This bi-weekly 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 interested in volunteering, but aren’t sure which agency might be a good fit, please contact the Volunteer Connection staff—drop by Atwood 139, call 308-5693 or email volunteer@stcloudstate.edu.
SCSU Volunteer Connection Service Bulletin
Published twice per month
Sept. – April
February 23rd Edition
United Way
Provide Transportation
Tri-CAP provides opportunities for residents in our communities to expand their social and economic well being. They are looking for qualified volunteers who are willing to transport passengers to medical, social service, or visitation appointments using their own vehicles. Volunteers would provide rides within Stearns and Benton counties as well as the Twin Cities. Mileage reimbursement is available. Volunteers must be 21 years of age or older, have a valid driver’s license, their own insured vehicle, and be drug and alcohol free.
For more information, contact Chris Heid at (320) 202-7824.
Help in a Coffee Shop
Good Shepherd Community provides healthcare and housing services for young and older adults.
Northern Delights is a coffee and gift shop conveniently located within this community. The store offers a variety of food, candy, ice cream, beverages, greeting cards and gift items. Volunteers are needed to assist residents, tenants, family members, guests and staff with item selection and purchases. Volunteers will assist with the cash register, some light stocking and cleaning. Training will be provided. Volunteers are asked to work at least one 3-hour shift per week.
For more information, contact Beth Chapin at (320) 252-6525 ext. 2124.
Mentor Inmates
Central Minnesota Re-entry Project assists prisoners and ex-prisoners to build healthier lives and become more responsible citizens. They operate a program that matches trained volunteers with motivated inmates to provide friendship and mentoring. By offering visits and friendship, volunteers help prisoners feel cared about, develop trust, and gain a new outlook. Volunteers need to commit to mentoring an inmate for at least one year. Mentors should visit their inmate for one hour at least two times a month. Extensive training and continued support during mentorship will be provided.
For more information, contact Joseph Gibbons at (320) 761-8133.
Support Children
Catholic Charities Life Transitions focuses on helping children and parents develop healthy coping skills and connect with others experiencing a loss or grief. They are looking for volunteers to assist with the kids support group, for children ages 5 and up on Mondays from 6 to 8:30 pm. Volunteers will help organize activities to create a structured environment. They are also looking for volunteers to assist with childcare for children under the age of 5 on Mondays from 6:30 to 8 pm. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.
For more information, call (320) 529-0427.
Assist with Crisis Calls
St. Cloud Area Crisis Nursery offers services for families in the community who are facing difficult situations. They offer services to protect children from possible harm while supporting parents. Volunteers are needed to answer the St. Cloud area crisis phone on evenings, weekends, and holidays. Thorough training is provided for volunteers to handle calls from their own homes. Volunteers may have to provide transportation for children to a service provider. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and have a clean driving record.
For more information contact Carol Otremba at (320) 282-2143.
Sort Clothing Donations
C.R.O.S.S Center provides encouragement and assistance to members of Benton County who are experiencing short-term difficulties in meeting their basic needs for food and clothing. They are looking for volunteers to help sort clothing and fill food orders on Mondays from 1 until 4 pm. Volunteers must physically be able to stand at a table, sort and hang up clothes as needed, and be able to do some lifting when filling food orders.
For more information, contact Carole Mersinger at (320) 968-7012.
Youth as Resources- Create your own Service Projects!
United Way’s Youth as Resources promotes youth leadership and provides youth an opportunity to address community needs. Youth as Resources has $15,000 available per year for youth-led, youth-initiated service projects. Grants up to $1,000 are available for youth ages 5-21 who want to make a difference in the community. It's a great opportunity for youth to use their creative ideas to address community needs. Some projects that have been funded by Youth as Resources are mentoring programs, cultural fairs, grief bags, and many more! The projects need to be created and led by youth.
For more information, contact Jessica Horning at (320) 252-0227.
Collecting History from Newspapers
The mission of Benton County Historical Society is to preserve the past and the present for the future. They are looking for volunteers to help with record keeping by browsing through microfilms of newspapers to find records of births and deaths. This is a great way for a volunteer to share their organizational skills. This opportunity is also open to youth.
For more information, contact Beverly Abraham at (320) 253-9614.
Cancer Center Volunteer
Coborn Cancer Center provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care and an extensive range of treatment options to support cancer patients and their families. They are looking for volunteers to provide support by functioning as an escort for patients, a hostess for families and an assistant to staff. Volunteers will be greeting and helping patients, preparing and serving light meals, and performing basic office duties. Volunteers must be able to maintain confidentiality with patients and their family members at all times.
For more information, contact the volunteer office at (320) 255-5638 or email volunteer@centracare.com.
Spanish Translator
Friends of the Orphans is committed to providing support for orphaned children in Latin America and the Caribbean. They are looking for volunteers to translate letters written in Spanish between godparents and godchildren. Volunteers can translate from home and send materials through email or regular mail. This is a great opportunity for anyone wanting to improve or retain their Spanish skills while providing support for orphaned children.
For more information, contact Erin Dirksen at (651) 482-1703.
Share your Soccer Skills!
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota serves children by providing one-to-one professionally supported mentoring relationships. They are currently looking for volunteer coaches to help instruct a youth soccer team at Bel Clare Estates. Team practice is set to begin in May. Volunteers will be needed one or two evenings a week. This is a great opportunity for a volunteer who would like to be a positive influence in the lives of youth while sharing a passion for maintaining an active lifestyle.
