Volunteer Connection Service Bulletin: January 21, 2005
A bi-weekly newsletter of local service opportunities (also see the bulletin
archives)
January 21, 2005 ~ Spring 2005
This bulletin lists information about one-time and on-going service opportunities, special events, and nonprofit agencies to help you get involved in the community! If you're a SCSU student, staff, or faculty member interested in volunteering but aren't sure which agency might be a good fit, contact the Volunteer Connection staff. Please drop by Atwood 139, call, or email us (contact info and instructions for [un]subscribing are listed at the end of the bulletin.)
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Tsunami Relief Effort
Millions of survivors in South Asia need help to recover from recent tragic events of December 26, 2004.
Kids Against Hunger, The Message Program, Digital Green, Central Minnesota Community Foundation, Stearns Bank NA, and United Way of Central Minnesota are partnering to help the survivors of the tragedy. On February 12th and 13th at the St. Cloud Armory, over 1,500 volunteers will help to package 285,120 meals to send to South Asia. Teams of 10 or more volunteers will work in two-hour shifts with about 100 other volunteers. They will work in assembly line fashion to measure and package dry food items. A team leader needs to register on United Way's Volunteer Central MN website at www.unitedwayhelps.org. Individuals, families, or groups of less than 10 volunteers can contact Bobbie Stay at bstay@unitedwayhelps.org. A new registration drive will begin today, Friday, January 21. Spots have been filling up very quickly, so register now to ensure your spot!
If you don't have access to the internet, contact Jessica Weber at (320) 252-0227.
Girl Scouts - Land of Lake Council
Girl Scouts - Land of Lake Council is looking for leaders who want to empower girls to build self potential, self esteem, relate better to others, make good decision, and contribute to their community. We are searching for people who are willing to spend 4-8 hours a month with girls aged 5-13 in our outreach program called Girl GROWTH.
For more information please contact Jeanna Thyen at 252-2952 ext. 226 or e-mail jthyen@girlscoutslolc.org.
The Good Shepherd Community
The Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids is looking for afternoon card players, grocery assistants and home delivered meal drivers. If you have a spare hour or two a week and you would like a fun volunteer opportunity, please think about spending your time with residents at Good Shepherd.
For more information, please contact Beth Chapin at 252-6525 or email at bethchapin@ecumen.org.
Reach Up, Inc.
Reach-Up Inc. strengthens and supports families in an environment of trust and respect through comprehensive services and partnerships with families, staff and communities. Reach-Up Inc. works in partnership with families in Benton, Stearns and Sherburne counties. Volunteers are needed to assist teachers in Head Start classrooms in providing a safe, healthy, nurturing and educational environment for children. Volunteers help kids read, learn, and play. They assist on field trips and with classroom preparation. Opportunities are available weekdays in Head Start Centers and family childcare settings. Reach Up, Inc. also needs Head Start bus aides. Ride the bus, assist the driver in buckling up the children, and ensure a safe, fun arrival. They need bus volunteers on an on-call basis.
To learn more about these opportunities, contact Suzy at (320) 253-8110.
Rice Elementary
The 4th grade class at Rice Elementary is looking for volunteers to help judge their inventions for the Inventors Congress on Thursday, January 27, from approximately 10:30 - 12:30 or 1:30 - 2:30 PM. This is a very fun and rewarding volunteer experience. Volunteers will receive questions to ask students about their inventions.
Please contact Laurie Bammann at 258-1732 or laurie.bammann@isd47.org if you are interested.
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities' Annual Mardi Gras Benefit will take place February 5, 2005. The event will raise funds for the food shelf, emergency clothing and financial assistance programs, and transitional housing. The theme for the celebration is "All That Glitters." Catholic Charities would like volunteers with carpentry experience to create city backdrops and sets to be displayed the night of the event. They need volunteers from now until February. They would like additional volunteers to design and create decorations and give 2-3 hours per week until the event.
Finally, more volunteers will help clean up and take down decorations after the event. Volunteers will work with other volunteers and staff to disassemble decorations, put them away in labeled bins, and load the bins into a truck. Clean-up will take place 11:30 PM-2:00 AM the night of February 5, 2005. Snacks will be provided to volunteers!
For further information on these opportunities, call Diane Swenson at (320) 650-1559.
