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Keep up with the latest Volunteer Center news and opportunities!
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Volunteering in America Hits a 5-Year High
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Volunteering Among Americans Hits Five-Year High
Parents of school-aged children volunteer at higher rate than overall population; nation's education chief says schools are an essential hub for civic activity.
As the holiday season spotlights acts of kindness, a new national study shows that Americans significantly increased their commitment to volunteering and civic engagement in 2011, with the national volunteer rate reaching a five-year high.
Read the complete report here.
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Make a Difference highlights the contributions of stellar County volunteers and organizations that contribute positively to Montgomery County.
Click here for recent episodes. |
Do Something Seed Grants to Help Bring Ideas into Action |
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Are you working to start a  community action project or program? Do you need
money to put your ideas into action? If you answered, "YES!", you are eligible to apply for a Do Something Seed Grant.
These grants can be used towards project ideas and programs that are just getting started, or to jump-start your program and realize your ideas for the first time.
Grants awarded weekly; there is no deadline.
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Watch this awesome video!
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Thank you to Montgomery Community Media for producing this fabulous video for the Volunteer Center!
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"HELPED are those who find the courage to do at least one small thing
each day to help the existence of another."
~Alice Walker |
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For our online calendar of opportunities,
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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.
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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.
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A Day ON, Not a Day OFF!
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
Monday, January 21, 2013
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Take part in a variety of projects happening at two service locations in Montgomery County. Projects suitable for all ages and ability levels. Students can earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours.
Note the earlier time because of the Presidential Inauguration celebration that afternoon!!
Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center
Monday, January 21, 2013 from 9-11 AM
5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda - Help complete a variety service projects: create cards for troops, prepare bag lunches with Whole Foods for area shelters, make no-sew fleece blankets for Montgomery Hospice, assemble Snow Day boxes for Meals on Wheels, and many more. Also visit the Volunteer Fair where representatives from nonprofit organizations will share information about year round volunteer opportunities. Click here to sign up.
We invite you to bring donations of non-perishable food for Manna Food Center to both locations.
Silver Spring Civic Building
Monday, January 21, 2013 from 11 AM-1 PM
One Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring - Youth Activities of Seventh-Day Adventist will host a variety of service projects for individuals, families, and groups. Click here to sign up.
MLK Marriott Event Staff Needed on January 21, 7:30 to 11:30 AM - Adult volunteers are needed to help at registration, project tables, answering participants' questions, and with set up and tear down. Volunteer orientation provided the week before the event. Minimum age: 16. Click here to sign up.
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With the Presidential Inauguration celebration on MLK Day this year, there is a focus on projects on Saturday and Sunday as well. Check out other ways to get involved in this Weekend of Service!
For more information check out our website at
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| MLK Musical Tribute and Celebration |
Come and enjoy a tribute in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Music Center at Strathmore on Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 3PM. The event will feature musical and dance acts from local talent, and the 2013 recipients of the Children of the Dream, Humanitarian and Literary Arts Awards will be announced.
The annual celebration is free and open to the public. Tickets are required and may be reserved through Strathmore's website at www.strathmore.org. Unclaimed tickets will be released to the public at 2:45PM the day of the show. For questions email mlkcelebration@hotmail.com. |
Agency Spotlight: Metropolitan Washington Ear
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The Metropolitan Washington Ear, Inc. is a nonprofit  organization providing reading and information services for blind, visually impaired, and physically disabled people, who cannot effectively read print, see plays, watch television programs and films, or view museum exhibits.
The Washington Ear volunteers make recordings of current publications such as newspapers and magazines. The recordings are broadcast over closed- circuit radio or can be accessed by our listeners with their telephones using our Dial-In service. We also provide audio description for local theaters and offer a look-up service for listeners who need help with ads, yellow pages, and other information. Our services are free to all who need them.
Check out some of the current volunteer opportunities:
- Readers for the Dial-In Newspaper and Magazine services: Volunteers are asked to take a brief audition and commit to a weekly shift of two hours to read The Washington Post, selections of The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time Magazine, People, and the Washingtonian Magazines into a computer, which will then be accessed by low vision or blind callers.
