In cooperation with the Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan, file will publish opportunities for volunteers each week.  To find out about these or other volunteer opportunities, please call 983-0912 in the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor area, 683-5464 in the Niles area; visit our Web site at www.volun teerswmi. org; or e-mail us at volun teer@volunteerswmi.org for further information.  To arrange an appointment, please call ahead. Appointments do not constitute an obligation to accept a volunteer opportunity. The center is a United Way partner agency.

Spotlight Agency of the Week
Helping our Youth Achieve (HOYA) enables youth in transition to remain in the education mainstream.  You can be a guest speaker for its career awareness education series. Talk to middle and high schoolers about job skills, careers and other issues. You can stop by over your lunch or invite them to visit you at your work place. You can also become a tutor at their Benton Harbor site anytime you have an hour to give between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Students are doing self-paced study and sometimes need help understanding concepts in algebra, science, language arts and social studies.

Families
• You may have seen Disney’s “Give a Day Get a Day” Campaign. You can volunteer for a day with a participating organization’s project and receive a one-day admission pass to a Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme park for free. Disney wants to inspire one million people to volunteer.  To be eligible, you must sign up through Disney’s web site.

You must be at least 18 to sign up and children must be at least 6 to participate in the program. Ticket quantities for this program are limited to one million.   If you are interested this is what you need to do: 1) Search & Sign up: Register and sign up for an eligible volunteer opportunity at www.disneyparks.com.  Not everyone will find an opportunity to fit their family and their time schedule.  Opportunities are limited. 2) Volunteer: Complete your service for the volunteer opportunity you selected. The agency where you volunteered must verify your service. 3) Celebrate: Once your service is verified you will receive a voucher within about two weeks to redeem your Disney theme park ticket. This is a generous program that encourages everyone to volunteer but please remember that not everyone will fit into the program rules. Visit www.disneyparks.com or call (407) 827-5990 with your questions.

• Community Day at Orchards Mall in Benton Harbor is March 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stop by the Community Room to do hands on projects appropriate for all ages with the Volunteer Center. You can create cards for fellow volunteers, make decorations for the annual recognition luncheon for community volunteers and participate in other activities.  This qualifies for Disney’s “Give a Day Get a Day.” Visit www.disneyparks.com for more information.

• Girls on the Run and Girls on Track works with girls in grades 3-8 offering an experiential learning program that combines training for a 3.1-mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. Coaches are needed at many locations throughout Berrien County. You will work as part of a team and will be provided with detailed lesson plans and the necessary materials. You do not need to be a runner; the only requirement is enthusiasm and a commitment to the healthy development of young girls.  Teams meet twice a week for 90 minutes after school – a small commitment with big rewards.  Be a part of helping girls experience positive emotional, social and physical development.

• Are you a mentor?  Stop by either Volunteer Center office (St. Joseph or Niles) to pick up your free roll of Mentos. Enjoy these Mentos as our thank you for mentoring. We encourage you to share your Mentos with others and tell them about why you mentor. Area agencies still have a great need for additional mentors and you can help tell others about this need. You can also agree to be interviewed for print or YouTube stories on mentoring. You can also request materials to post at your work place, library, house of worship or other location to encourage others to become mentors in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties. Help find others like you ready to be a mentor!

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berrien and Cass and Big Brothers Big Sisters: A Community of Caring (Van Buren and Kalamazoo counties) have opportunities for you to become a “big” in the community where you live or where you work. In one hour a week you can meet your “little” at their school and have lunch with them.  It’s easier than you think.  Talk about what they are doing in school, sports or whatever interests them.  Kids just want adults to listen and let them know they matter.

• Do you enjoy reading this column? Would you like to be involved in writing it and promoting it? You would learn a lot about area nonprofits and volunteerism. This position as columnist for the Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan would require two to three hours each week and could be an ongoing position or be set up as an internship or a temporary position for someone who is unemployed. Minimum commitment would be three months and training would be provided. This position would work closely with the executive director.

Roses are red, violets are blue, your blood is both so donate today!  (well I tried…)