Catholic Charities' SAIL program teaches independent living skills to youth ages 14 to 21. Youth are enrolled in the program for 15 weeks. Every 15 weeks, SAIL holds an overnight retreat for currently enrolled youth. SALE needs a volunteer to provide overnight supervision at these retreats. The volunteer must be awake from approximately 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM the next morning, once every 15 weeks. Retreats generally take place over a weekend, beginning on either a Friday or Saturday night. If interested, the volunteer is welcome to stay for the following day and observe or participate in activities with the youth. Volunteers must be over 21 years of age and, preferably, have previous experience working with youth.
Catholic Charities' Day Treatment provides academic and therapeutic services to emotionally at-risk children ages 10 to 18. The children also engage in Experiential Learning activities like gardening and athletic events. Children receive individual and group counseling that allows them to successfully reintegrate into their local school districts. The Treatment program is required to send out several mailings each month. They would like volunteers to assemble these informational materials and then prepare them for mailing and also assist with miscellaneous office tasks. They would like a volunteer for approximately 2-4 hours a week (Tuesday or Thursday afternoon works best) and must maintain confidentiality.
Please contact Diane Swenson at 650-1559 or email at dswenson@gw.stcdio.org or Katie Kustritz at 650-1553 or email at kkustritz@gw.stcdio.org.
Boys and Girls Club
The mission of Boys & Girls Club of Central Minnesota is to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. Their programs promote the development of young people by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and power or influence. The Boys and Girls Club also coordinates with area schools to provide the after school KIDSTOP program until 6 PM. Children are able to receive homework help, play games and sports, and do various activities in these programs. If you enjoy helping school age children, think about volunteering your time at one of the Boys and Girls Clubs in St. Cloud, or at a KIDSTOP location.
To find out more, contact Vicki at (320) 252-7616.
Dream Center
The Dream Center of St. Cloud's mission is to end homelessness and hunger one person at a time. The Dream Center was a transitional housing program from its inception, but now also operates a Drop-In Center, which offers 2 free meals per day. The Dream Center currently needs volunteers to help during meal times, which are from 10-11:30 AM and 3-4:30 PM daily. They also need volunteers to assist with receptionist and light office duties or data entry from 9 AM-5 PM, seven days a week. If you want to make a difference for someone in a time of need, this is a great opportunity.
For details, contact Michael Laidlaw at (320) 656-1550.
Mississippi Heights Elementary School
A teacher at Mississippi Heights Elementary School in Sauk Rapids is looking for a volunteer(s) who would like to work with advanced students in either writing stories or doing math. The time commitment would be from 11:45 - 12:30 every other day or flexible according to the volunteer's schedule. This is a very rewarding volunteer experience for a college student.
Please contact Laurie Bammann at 258-1732 or email laurie.bammann@isd47.org if you are interested.
St. Cloud Metro CASH
St. Cloud Metro CASH, formerly the St. Cloud Area EITC/Tax Assistance Coalition, provides education and outreach to low income, working community members and families. They are currently organizing tax preparation sites and are in need of volunteers at these specific sites throughout the St. Cloud area. Various opportunities include tax site preparers and reviewers, tax site assistants, technology and computer assistants, and translators. The sites will begin the last week of January and run until April 15, 2005. Day and evening hours are available. Training will take place in late January.
For more information, please call JeriAnne Collins at (320) 251-1612.
United Cerebral Palsy
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Minnesota aims to change lives and create opportunities for persons with disabilities throughout Central Minnesota. They are the leading source of information on cerebral palsy and advocate for the rights of persons with any disability. UCP needs volunteers to assist with their Stuck In Motion stationary bike race fundraiser at Crossroads Center on Sunday, January 30, from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Volunteers will assist teams and riders during the race. Duties may include reporting mileage, helping with registration, or counting pledge money. Volunteers will receive t-shirts.
For more details, call UCP at (320) 253-0765.
St. Benedict's
St. Benedict's Monastery needs help preparing bedrooms for guests of the Spirituality Center. This is an opportunity to absorb the quiet and peace of the Spirituality Center while completing hospitality details necessary to prepare for the next person making retreat. Specific tasks include preparing beds, replenishing supplies for the bedroom and bathroom, dusting, and being alert to other needs-doing repairs, etc. They are seeking volunteers that are dependable, have good observational skills, pay attention to details, are physically able to walk stairs, and are able to respect the quiet environment.
To learn more, contact Sister Patrice Reed at (320) 363-7105.