- Readers for the Radio Broadcast: Volunteers are asked to take a brief audition and commit to 2 hours per week to read magazines, newspapers, and other national publications to be aired on our 24-hour closed circuit radio broadcast and our world wide webcast.
- Speakers Bureau: Volunteers are needed to speak on behalf of the Washington Ear at local organizations, schools, churches, and to man information booths at local health fairs. We only recruit speakers from our readers. If you would like to be a member of the speakers bureau, you must first read for us for at least 6 months and become familiar with the organization.
- Office Help: Volunteers are also needed during office hours for data entry, special projects, or large mailings.
For more information, call 301-681-6636, email information@washear.org , or visit www.washear.org.
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The Volunteer Center held its inaugural Montgomery Serves Awards in April 2012. We are preparing for this exciting event again which will take place on Monday, April 29, 2013. Beginning Monday, January 28, the Volunteer Center will be accepting nominations for this year's awardees in the following categories:
- Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award (lifetime service by 60+ year old residents) Click here for more.
- Youth Achievement Award (extraordinary volunteerism by residents 18 and under)
- Corporate Award (outstanding volunteerism by a corporation)
- Community Service Award (extraordinary volunteerism by an individual or group)
Nomination forms will be available Monday, January 28, 2013 at www.montgomeryserves.org. The nomination deadline of Monday, February 25 will approach quickly so start thinking now about which wonderful volunteers in our community you wish to nominate! See pictures and winners from last year's event. |
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We are looking for a volunteer to step into Fern's shoes. A lead volunteer is needed to create this e-newsletter, to help us spread the word about local volunteer opportunities and get more people engaged in service! This includes compiling content, highlighting opportunities in the database and working with agencies for the Agency Spotlight using the online tool Constant Contact. You will work closely with the Volunteer Center team to keep this community resource going. Work can be done either at home or at the Volunteer Center's office in Germantown. Orientation and training will be provided. Join our team! Click here to find out more.
Our colleagues at the Office of Community Partnerships are also in need of a newsletter manager. See archived copies of their newsletter and find out more about the OCP E-Newsletter Manager opportunity.
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| NACo Achievement Awards |
Recognition for a job well done is always appreciated. Each year, the National Association of Counties (NACo) presents achievement awards to local government programs for innovations that make a positive difference in service delivery. MCVC's 25th Anniversary of Community Service Day 2011 was selected along with 18 other County programs for a NACo Achievement Award.
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(L-R) Bruce Adams, Katie Sayago, Molly Callaway, County Executive Ike Leggett, Lucy Yost, Kathleen Meaney Stobie, Chief Administrative Officer Tim Firestine. (Photo credit: Jackie LaRocca)
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Community Service Day's Silver Anniversary in 2011 was a year-long celebration of volunteering in Montgomery County. It included the innovative"Pledge 25" challenge where County residents of all ages pledged to volunteer at least 25 hours, between the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and Community Service Day.
We would not have received this achievement award without your commitment to volunteer service. So congratulations to you and thank you for all you do to infuse Montgomery County with a culture of service. |
| Featured Volunteer Opportunities |
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One-time Volunteer Opportunities
Check the January Calendar for the latest opportunities.
Denotes opportunities that are approved to provide MCPS Student Service Learning (SSL) Hours
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 January 19 - 20 - Manna Food Drive for MLK Weekend of Service at all 27 Giant Food stores. Groups of 3 or more with at least one adult are needed to "adopt" a store for the day. Giant will allow the volunteers to be inside the store, to greet shoppers as they enter the store to allow us to promote awareness of the food drive and to take donations from shoppers as they leave.
Contact: Marie Kozlowski, 301-424-1130 x25
January 21 - Martin Luther King Day of Service! See more details above and on our website: montgomeryserves.org
January 26 - Shepherd Parkway Community Cleanup. Join the Congress Heights Community Association as they work to restore one of the most unique wooded areas in the District!
