Volunteer Opportunities 9/14/2012

	United Way of Greater Lafayette
	Volunteer Center	Current Volunteer Needs

Volunteer Needs Column

September 14, 2012

What's New This Week?

Are you "Thumbody Special?

Mental Health America wants to know:

do you love interacting with kids?
do you have one hour to give?
are you a professional, caring and dependable adult?

Volunteers needed for the "I'm Thumbody Special" Program. This 1 hour presentation is taught to 3rd grade Tippecanoe County students and focuses on enhancing positive self regard and respect for others. The program includes a short video, a story, and an interactive presentation.

If interested, email or call Jayme at 742-1800.

Outdoor Education Center Cleanup

Cole Elementary Cleanup day is September 23rd from 1-4pm. Volunteers needed to:

prepare center for winter by;
cutting, weeding, hauling brush;
work an hour or all three.

More information email Kris.

Still Needed

Aquarium Caretaker

Mental Health America is the proud owner of a 70-80 gallon freshwater fish tank that currently holds 8 fish. The tank is located in Compeer's activity room and is in need of a volunteer to clean the tank twice a month.

be able to lift 15 lbs
provide own transportation
experience appreciated but not mandatory

If interested, view opportunity on volunteer website

or call Jayme at 742-1800.

Purdue Half-Marathon & 5K Volunteers

Volunteer as an individual or group on October 20th. Help support Purdue Athletics Life Success Program and volunteer to help with:

course directional
water stations
start/finish line
registration

Volunteers receive a free t-shirt and refreshments. Sign up, visit www.purduehalf.com , email volunteer@purduehalf.com.

Wabash Sampling Blitz

Volunteer to be part of the fourth annual Fall Wabash Sampling Blitz this September 28th! Join 250 volunteers to collect a snapshot of the water quality of the Wabash River, Wildcat Creek, and their tributaries. Volunteers will monitor: temperature, water cloudiness (turbidity), nutrient levels, and pathogen concentrations. Volunteer with a friend, your family, or alone and we'll assign you a partner.

For more information, visit www.wabashriver.net/wabash-sampling-blitz or contact Sara Peel, speel@wabashriver.net or (765) 337-9100.

If interested in learning about more volunteer opportunities, contact Amy at the

United Way Volunteer Center or visit:

www.uwlafayettevolunteer.org

Week of Caring

2012 WOC

Is Finally Here!

United Way of Greater Lafayette Week of Caring 2012 is in full force but there are still a few projects left!

Thank you to all the groups that have been out all week doing projects! Don't forget to submit your photos for the contest!

We still have a few projects unclaimed. If you want to participate, put together a team and sign up for your project online.

If you have questions you can visit the United Way Week of Caring page,email Amy Wood or call 765-742-9077 x 222.



I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. ~George Bernard Shaw

THE WORD FOR TODAY IS

"VOLUNTEER"

Read to Succeed is a community initiative led by United Way of Greater Lafayette, Greater Lafayette Commerce and local community school corporations designed to motivate our community to engage in our students' academic success.

You can help a student succeed at a local elementary school by volunteering one hour a week. Your time and compassion can make a difference in a child's education.

Five more schools have been added this year, so even more volunteers are needed!

School has started and Volunteers are still needed!

To learn more about the program and choose the school you would like to volunteer with, go to:

www.readtosucceedgreaterlafayette.org

or contact Amy O'Shea at United Way 765-742-9077 x 244

2011-2012 Read to Succeed Volunteer assisting a child with her reading.



We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future. ~Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Learn more about the United Way

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

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City of Lafayette Employees at Riggs for 2012 Week of Caring

Thank You!

Twelve Tips for Planning an Employee Volunteer Event

Court Services

Employee volunteer programs are starting to become important parts of companies' business plans instead of just an afterthought in corporate planning.

Starting an employee volunteer program shouldn't happen on whim. While it may seem easy enough to get a group of employees together for a volunteer event, some planning needs to go into your employee volunteer program or it won't be as successful as it could be.

Try building a relationship with a local nonprofit and partner with them on planning your employee volunteer events. Work together with them to plan volunteer events where employees can have fun and can see that they've had an impact.

Make sure that resources are in place to support an employee volunteer program. Having a staff member whose responsibility it is to work with a nonprofit partner to ensure successful volunteer events is essential to the program's acceptance and growth.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind when planning an employee volunteer event.

Planning

Verify all of the logistical information before sharing the information
Be sure to choose a task that doesn't require any special skills, or plan time to train the employees before the event
Communicating with the partner agency is essential to a successful and enjoyable event

Project Design

Work with organizations that have projects where employees and their families can see and experience the impact of their work
Make sure the project meets a real community need and is seen as a benefit to the community
Don't simply have the employees and their families do a task, turn the project into a learning experience

Management

Provide an orientation to the families prior to the project
Provide opportunities for the families to interact with one another
Explain to your volunteers the mission and goals for the organization and what is hoped to be accomplished as a result of the project

Risk Management

Assess the project site before the event for safety
Identify any equipment or areas of the project site that may be unsafe or a liability concern
Inform family members that they must report any accident or injury and to whom they should report

Have Fun!