Place of Hope
Place of Hope promotes healing to individuals and families and provides opportunities for spiritual growth to enable people to become independent and self-sufficient. The Homeless Outreach Center needs volunteers to answer the front desk phone, sign people in and out, monitor the center, assist guests with personal care items, and phone use, and do general cleaning. Hours vary from 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM. The Center also needs volunteers to transport people to the evening shelter location during the hours of 6:45 -7:45 AM and 8:45 -9:45 PM seven days a week. Volunteers are also needed at the Christian Living Center to help cook on a regular basis. Volunteers will assist with meal preparation, serving, and clean- up. Hours are available between 9:30 AM-6:00 PM.
For more information, contact Konroy at (320) 203-7881.
Bridging, Inc.
Share-a-Chair is merging with Bridging, Inc. in January to serve the 13 counties surrounding St. Cloud. Bridging, Inc. is a nonprofit furniture bank located in Bloomington and Sauk Rapids. Since its beginning 17 years ago, volunteers have played central roles in fulfilling the Bridging mission to extend community resources by distributing free beds, furniture, and household goods to people in transition. Bridging benefits those in desperate need including refugees, victims of domestic abuse, and the homeless, who are given a sense of dignity and stability as they select basic furniture and household items to help them rebuild their lives.
Whatever amount of time you have available, Bridging offers meaningful ways to be connected through service. Because of the nature of our organization, many volunteer projects will include some physical work.
Join Bridging, Inc. for an informational meeting on Monday, January 24, from 4:00-5:30 PM, at 800 Industrial Drive, Suite 202, Benton Business Park, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379.
For more information, please contact Diana Dalsin, Volunteer Manager, at 952-888-0746 or email diana@bridging.org.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MN
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota serves children by providing one-to-one mentoring relationships. By becoming a "Big," you help nurture a child between the ages of 7 to 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.
If interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Sharon Harren (320) 253-1616.
Central Minnesota Music School
A local non-profit music school seeks volunteers for marketing committee.
Music fills the halls on the third floor of the historic St. Mary's Center. That's the home of the Central Minnesota Music School (CMMS), which provides quality music education and performance opportunities for students of all ages and abilities for voice, strings, guitar, and piano. CMMS proudly hosts the Saint Paul City Ballet, a youth orchestra and a fiddle orchestra, and even offers classes a pre-school child can appreciate!
If you have a passion for the survival of the arts and a flare for marketing or leadership, consider volunteering for CMMS's marketing committee. The committee meets monthly in the evening approximately 1 ˝ hours at the school. You do not need prior experience with the school, but an appreciation of music and performing arts is helpful. The school's silver anniversary (September 2006) presents a golden opportunity for marketing. And there is plenty to do before that too!
Contact CMMS marketing chair Berta Shermer at 251-2700, ext. 54197 or shermerr@centracare.com, for more information about this volunteer opportunity, or about the school in general.
EF Foundation
The EF Foundation is worldwide, non-profit organization dedicated to international student exchange and education. Every year, exchange students from over 35 countries come to the United States to live with American host families and attend a local high school. Students accepted to the EF Foundation program are aged 15-18, fully insured, speak English, and bring their own spending money. Host parents are needed to provide room, board, and a caring environment for a five to ten month period. If you like to meet new people from around the world, become a host family for a foreign exchange student.
To find out more, contact Lindsay at 1-888-44-SHARE.
Muscular Dystrophy Association
Each summer the Muscular Dystrophy Association sponsors a weeklong, expense paid summer camp for children ages 6-21 living with Muscular Dystrophy. Plans are well underway and volunteers are needed to serve as counselors. This year's MDA Summer Camp will run June 4-11 at Camp Courage in Maple Lake. Camp Counselors must be at least 16 years of age and be able to physically lift a camper between the ages of 6-21. Counselors are assigned to a camper with Muscular Dystrophy and serve as their companion for the week. Throughout the week, attendants assist their camper with various activities. More importantly, attendants ensure their campers have a fun and memorable experience.
For more information, contact Kelly at (952) 841-0533.
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.
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.
Feel free to forward this newsletter to others at St. Cloud State University and encourage them to sign up to receive the newsletter directly.
Anyone can SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE online by following the instructions on the Volunteer Connection website at http://www.stcloudstate.edu/volunteer/bulletins/archives.asp.