Contact: Maddie Koenig, 301-699-6204 x109
Website: www.anacostiaws.org
January 26 - Nash Run Trash Trap Cleanup - Anacostia Watershed Society has been experimenting with a stationary device built to strain the trash from the flowing waters of Nash Run, located adjacent the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Northeast DC. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the trash challenges of the Anacostia and what is being done to address it. 10 people are needed for this cleanup. The task requires squatting down for a relatively long time, and may be physically demanding. Please visit www.anacostiaws.org/calendar to register because we need to communicate with you prior to the event.
Contact: Masaya Maeda, 301-699-6204 x110
Website: www.anacostiaws.org
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Selected Ongoing Opportunities
Denotes opportunities that are approved to provide MCPS Student Service Learning (SSL) Hours. Officer of the Day - Officers of the Day (ODs) generally work one day a month from their home or office. ODs call Bethesda Help's secure answering service several times on their scheduled volunteer days to retrieve messages from clients/social workers. ODs follow up with clients/social workers to determine the clients' eligibility for services. ODs provide referrals in cases where we cannot provide assistance. 100% secure - volunteer phone numbers always remain private. Training provided. Contact: Karen Auerbach, 301-365-2022 Website: www.bethesdahelp.org
E-Newsletter Manager - Montgomery County government's Office of Community Partnerships (OCP) needs a volunteer to produce their monthly e-newsletter. OCP works to strengthen ties with ethnic and faith communities and works to strengthen the nonprofit sector. The newsletter covers important issues impacting our communities in addition to County news, and community events and announcements. It reaches thousands of people including nonprofits, religious organizations, business leaders, volunteers, government officials, and many others. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to use their writing skills and gain experience using popular email marketing software. Also a chance to learn more about events and issues in the county and network with community leaders.
Sports Instructors/Coaches - The YMCA Ayrlawn Program Center is looking for volunteers to promote youth development in an athletic setting to help our children grow mentally and physically through teamwork and competition. We have many exciting classes and ages of children, and were looking for great volunteers to fill our spots! We run classes during the week and also on weekends! If you've always wanted to coach youth sports before and have some experience either coaching and/or playing sports competitively, then this could be the opportunity that you've been waiting for! Contact: Nick Knauer, 301-530-8500 Website: www.ymcadc.org/branch/?bid=05
Instructor's Assistants & Office Assistant. Montgomery College, Workforce Development and Continuing Education needs volunteers as Instructor Assistants at Kensington & Chevy Chase libraries. Responsibilities include setting up a room prior to class with tables and chair, distributing materials, assisting instructor as needed, cleaning up the room after class. Office Assistant needed at Montgomery College Germantown Campus to help with marketing research, creating documents in MS Office and more.
Contact: Natasha Sacks, 240-567-1828
Income Tax Assistance Partnership Volunteers & "Food Stamp" Outreach & Resource Navigators - Help VITA families receive food assistance and other resources with Maryland Hunger Solutions and Montgomery County's Community Action Agency's Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) partnership. Volunteers need to be able to commit at least 16 hours between January and April 2013."Food Stamp" Outreach & Resource Navigators are responsible for screening and assisting customers interested in Food Stamps and other resources. Navigators will help customers complete an online application and refer customers to other needed resources.Contact: Taunya Johnson, 240-777-1123Website: www.mdcash.org
Arts Nonprofit Seeking Board Members - Docs In Progress currently has an Open Call for applicants for its Board of Directors for the 2013-2015 cycle. Docs In Progress is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Our mission is to give individuals the tools to tell stories through documentary film to educate, inspire, and transform the way people view the world.
Computer Instructor - The Montgomery County Charles W. Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity promotes, develops and sustains multicultural and multinational awareness and community building. Teach 8-week (Jan 28th - Mar 27th) basic computer literacy course in English or Spanish. Class covers computer fundamentals, MS Windows, basic Microsoft Word, Internet and email. Teaching experience not required but is desired. Openings for volunteer instructors on Monday evenings, Wednesday evenings, and Saturday mornings. Contact: Kaori Hirakawa, 240-777-4940Website: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/gilchrist/
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!
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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.
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