United Way of Greater Lafayette
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Current Volunteer Needs

 

Volunteer Needs Column

January 27, 2012   

 

             What's New This Week?

Help Save a Homeowner from Foreclosure    

Homestead Consulting Services is looking for volunteers to help us with filing, data entry, copying, and maintaining client files. The majority of the files will be for homeowners trying to save their home from foreclosure. They are looking for volunteers that can contribute a minimum of 5 hours per week. Hours would be scheduled at your convenience but would be Monday-Friday during the work day. If interested in this opportunity, reply here.

  

Put Books in the hands of Preschoolers  

Volunteers are needed on Wednesday and Thursday mornings and Thursday afternoons to assist preschool children in making selections when they trade books on Book Cycle Day. Volunteers may also read to the children, sort and organize book inventories at the centers, and help with data collection. Volunteers can help weekly, every other week, or monthly. Book Cycle operates in all Tippecanoe County Child Care Centers and all Head start Centers. If interested in this opportunity, reply here.

     

Puppeteers Still Needed

Kids First would like you to consider becoming one of the puppeteers to assist elementary children learn how to deal with bulling and discrimination issues. See article to the right to learn how you can let your acting skills prevail!  

 

Good at Spelling?

Lafayette Adult Resource Academy's 22nd Annual Spelling Bee for Literacy is on Saturday, February 25th. Put together a team and join the fun! To find out more, call LARA at 765-476-2920.

     

Donations Needed  

Have something you would like to donate to a nonprofit or you would like to see what items they need? Visit our "Donation Exchange" on United Way's new website to see what you can do today!  

If interested in learning about more volunteer opportunities, contact Amy at the
United Way Volunteer Center or visit:
 


 
If you want to touch the past, touch a rock.  If you want to touch the present, touch a flower.  If you want to touch the future, touch a life. 

~Author Unknown 



 *Still Needed*  

Being There in a Time of Need  

St. Elizabeth Hospice is seeking non-medical volunteers to provide services that allow terminally ill patients to remain in their own homes. Volunteers assist patients and their caregivers with caregiver respite, patient companionship, listening and emotional support, shopping, yard work or household chores. Next free training provided on February 11th. For more information email Diana or call 423-6924.

Electrician Extraordinaire

A licensed electrician is needed to install a light switch in the Mental Health America Community Building.

The electrician must be licensed or provide references. For more information email Jayme

or call 742-1800. 

  

Homework Assistance 

Hanna Community Center is looking for volunteers to assist children in grades K-6th with their educational needs while being supervised in a safe environment. The main focus of the program is to assist in completing homework and enhancing basic skills in math, reading and problem-solving through tutoring, crafts, activities and games. To volunteer, email Arianne or call 742-0191.

 

Need a Friend?  

Westminster Village is seeking volunteers to escort residents to the on campus beauty salon and special events.They are also seeking resident companions! If you would like to visit and spend time with the residents, this is your opportunity. Flexible hours. Email Kim or call 463-7546

 

Graphic Design Work  

Trinity Mission is looking for volunteer(s) familiar with Creative Suite 5.5 (a graphic design software). If interested and available, email Deena or call 742-1060

Puppeteers Wanted for Kids First

Each March, Disability Awareness Month is celebrated throughout Indiana to honor the more than 19% of children and adults in Indiana with a disability.

 

Kids First presents the Kids on the Block Educational Puppet Shows to children and adult groups throughout Tippecanoe County.   

 

In honor of Disability Awareness Month, on March 16, 2012 Kids First has invited two representatives from the The Kids on the Block International Performing Troupe to train up to 20 volunteers to become Kids First Puppeteers.  

  puppets

Training includes a performance highlighting The Kids First topics, hands-on experience in a Japanese style of puppetry, instruction in the art of answering questions, character development skills and much, much more!  

 

The workshop is a morale booster for puppeteers - it will lead to upbeat rehearsals and performances!   

 

Currently, Kids First is seeking additional puppeteers to perform one of the Kids on the Block educational puppet shows to children in grades K-5 throughout Tippecanoe County.  

 

Volunteers will begin training immediately and will be invited to participate in the March 16th workshop for additional training and development. Please email Gail McCormick, Kids First Coordinator or telephone her at 474-0758 for information.


