|
Keep up with the latest Volunteer Center news and opportunities!
|
|
Watch this awesome video!
 Learn about the innovative ways these featured non-profits are reaching out to the community:
- A Wider Circle
- The Senior Connection
- Manna Food Center
|
|
Have you seen our PSA?
 | |
Volunteer!
|
(Created by Montgomery Community Media!)
|
 Quote of the Month |
How beautiful a day can be
When kindness touches it!
~George Elliston |
Make a Difference highlights the contributions of stellar County volunteers and organizations that contribute positively to Montgomery County.
Click here for recent episodes. |
|
For our online calendar of opportunities,
|
The Montgomery County Volunteer Center is part of the Office of Community Partnerships. For more information on the Office of Community Partnerships and to sign up for the Partnerships Newsletter, please click here.
|
Privacy is important to us; therefore, we will not sell, rent, or give your name or address to anyone. At any point, you can select the link at the bottom of every email to unsubscribe.
|
|
|
| Montgomery Serves Awards Event |
 | |
(l. to r.) County Executive Isiah Leggett; Cheryl Kagan, Fund for Montgomery; BeBe Hernandez, Southern Management Corporation; Tufail Ahmad; Ruby Rubens; Mary O'Brien, Meals on Wheels of Wheaton; Richard Lashley, Southern Management Corporation; Phanna Iamlek; Ruth Wise, Meals on Wheels of Wheaton; Frank Ierardi; Susan Nix Webster and Veretta T. Nix on behalf of Roscoe R. Nix; Hon. Connie Morella, and Charles "Chuck" Lyons.
|
Our Inaugural Montgomery Serves Awards event held April 30th at Imagination Stage in Bethesda, with nearly 400 attendees, was a wonderful celebration of our community's extraordinary commitment to service and volunteerism.
 | | Montgomery Serves Awards 2012 - Comcast Newsmakers Video |
Phanna Iamlek, a senior at Sherwood High School, won the Youth Service Award for her work at Winter Growth adult day care, as well as MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, Olney Library, and Brookside Gardens.
Southern Management Corporation won the Business Service Award for transforming the dignity of the experience for the homeless clients of Shepherd's Table through landscaping and building improvements.
Frank Ierardi won the Individual Service Award for his volunteer work with Woodworkers for Children, Reading is Terrific, Seneca Creek Greenway Trail Coalition, and the RSVP-AARP Tax Aide program.
Meals on Wheels of Wheaton won the Organization Service Award. Founded by church volunteers 40 years ago, the nearly all-volunteer group delivers nutritious meals to 80 homebound residents five days each week.
There were two winners of the Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award recognizing a life time of service: Tufail Ahmad, who works daily to bridge the gap between Muslim Americans and the larger community; Ruby Rubens an activist for education, fair housing, and human rights.
County Executive Ike Leggett awarded the very first "Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Award," modeled after the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, posthumously to Roscoe Nix for his half century of service to Montgomery County. Ambassador and former Member of Congress Connie Morella and business leader Chuck Lyons were the other inaugural Nix honorees selected by County Executive Ike Leggett.
The event would not have been possible without the generous sponsors of the Fund for Montgomery. Check our website for more details on the winners and sponsorship opportunities, as well as more links to photos and videos from the event.
|
Earth Day Recap
|
Thousands of volunteers worked on projects all around Montgomery County throughout April in honor of Earth Day. We're still collecting information on all the great projects completed. Check out the Alice Ferguson Foundation's website to see photos and reporting of their HUGE Potomac River Watershed Cleanup Day on April 14th where more than 7,000 volunteers worked on hundreds of projects throughout the region. Can you guess how tires they collected? cigarette butts? See their site for great info, photos and quotes: fergusonfoundation.org.
|
Internships
|
Agency Spotlight: Pain Connection
|
|
Help make a difference in the life of a person with chronic pain by volunteering. There are 100 million American's that live with chronic pain and we need your help!
Pain Connection-Chronic Pain Outreach Center, Inc. has been a
501(c)(3) agency since 1999. Our mission is to empower people with chronic pain to improve their quality of life, decrease their sense of isolation and take a more active role in their treatment. We do this by providing information, psychosocial support, coping skills and training to people with chronic pain, their families and health care providers.
Pain Connection is a volunteer agency that values its' workers and provides meaningful experiences. Pain Connection needs your help in a variety of ways. The list below highlight some of our needs. Please contact us for more information.