For more information, contact Jeremy at (320) 253-1616.
Furniture Assembly
Bridging, Inc. extends community resources by providing furniture and household goods to families and individuals in transition. They are currently looking for volunteers to help assemble and repair donated furniture. Volunteer help is needed on a daily basis with repairing and displaying donated items in the warehouse. Teams of two or more are encouraged to work together and should be comfortable with some heavy lifting. Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older. Training and orientation are provided.
For more information, contact Kara Good at (320) 229-7636.
Earth Day Half Marathon
In need of Volunteer hours?
We are looking for volunteers
to help with this year’s Earth Day Half
Marathon Festival.
Volunteers needed on Friday April 14th 11am – 10pm and Saturday April 15th 7am – noon.
Job duties range from expo set up to registration to finish line duties.
Please join us for a good time.
What do you get in return for volunteering?
- For 2 hours of volunteer work you have the choice of a T-shirt or a meal ticket.
- For 4 hours of volunteer work you receive both a T-shirt and a meal ticket.
For more information go to http://www.earthdayhalfmarathon.org, or Contact Pam Harvat, Volunteer Coordinator at hapa0502@stcloudstate.edu,
Bed Race for Bridging
Help others by having fun, Post-Race Concert and a Costume Contest!
Teams of four are invited to race down Buck Hill atop a bed(mattress provided) All racers are guaranteed a minimum of two races down the hill. Register in advance by going to the website www.SubwayBedrace.org. Individuals and teams may register on site at the event beginning at 5:00p.m. A minimum donation of $100 in advance $150 day of race is requested. Come for the race, stay for the concert. The CITIES 97 POST RACE CONCERT will feature a performance by the Chris Hawkey Power Play. For additional information please call 952-278-3112.
St. Cloud Hospital
Adolescent/Children’s Specialty Clinic Volunteer
Do you love spending time with children? The St. Cloud Hospital is looking for self-motivated volunteers who enjoy spending time with children. These volunteers will read books, play board games, etc. with children while they wait for their appointments. For more information on this volunteer position contact the Volunteer Office at 320-255-5638 or e-mail volunteer@centracare.com.
Center for Surgical Care Volunteer
Interested in the nursing field and looking for a way to gain some experience within this field? The St. Cloud Hospital is looking for pleasant, self-motivated individuals who will help with escorting and discharging patients from the Center for Surgical Care. Some additional duties include assisting staff with paperwork, preparing and serving light meals for patients, and transporting patients’ belongings to nursing unit, if necessary. For more information on this volunteer position contact the Volunteer Office at 320-255-5638 or e-mail volunteer@centracare.com.
Transport/Discharge Volunteer
Looking for a way to gain experience in the medical field? Try volunteering as a transport/discharge volunteer at the St. Cloud Hospital. This volunteer must be an independent, caring individual who can assist with transporting and escorting patients. For more information on this volunteer position contact the Volunteer Office at 320-255-5638 or e-mail volunteer@centracare.com.
Office Assistant Volunteer (Volunteer Office)
Are you reliable, detail-oriented, and previously experienced in the clerical field? The St. Cloud Hospital is looking for volunteers to help fill volunteer schedules, make telephone calls, and assist with special projects. If interested, please contact the Volunteer Services at 320-255-5638.
Hole in the Wall Camps
Lots of fun. Lots of laughter. Lots of good times. This is not just a cam, it’s a life-changing. The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps is the largest family of camps in the world for children with serious illnesses. More than 70,000 children with cancer, sickler cell anemia, HIV/AIDS, and other life threatening conditions have experienced the joy of being at camp. For Information on the camps and for Volunteer opportunities that are sure to change your life please visit their website at www.holeinthewallcamps.org or call 1-203-562-1203.
You can also contact Keith with Phi Kappa Tau at shke0301@stcloudstate.edu.
Sauk Rapids Middle School
The Sauk-Rapids-Rice Middle School will be having their annual Read Across America on Thursday, March 2 at 8:05 a.m. This wonderful volunteer opportunity involves volunteers reading with students, conferencing with students, reading a book or talking about how reading has been important in their lives.
The time frame is approximately 7:45 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. including check-in. We are looking for as many volunteers as we can for this awesome opportunity to share with middle school students our love for reading.
For more information, please contact:
Laurie Bammann
Career Center/Volunteer Program
Sauk Rapids-Rice School District
laurie.bammann@isd47.org
320-258-1732
The Service Bulletin is brought to you by Volunteer Connection
located in
139 Atwood Memorial Center on the St. Cloud State University campus
2005-2006 Volunteer Connection Staff
- Beth Knutson-Kolodzne, Coordinator, 308-5693,
beknutsonkolodzne@stcloudstate.edu - Erin Van Bruggen, Graduate Assistant, 308-3058,
vaer0501@stcloudstate.edu - Christopher Bineham, AmeriCorps member and Service-Learning Coordinator, 308-3898,
crbineham@stcloudstate.edu
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 club that promotes service opportunities, has weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 4:00 PM in the Atwood Lady’s Slipper or Voyageurs North Room. For more information, go to their website: http://studentorg.stcloudstate.edu/z_club/ or email z_club@stcloudstate.edu.
- The Volunteer Connection website has info. about special events, non-profit agencies, & archives of all past Service Bulletins: www.stcloudstate.edu/volunteer.
Volunteer Connection ~ St. Cloud State University ~ Atwood 139 ~ 320-308-5693
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.