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Check out the New Volunteer Center Website
United Way of Greater Lafayette Volunteer Center is working on making the process of linking you to the right volunteer opportunity better! You will be able to still access a large list of organizations through the current site but some have already started posting their opportunities directly to the new site. You can see what they have available and if interested, contact them straight from the website! It is easy to get started and check back for tips in the upcoming needs columns.

Click here to check out the new site and register as a volunteer today!
8 Benefits of Volunteerism
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New Year's Resolutions are often made with the best of intentions and promptly dropped. Statistics show that about two weeks into the year one-third of those who make resolutions are close to quitting. By March, 85 percent will have thrown in the towel!

 

What better way to keep that resolution to volunteer than to reassess exactly how volunteering will benefit you? You may be surprised at some of the various benefits of volunteerism!

  • Meet new people Volunteering brings together a diverse range of people from all backgrounds and walks of life. It puts you in contact with folks with similar interests that you may not have encountered otherwise! Volunteer projects are a great way to make new friends or simply meet people with different life experiences than your own. You can not only develop lifelong personal and professional relationships, you can also hear about job openings, gather insider employment information and develop great references.
  • Network and gain connections In these uncertain economic times, the opportunity to network is nothing to scoff at. Volunteer projects offer that chance, and often in an arena related to your current skills. Networking is an exciting benefit of volunteering and you can never tell who you will meet or what new information you will learn and what impact this could have on your life.
  • Looks good on your resume & college application Volunteering demonstrates workplace, management, and leadership skills that can be documented in a resume. Work experience is work experience, with or without a paycheck. If you are developing new skills or thinking of pursuing a new career, volunteer work can give you valuable, practical experience. Career counselors and headhunters encourage job seekers to document pertinent volunteer experiences. Volunteer work support skills, character and balance in life. 90% of executives in a national survey of Fortune 500 companies believed volunteering built teamwork and provided valuable professional development opportunities.
  • Learn new skills Volunteering is the perfect vehicle to discover something you are really good at and develop a new skill. It is never too late to learn new skills and there is no reason why you should stop adding to your knowledge just because you are in employment or have finished education. Planning and implementing a major fundraising event can develop goal setting, planning and budgeting skills. Supervising and training other volunteers helps to develop supervisory and training skills. Volunteering is the perfect way to discover something that you're good at while contributing to the benefit of your community.
  • Gain confidence and a sense of achievement Volunteers are motivated in their work because they are able to work for a cause or passion that they truly believe in. When one is able to work for a cause close to their heart, they feel a sense of achievement at seeing the effect that their good work has on others. Volunteering around a personal interest or hobby can be fun, relaxing and energizing. That energy and sense of fulfillment can carry over to other aspects of your life and sometimes helps to relieve work tensions and foster new perspectives for old situations.
  • Better your health Those who participate in volunteer activities report higher levels of life satisfaction, sense of control over life, and feeling physical and emotionally healthier. A report featured in The International Journal of Person Centered Medicine found that people who give back to others lead more happy and healthy lives than those who do not volunteer. "People in general are happier and healthier, and may even live a little longer, when they're contributing" to their community or an organization they are passionate about, said study author Stephen G. Post, PhD. A majority of study participants said their volunteer activities enrich their sense of purpose in life and lower stress levels. The survey also showed that those who give back are less likely to feel hopeless and lonely than people who do not volunteer.
  • Feel good by doing good! Volunteering is about giving your time, energy and skills freely. As a volunteer you have made a decision to help on your own accord, free from pressure to act from others.  Volunteers predominantly express a sense of achievement and motivation, and this is ultimately generated from your desire and enthusiasm to help. It may be true that no one person can solve all the world's problems, but what you can do is make that little corner of the world where you live just that little bit better!
  • Establish yourself in your community We sometimes take for granted the community that we live in. It is easy to become disconnected with the issues that face your community as a whole. Why not bridge that expanding gap through volunteering? Volunteering is ultimately about helping others and having an impact on people's wellbeing. What better way is there to connect with your community and give a little back? As a volunteer, you certainly return to society some of the benefits that society gives you.
  • Find new hobbies and interests Finding new interests and hobbies through volunteering can be fun, relaxing and energizing. Sometimes a volunteer experience can lead you to something you never even thought about or help you discover a hobby or interest you were unaware of. You can strengthen your personal and professional mission and vision by exploring opportunities and expanding your horizons. Perhaps you'll discover a previously unknown passion for education or making blankets for homeless shelters!
What are the benefits you've experienced through volunteering? Have you succeeded in keeping your resolutions?

 

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