Weekend’s Hunter Ice Festival needs hands
Published 2:11 pm Tuesday, January 10, 2006
By Staff
ADULTS AND YOUTH
If your mittens and mufflers are in good working order, the HUNTER ICE FESTIVAL in Niles would like a few hours of your time.
To be held beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 13 and continuing all day on Saturday and Sunday, the festival welcomes volunteers who want to serve as runners for the ice carvers; assist with the wine, cheese and chocolate tasting tent; or, serving ice cream.
LAKELAND HOSPITAL in St. Joseph welcomes volunteer coffee shop servers who can work a couple of hours on weekdays between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Volunteers take food orders; deliver orders; and maintain the tables.
ADULTS
THE YWCA WOMEN'S CAREER CLOTHING CLOSET provides professional clothing for women needing assistance in obtaining career appropriate clothing.
Volunteers are invited to support the Closet by making a six-month commitment to assisting women once a week in choosing clothing for job interviews and maintaining the donations that come in.
If you are available once a week on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday for a 3-hour shift, your time would be a welcome gift.
THE BENTON HARBOR CHILDREN'S ART FAIR will be held on Saturday, July 8th, 2006, and volunteers are invited to help plan activities.
Monthly meetings are held at Fort Miami in St. Joseph and activities include scheduling volunteers for the day of the fair; serving as historian; planning activities, or generally organizing the event.
Join the fun and be a part of a special event by calling the Volunteer Center to sign up.
CITIZENS FOR PROGRESSIVE CHANGE offers volunteers a variety of opportunities. You might like to be an art instructor on Tuesday or Thursdays from 4:30-6 p.m. at Hull Middle School in Benton Harbor.
Or, how about serving as a site assistant on any weekday between 3 and 6 p.m. at either Hull or Fairplain Middle School. Maybe you'd rather serve as a counselor to youth on Wednesdays from 4-6 p.m. at either school, encouraging youth to manage their anger and to educate youth about the dangers of gang involvement.
THE BERRIEN COUNTY CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS reports that Berrien County residents use more blood products that we donate. Let's change that!
The next blood drives will be coming:
Wednesday, Jan 18 – Am. Red Cross, 303 Riverview, Benton Harbor – 10 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 25 – Jordan Nursing Home, 9934 Red Arrow Hwy., Bridgman – noon-5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 26 – Moose Lodge, 101 S. Red Bud Trail, Buchanan noon-5:45 p.m.
FAMILIES
Looking for a new way to connect with your family in 2006? Many nursing home staff will tell you that some of their residents don't have visitors.
Inquire at one in your neighborhood and see if you can “adopt” a grandparent to visit once a week or twice a month. It would make a big difference in their life. In between visits, send them a card or a note.
YOUTH
SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE will host the Asset Builders Award Celebration on Feb. 2 from 4-8:30 p.m. in the college conference room.
Student volunteers are invited to set up for dinner and decorate the room, as well as usher people to their seats and assist with clean-up afterwards.
At least 12 students are invited to participate in this event as volunteers.
Play a huge role in encouraging and educating other youth by being a peer mentor. Sit on a panel to help youth make amends to society and their victims because of the crime they committed.
Be a COMMUNITY RESTORATIVE BOARD member, and learn the process of circle conferencing. If you are interested in the court system and would like to learn more, why not consider applying for this great opportunity. You must be between the ages of 15 and 18 and willing to take a 2-hour orientation course.
To connect, call the Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan in Niles at (269) 683-5464.