- Direct service opportunities include: Contact group members by phone monthly to remind them of meetings; phone surveys to members; mental or medical health professional with training in chronic pain issues to run support group.
- Indirect service opportunities include: Board members to help move our organization forward, experienced grant writers, volunteers to prepare monthly flyer mailings and put up flyers, help with bi-annual newsletter, fund raising, help organizing special events, and much more.
The Pain Connection is approved for Student Service Learning (SSL) credits. Please send an email to learn how to become involved to gwenn@painconnection.org or call 301-231-0008. _____________________________________ Increase your agency's visibility and recruit more volunteers by being a featured Agency Spotlight. Send an email to fern.carbonell@montgomerycountymd.gov for consideration. |
May is Older Americans Month!
|
 The theme for Older Americans Month 2012-Never Too Old to Play!-puts a spotlight on the important role older adults play in sharing their experience, wisdom, and understanding, and passing on that knowledge to other generations in a variety of significant ways. This year's celebrations will recognize the value that older adults continue to bring to our communities through spirited participation in social and faith groups, service organizations, and other activities.
Consider joining RSVP, a nation-wide network of volunteers age 55+.
This free program will provide you with assistance in finding your ideal volunteer opportunity; complimentary automobile, liability, and injury insurance while volunteering; a quarterly RSVP e-newsletter; and volunteer recognition.
- Volunteer Readers and Visitors for the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind - Assist blind or visually impaired adults with activities, such as reading mail, grocery shopping or running errands. Orientation session provided. Contact Jocelyn Hunter at (202) 454-6422. Web Site: www.clb.org
- Teach Financial Literacy for the Junior Achievement Of Greater Washington - Teach financial literacy in Montgomery County Public Schools. As a volunteer with Junior Achievement, you will teach a 45 minute, pre-developed lesson on financial literacy. Topics include budgeting, credit cards, and insurance. You will teach the same group of students each time! Contact Sarah Shah, Program Manager at (301) 838-0471. Website: www.myJA.org
- Conservatory Assistant at Brookside Gardens - Work in Brookside Gardens Conservatory, supporting staff in maintenance of the seasonal plant displays. Work includes deadheading, weeding, watering, answering questions from the public, and politely reminding visitors of Conservatory rules. Contact Nancy Traubitz at 301-962-1429.
Website: www.montgomeryparks.org/brookside - Wish Story Writer for Make a Wish Foundation - Do you enjoy creative writing? Are you searching for a rewarding volunteer opportunity you can complete from the comfort of your own home or office, on your own schedule? As a Wish Story Volunteer, you will call families after the wish has been completed for evaluation and storytelling purposes and gather magical details about their wish experience and craft captivating stores. The Foundation will utilize their stories you create in many significant ways. Contact Janice Pliner at 240-395-4346.
Website: www.midatlantic.wish.org
|
MCVC Makes a Move!
|
The Volunteer Center has moved to the Upcounty Regional Services Center at 12900 Middlebrook Road in Germantown. Relocating means we are looking for volunteers in our new neighborhood. Positions we are currently recruiting for include:
- Webmaster to help us manage and enhance our website.
- Volunteer Advisors to learn our online database inside and out and provide technical support to nonprofits as well as volunteer matching support to volunteers.
Volunteers must be able to make ongoing commitment of one year or more. Volunteers must have extensive website experience and experience in the field of volunteering and nonprofits.
Check our listing on our website to see positions that are currently open and links to a volunteer application form.
|
| Featured Volunteer Opportunities |
|
One-Time Volunteer Opportunities
Check the May Calendar for the latest opportunities.
 Denotes opportunities that are approved to provide MCPS Student Service Learning (SSL) Hours.
May 12 - A Walk for Water - Derwood. Participate in walk to raise funds and awareness for children and families in the Azawak of West Africa, who struggle daily in search of water. Walk 3 miles on the trails around scenic Lake Frank in Derwood, Maryland in solidarity. Follow the link to the Amman Imman, Water for Life website to sign up or to learn more.
Contact Debra Kahn at (240) 418-1143
Website: www.ammanimman.org
May 12 - Create a New Forest for Reddy Branch - Brookville. Help WSSC put tree shelters on young trees to keep deer from damaging the trees. Trees are needed to provide food, shelter and shade for Reddy Branch for the fish. We will provide the tools and everything that you will need. You provide the loving care that the trees will need to thrive. If you are under 15 you need to be accompanied by an adult. Contact Kimberley Knox at (301) 206-8233
May 20 - Community Outreach for AWLMC Spay/Neuter Program - Rockville. The AWLMC needs volunteers to distribute flyers to educate pet owners on the advantages of spaying/neutering their pets at the MCPD Animal Services Division Rabies Clinics. Clinics are held on the third Sunday of the month from April to September at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter in Rockville, MD.
