Volunteer Connection Service Bulletin: October 15, 2004
A bi-weekly newsletter of local service opportunities (also see the bulletin
archives)
October 15, 2004 ~ Fall 2004
This
bulletin lists information about one-time and on-going service opportunities,
special events, and nonprofit agencies that we hope will help you get involved
in the community! If you’re a SCSU student, staff, or faculty member interested in volunteering,
but aren’t sure what agency would be a good fit, it might be helpful
to meet with the
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Local family in need
In order to move out, a special-needs family in St. Cloud needs help cleaning out their home on Saturday, October 23, at 10:00 AM. This is a great individual or group volunteer project. All supplies provided; volunteers must provide their own transportation. If interested, please call Penny at 230-8199.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MN
Do you love Halloween? Really into blood and guts? Really like Scaring people? If you answered yes, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central MN has an opportunity for you...October28th - October 31st, 7-11 PM. Volunteers would need to arrive by 5:30 PM to get into costume. Volunteer one night, two nights, three nights, or even all four. Don't miss this opportunity to pull all those ghoulish pranks and spooktacular tricks that you've always wanted to, but never had the chance to. Join them in making this the scariest, spookiest, and most frightening Haunted House and Hayride St. Cloud has ever experienced!
Contact Kara or Jodi at (320) 253-1616.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota serves children by providing one-to-one mentoring relationships. By becoming a "Big", you are helping to nurture a child between the ages of 7-14 through providing positive life experiences. If you're interested in an unstructured and flexible volunteer opportunity, this is it. You set the schedule. The most important things that you can offer a child are support, quality time, and friendship. The professional staff of Big Brothers Big Sisters works carefully to match interests. Mentors must be 18 years of age and able to commit a minimum of 12 months to a relationship with a child.
If interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Sharon Harren (320)-253-1616.
Campus Recreation
Do you like working with kids? Join "Super Fridays" with Campus Recreation at Halenbeck Hall every other Friday from 5:30-10 PM and work with kids ages 5-11. On October 15, this program will host the "Hawaiian Luau". On November 29, there will be a "Boo Bash". On November 12, there will be a program called "Fun with Science."
For more information, please call Chris Haukos at (320) 308-6692 or visit www.stcloudstate.edu/campusrec.
Husky Neighborhood Clean-up
Volunteer Connection presents its third annual Husky Neighborhood Clean-Up on Sunday, October 24 from 10 AM - noon. Volunteers will meet behind the Miller Center at Barden Park (Atwood Lounge in case of rain) and pick up trash in the neighborhoods surrounding campus. Everyone is welcome and no registration is necessary. Volunteer Connection will provide refreshments and supplies. Bring a friend!
Housing Coalition
The Housing Coalition of the St. Cloud area works to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing for people of low and moderate income through advocacy and development. They are in need of volunteers to help paint the inside of apartment buildings for individuals with disabilities. The dates are October 18 from 9 AM-4 PM and October 20 from 8 AM-5 PM. This is a wonderful opportunity to help maintain and improve housing conditions for others.
If interested in this opportunity, please contact June Brown at (320) 259-7676
St. Cloud Area School District 742-Community Education
The St. Cloud Area School District 742 Community Education Adults with Disabilities Program enhances the lives of persons with disabilities by providing a variety of educational and recreational opportunities. This program supports people with developmental disabilities and encourages participation in their community. They are in need of volunteers who are friendly and caring to help out on October 23 from 10 AM-2:30 PM. Volunteers will assist with baking and decorating cookies for Halloween. Volunteers must fill out an application and go through a short orientation prior to this event. By volunteering with this program, you will enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities.
For more information on this opportunity, please contact Gale Erdmann at (320) 529-6500, ext. 6271.
St. Cloud Area EITC/Tax Assistance Coalition
The St. Cloud Area EITC/Tax Assistance Coalition provides education and outreach to low income, working community members. They are currently organizing tax preparation sites for families. They need volunteers for various tax preparation sites throughout the St. Cloud area. Various opportunities include tax site preparers and reviewers, tax site assistants, technology and computer assistants, and translators. The site will begin the last week of January and run until April 15, 2005. Training will be provided sometime in late November or early December.
For more information, please call JeriAnne Collins at (320) 251-1612.
St. Cloud Area YMCA
The St. Cloud Area YMCA provides programs that build strong kids, families and communities while meeting health and social service needs. They have volunteer opportunities available for people interested in working as an aid in swimming lessons for children (certification is not required). They are also in need of people willing to assist and instruct their aquatic classes. These include Multiple Sclerosis Exercise, Senior Water Fitness, Arthritis Exercise, Stretch & Flex, Shallow Water Fitness, & Deep Water Jog. These are great volunteer opportunities to help keep people healthy!
For more information about volunteer opportunities, please call Colleen Murphy at (320) 253-2664.
Sauk Rapids-Rice School District
The Sauk Rapids/Rice School Districts are in need of volunteers to help in an elementary special education class any day of the week between 9-11 AM.
