervous passenger with their dog. The person did not know where to go to pick up their dog but I was able to successfully reunite the owner and pet. It was a joyous reunion for all.” - Roy, volunteer since 2014, from South Windsor
• “Meeting passengers and assisting them with their travel needs has allowed me to meet people from all over the world. I find this experience to be very rewarding. I am bilingual in Spanish and I have been able to assist Spanish-speaking passengers who feel lost and need an interpreter. You can tell they are grateful to have someone they can speak to and get the assistance they need.” – Cathy, volunteer since 2019, from West Hartford

This community service opportunity is open to all ages. Flexible scheduling can be worked around other commitments such as work and family schedules. Get started on that New Year’s resolution and join our amazing group of volunteers to assist travelers in a unique environment.

Contact Information:
Send an email to marykate@travelersaid.org
Call (860) 500-8582
Online form available at: Volunteer – Travelers Aid – Bradley International Airport