Contact Jeanne App at (301) 740-2511
Web Site: www.awlmc.org
May 28 - Race Volunteers for Jeremy's Run - Olney. Energetic volunteers needed to help set up, clean up, hand water to the runners, help at the registration tables. We also need parking attendants. Jeremy's Run is in memory of Jeremy Glass and the purpose of this event is to raise awareness to the dangers of substance abuse. We hope to dispell the negative stigma that is attached to this horrible disease. Prescription drug abuse has taken more young lives in the past couple of years than automobile accidents!
Contact Cyndi Glass at (240) 498-8479
Website: http://www.jeremysrun.com
May 31 - U.S. National Arboretum Volunteer Orientation - Washington DC. Do you have a passion for plants? Do you enjoy working outdoors? If you answered yes to either question, volunteering at the U.S. National Arboretum could be the opportunity you are looking for. Attend this orientation and learn about the Arboretum's wide variety of volunteer opportunities. The orientation will include information on the current volunteer opportunities, volunteer requirements, volunteer benefits, and how to begin volunteering. The session will conclude with a tour of the grounds highlighting the work volunteers do in each collection. Volunteers are asked to commit to 4 hours of volunteering a week for a yearlong commitment.
Contact Tanya Zastrow at (202) 245-4563
Website: www.usna.usda.gov
June 3 - Autism Speaks Triathalon - Poolesville. Volunteers are needed on race day 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM to set up and assist athletes along the course and through transitions. Sign up online and call or email for more information.
Contact Christina Markus at (202) 955-3111
Do you have a great volunteer story to tell? Share your story with a paragraph and a photo. Tell how you're making an impact in your community! Stories will be displayed throughout our website.
Click here to read some Success Stories.
Search for more volunteer opportunities here! |
| Selected Ongoing Opportunities
Denotes opportunities that are approved to provide
MCPS Student Service Learning (SSL) Hours
The Officer of the Day (OD) - Damascus Help, Inc. seeks volunteers answer the help-line once or twice a month. The OD will assist callers with their request for services by determining if the caller is in the service area. If so, the OD contacts the appropriate committe member. If not, the OD gives the caller resources for the caller's area. Training will be provided by the Officer of the Day Chairperson. The volunteer has to be over 18 years old.
Contact Rita Noble at (301) 253-4100
Skilled Trades volunteers! - Rebuilding Together needs volunteers skilled in electrical, roofing, plumbing, contracting, and other trades to help low income homeowners make needed repairs and safety modifications to their homes. Volunteers may be called upon several times throughout the year to perform these tasks.
Contact: Emma Byrnes, (301) 933-2700
Administrative Support for Mobile Med - We need reliable volunteers to come in at least once a week and help us keep track of meds and provide admin support for one of our vans (pull charts, provide labs and patient info to van personnel). Every Tuesday, preferably all day or at least 8:30 AM -12:00 PM. Volunteers need to be detail oriented. This is a great opportunity to see how our office works, get some experience and help the community, especially for high school and college students.
Contact Kalina Elitsina at (301) 841-0836.
Website: www.mobilemedicalcare.org
Arena Volunteer - Circle of Hope Therapeutic Riding is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the community by improving the quality of life and health of children and adults with disabilities through equine assisted activities and therapies. Circle of Hope is recruiting volunteers to work with the horses and participants. A typical session for a volunteer may include: grooming and preparing therapy horses for the sessions; assisting with the preparation of a therapy session such as setting up games, obstacle courses, and more; assisting the participant when walking to the mounting area; being a side aide or horse leader during a riding session; and assisting with maintenance of equipment such as cleaning bridles, saddles and adaptive equipment. Training is required and is provided to all volunteers.
Contact Lesley Shear at (301) 916-2040
For more opportunities click here. |
The best place to start searching for volunteer opportunities is the Center's website www.montgomeryserves.org. If the information on our website doesn't answer your questions, or you need help finding volunteer opportunities or exploring volunteering options, contact us via email at volunteer@montgomerycountymd.gov.
|
|
|
|
|