If you are interested, please call Bobbi Murphy, Coordinator of Volunteers for the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District, at 258-1733.
The Message Program
Currently, the Message Program is preparing three containers of aid to be sent to Central America in the next few weeks. They are in need of volunteers to help them in their warehouse in Sauk Rapids with sorting, inventorying, and packing pallets of supplies. They also are looking for volunteers that would be interested in providing office/administrative support, assist with writing grant proposals, and donation collection and transport. Be aware the warehouse work requires people that are able to lift boxes and are interested in physical work.
Time is flexible; evening and weekend hours are great! Individuals or groups that would like more information can call Karin Reichensperger, Director, at (320) 290-0420 or email her at Karin@themessageprogram.org.
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross provides relief to victims of disasters while helping people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. They are offering free disaster training on October 22 and 23 for those interested in becoming disaster relief volunteers. Prior to this weekend training, volunteers need to complete the "Introduction to Disaster Services" through self study. Volunteers will learn how a community responds to a disaster, while being able to identify mass care services and participate in damage assessments. Volunteers will learn how to safely and effectively use an emergency response vehicle and its equipment. On Saturday there will be a disaster simulation where volunteers can practice their new skills by meeting the needs of people displaced by a disaster. This is a great opportunity to help those in your community in the event of a disaster!
For more detailed information, please contact the American Red Cross at (320) 251-7641.
St. Cloud Area Crisis Nursery
The St. Cloud Area Crisis Nursery needs volunteers to counsel and support families in crisis situations. They are seeking volunteers who are friendly, personable, professional, and able to work under stressful situations. The volunteer will be responsible for answering an on-call cell phone from their home between the hours of 5 PM-8 AM Monday-Friday and on weekends. Volunteers determine their availability around their own schedules. Volunteers will attend a 2-hour orientation training at the crisis nursery office or at their homes. The volunteers come together every other month for a 2-hour training and have the opportunity to share their stories and experiences. This is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in a child's life and help strengthen families in our community.
If interested, please contact Carol Otremba at (320) 654-1090.
Faith in Action
The St. Cloud Faith in Action program provides volunteer services to people with disabilities and older adults to enable them to remain in their homes for as long as possible. They are looking for volunteer drivers to transport older adults and people with disabilities to medical or other appointments. They need volunteers during daytime hours Monday-Friday. They provide transportation into the cities of Waite Park, Sartell, St. Cloud, Rice, and Sauk Rapids. All volunteers will fill out an application and undergo a background check. If you enjoy working with people and are comfortable with driving, this opportunity can be very rewarding.
If interested in this opportunity, please call Cherise Robb at (320) 251-9002.
St. Cloud Hospital
The St. Cloud Hospital needs volunteers for their Gift Gallery. Volunteers will help greet customers, deliver flowers to patients, run the cash register, stock shelves, and perform basic retail duties. They need volunteers to fill evening and weekend hours as well as some day shifts. If you volunteer four times a month, you will also receive a 10% discount on any regularly priced items throughout the store. They also need volunteers in the surgery unit to escort families and visitors to other areas of the hospital, and to offer games, reading materials, and beverages to those waiting. In addition, the volunteer may be asked to answer phones and communicate information to families. These are great opportunities to make a difference in someone's life!
For more information about these opportunities, please call Alison Bossen at (320) 255-5638.
The Good Shepherd Community
The Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids provides healthcare and housing services for young and old adults. They are looking for volunteer cashiers for their Northern Delights coffee and gift shop. Volunteers will engage in friendly conversation with residents and staff, along with light cleaning/dusting and assisting individuals with purchases. Days and times are flexible.
For more information, please contact Beth Chapin at (320) 252-6525 ext. 2124.
The Volunteer Connection Service Bulletin is brought to you by the staff of the St. Cloud State University Volunteer Connection program:
Laura Merrill, Volunteer Connection Coordinator, 308-5693
lcmerrill@stcloudstate.edu,
Atwood 139
Maren Greathouse, Graduate Assistant, 308-3058
greatm01@stcloudstate.edu,
Atwood 139
Eveily Freeman, AmeriCorps member, Service-Learning Coordinator, 308-3898
elfreeman@stcloudstate.edu,
Atwood 139
Additional volunteer information is available from:
- Volunteer Central MN is a service of the United Way of Central Minnesota that instantly links you to volunteer opportunities that match your interest, skills, and schedule, visit www.unitedwayhelps.org.
- Z-Club, a SCSU student organization that promotes service opportunities, has weekly meetings Wednesday’s at 4:00pm in the Lady’s Slipper Room in Atwood. For more information look at their web site www.geocities.com/zclubscsu/home.html or email zclubscsu@hotmail.com.
- Volunteer Connection website has info about special events, non-profit agencies, and archives of all past Service Bulletins: www.stcloudstate.edu/volunteer.
*NEW* Bulletin Information
Please note that recipients of this newsletter may not post messages to the entire group. If you have comments or an item you'd like included in future newsletters, please email the information to the moderator at volunteer@stcloudstate.edu.
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