Trains, Trains and more Trains!

Linden Depot Museum is gearing up for their Christmas Season. If you like to play with trains athey can use you or a group to keep the trains running, greet or run a cash register. The museum is open December 10th - 21st from 1 -7pm and over 1000 visitors come to learn about the history of trains and shop for that special gift. If you would like to Volunteer email Gary or call 765-427-3630.

Shhh....you're in the library! 

Librarian helpers are needed in several of our Lafayette Schools. If interested in helping by shelving books and checking in/out books for 1 hour a week or more, email Karen Combs or call 771-6036. No experience needed....they will train! Help raise a generation of great readers starting today!  

Did you say Chair Zumba?

Bickford Cottage are looking for volunteers who love helping people exercise. Fitness leaders are needed to help the seniors get and stay mobile! 1/2 hour classes run at 9:30am Monday - Friday. If you would like to run a class or two then email Rachel or call 490-6290.

Who Won the Battle of Tippecanoe?

Volunteer and get to watch for free the reenactment celebration of the Battle of Tippecanoe on November 5th & 6th. Historic Prophetstown are looking for volunteers to run the concession stand for this 200th year celebration. If you would like to be a part of history email or call 765-567-4700.

Are you good on the Phone? 

Big Brothers Big Sisters are looking for individuals to answer the telephone and welcome agency guests. Days and hours are flexible. If interested, email or call 765-446-2227.

B-I-N-G-O is the NameO

Bickford Cottage are looking for volunteers who love calling Bingo and visiting with their seniors! They have bingo on Thursdays at 1pm and Saturdays at 2:30pm. If you have an hour to have fun then contact Rachel or call 490-6290.

Be a Stable Person in a Child's Life

Sunnyside 5th & 6th graders are in need of some lunchtime mentors and after school homework helpers. The children are no longer elementary but not quite middle school and they are in need of some extra support. Lunch times are between 10:39 am - 1:35pm in four different lunch periods. If you would like to be a stable person in a young person's life contact Debbie Gutwein by email or call 771-6100 x 8429.

Christmas for Everyone

Christmas for Everyone is a community ministry of compassion organized by the Tippecanoe Evangelical Association of Ministers and Ministries and the American Red Cross to provide Christmas gifts for children in need in the Greater Lafayette area. Volunteers are in need to help with registration and data entry from 9am - 5pm. Shifts vary depending on availability, but ideally done in 4 hour increments. Bi-lingual in Spanish is a plus! For more information or to sign up contact Jennifer by email or call 742-6975 x 2215.

Winter is around the corner...do you have a coat?

The Salvation Army is having their annual Winter Warm Up on November 5th. Winter coats and clothing will be passed out to community families and individuals. If you would like to donate or volunteer please call 742-0006 or email today.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 

Tippecanoe Villa are looking for a group of 4 volunteers on November 22nd and 23rd from 8 or 9am - 12 or 1pm to set up Christmas trees with the lights only. They need to be set up and ready to decorate before Thanksgiving. If interested, email Judi. 

Week of Caring

2011  

Photo Contest Winners

"Best Action Picture"  

 Fairfield Manufacturing Volunteers were in full action at the "Neighbors" of Caregiver Companion homes. They cleaned, pulled weeds, and fixed furniture for their Week of Caring project! The neighbor said "The improvement of my yard still brings smiles to my face whenever I'm outside."  For all their hard work they received a $100 gift certificate to Subway!    

They say hard work pays off and I know in this case it gave pride back to someone who could no longer do it herself. Thank you for your selfless giving of your time in many projects but especially taking the time to bring a smile to this neighbor's life!

Congratulations!!  

Check back next week to find out who wins the last category!

Learn more about the United Way

Do you want to find out more about what the United Way of Greater Lafayette is all about? Visit the website

Now accepting applications for United Way's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Last tax season we were able to assist in over $205,500 in returns to low income families. Now we need your help to ensure this program is a success again. VITA is your opportunity to help low income families in our community. We will provide free training and certification to prepare taxes beginning in January 2012. VITA is a WIN WIN WIN program. Our community wins because tax dollars that are saved can be spent locally to boost the economy. The client wins because taxes are prepared accurately and for free saving an average of $200. As a volunteer you win because this is a great opportunity to give back while also learning how to prepare your own return. To volunteer or for more information about VITA contact Jennifer Million at (756) 742-9077 ext. 227, text (765) 237-2344 or visit our website.

There is more than one method to identify community needs. Remember to involve residents from the community in the selection and planning of a group project. You may also decide to build upon and help improve ongoing community projects. Some methods to identify your community's needs include:   

Brainstorming

• Call an easily accessible town meeting of community members and project team members. Brainstorm challenges facing the community and select one as the top priority.
• Explore the root causes of the problem identified in the brainstorming session. Investigate the effects on individuals and the community.

Use Surveys

• Contact the Volunteer Center for information on community needs.
• Contact the government or public policy program at a local university or college. Ask students to survey the local residents about their concerns.
• Check with the local Chamber of Commerce or City Planner's office for a community needs assessment survey.
• Conduct your own small survey of your partner organization's members.

Watch the News

• Bring a week's worth of local newspapers to a team meeting and discuss the impact of community events.
• Pay close attention to your local news and think about ways to make negative stories into positive ones.
• Cut out articles in the newspaper that create feelings of sadness, anger, or that inspire a need for change.
• Have team leaders make a similar list of stories from television news.

When you're finally ready to select a project, be flexible and choose a project that can easily be scaled up or down, depending on the number of volunteers you are able to attract. Be sure to have a contingency plan for a low volunteer turnout, and one for excess volunteers.  

Set your goals and be realistic, but plan to accomplish something tangible. Volunteers feel good about giving time and resources when they see results. Finally, remember that quality counts more than quantity. An effective small service project that gets things done, and is a joy to its volunteers, is more powerful than a poorly run, large-scale project.