Many volunteers are needed to remember our soldiers
Published 7:45 pm Tuesday, May 26, 2009
By Staff
SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK
Lest We Forget is a patriotic organization dedicated to promoting patriotism and our nation's heritage. The week of June 17 – 21 Lest We Forget will be putting on multiple events that will require the assistance of many volunteers including re-enactments, a World War II reunion of the Forgotten 500 and a Field of 1000 Flags at Benton Harbor Airport. As part of your Father's Day weekend why not volunteer with Dad to honor the men and women who make this country great!
ADULTS
"Without YOU we don't ride" is the motto for the Therapeutic Equestrian Center (TEC) in Watervliet. A lot of volunteers make it possible for TEC to enrich the mind, body, and spirit for people with special needs through horse-related activities. One volunteer with excellent communication and organizational skills plays a critical role ensuring that riding instructors are properly scheduled and any last minute changes are handled. You can be the volunteer coordinator for riding lessons even if you don't know anything about horses. You can do your volunteer work from your home via e-mail and phone and most can be done at a time of your choosing. You will receive training and a three-month commitment is requested. This is an excellent opportunity for someone retired, between jobs or could be made into an internship position. If you work full time, you could handle almost all duties on the weekend and evenings. You may need to make a few calls to handle last minute cancellations during business hours.
Berrien County Juvenile Center would like to have some expert assistance with their landscaping and gardening needs. This project serves a great purpose than providing youth with fresh vegetables. As a landscaping and gardening designer you will also provide youth with lifelong skills that may assist them in obtaining a landscaping or nursery job. What a great opportunity to teach a skill and reach a troubled teen. You can volunteer from 3 to 6 p.m. or from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. any day of the week. You should enjoy working with teens, be in good health, attend a volunteer orientation and submit to a criminal background check.
Krasl Art Fair July 11-12 on the bluff in St. Joseph is a juried show featuring over 200 artists and offering a wide variety of high quality art and fine crafts. Hundreds of volunteers make this event possible. You can choose from many tasks including distributing surveys, working in the hospitality suite, assisting in the children's tents, helping in the parking lot, and other interesting tasks.
H.O.Y.A. (Helping Our Youth Achieve) wants to offer high school students tutoring for their summer school studies. A small group of students will meet at the old Catholic school building at 580 Columbus Avenue in Benton Harbor on weekdays May – August. Students will be taking self-paced courses via an online system. Tutors will help when students need additional assistance understanding concepts and will oversee test taking. Additional text books will be available to serve as references. Students will be taking classes in Algebra I &II, Chemistry, Earth Science and Economics. As a tutor you should be a college junior or older with a good understanding of the subject areas covered. Volunteers are requested to volunteer at least two hours a week with flexibility for vacations and busy summer schedules. Extra volunteers are needed to allow this flexibility but still provide the students with enough tutors.
What will we do if disaster strikes? A tornado, ice storm, or health crisis could happen any time. The Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan needs to prepare in-depth plans and procedures, and practice setting up a volunteer reception center. This volunteer opportunity could be set up as a short term project or an on-going long term commitment. This is an excellent opportunity to build a resume. Skills needed include the ability to research utilizing the web and a willingness to work on your own from directions and guidance given by the Volunteer Center.
Are you interested in becoming a Lakeland Hospice volunteer? They are offering orientation training on May 30. You will learn about different areas where you can volunteer to assist patients and families dealing with end of life issues. You will learn the important role you as a volunteer can play. You should be at least 18 years old and call to RSVP for the training.
Summer Festivals are a fun way for your family to volunteer. You can volunteer at your hometown festival or you can learn about another town by volunteering at their festival. Visit www.volunteerswmi.org for a sampling of festivals or call your Chamber of Commerce or visit www.swmichigan.org .
YOUTH
Youth Summer Serve is back bigger and better than ever! Need something to put on job, college and scholarship applications that show just how wonderful you are? Volunteering is the answer you have been looking for… plus it is fun! You can choose from hundreds of volunteer opportunities all over southwest Michigan.