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Make a Difference
Make a Difference highlights the contributions of stellar County volunteers and organizations that contribute positively to Montgomery County.
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Watch this Awesome Video
Montgomery County Volunteer Center Video
Thank you to Montgomery County Media for Producing this fabulous video for the Volunteer Center!
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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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 MARCH 2015
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Montgomery Serves Awards
Nominations Are In!
Nominations are in and a special thank you to all those who answered the call! Nominations are being reviewed and  award recipients will be announced in mid-March.
Please join us in celebrating volunteerism in Montgomery County at the Montgomery Serves Awards ceremony at 6:30 PM on Monday, April 27, 2015 at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. The event is free and open to the public, although seating is limited and reservations are required.
Click here to register now!
This ceremony is organized by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center in collaboration with the Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County and is sponsored by the Fund for Montgomery.
Click here to find out more about this event and to see pictures and award recipients from last year.
We hope you will join us Monday, April 27th.
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GET READY
FOR
EARTH DAY 2015
The Montgomery County Volunteer Center is promoting environmentally-focused projects during the entire month of April as a time for volunteers to get engaged in celebrating Earth Day.
We are getting a jump on the events. Don't miss out on opportunities that happen
the first weekend of April! 
Here are a few:
April 6 - 10th
- Spring Break at the UMD Campus Arboretum, click here.
April 11
- Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup/Alice Ferguson Foundation, click here.
Even more opportunities will be highlighted in the April issue! Earth Day opportunities will be added to the April calendar frequently, click here to view.
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Go Green!
Attend the Montgomery County Green Fest
March 28th.
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Agency: Red Cross
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The American Red Cross in the National Capital Region
The American Red Cross in the National Capital Region's mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
The organization is guided by seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.
They are seeking volunteers that are passionate about helping people and seeking opoortunities with a visionary humanitarian organization. Here are five ways you can help today:
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Volunteer. Join a Disaster Action Team, organize an event, instruct a course.
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Prepare. Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be Informed.
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Give through personal financial donations.
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Partner your organization or company with us.
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Donate blood.
"A lot of people don't realize that the Red Cross responds to every kind of disaster - big and small. The volunteers are there to help people, and I am proud to be a part of what the Red Cross does every single day." -Disaster Action Team (DAT) Volunteer
Take the first step to becoming a volunteer by calling a volunteer specialist at (703) 584-8444 or emailing chncrvolunteerengagement@redcross.org.
The Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross
With the help of volunteers, The Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services region of the American Red Cross can succeed in providing lifesaving blood to cancer and transplant patients, premature babies, accident victims and others who need blood.
The volunteer opportunity with Blood Services is to become a Volunteer Donor Ambassador for Reception and Hospitality at local area blood drives. They need volunteers
 with daytime/weekday availability who can provide excellent customer service to our blood donors. The minimum age is 15 years. The hours are flexible. There is an application to complete, a two hour training to attend and a criminal background check for those age 18+.
"I volunteer for my church and the neighborhood that I live in, but the best place that I have volunteered for is the American Red Cross. I have met so many caring and giving people on the days I volunteer for the American Red Cross."-A 20 year Red Cross Volunteer
For more information and to apply, please contact Terry Ann Karloff at terryann.karloff@redcross.org.
CLICK HERE to view current volunteer opportunities.
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Volunteer: Bob Schless
Bob Schless - Dedicated to Montgomery County Youth
Bob Schless co-founded So What Else (SWE), along with his friend Dave Silbert, to meet the needs of youth around Montgomery County by identifying a range of issues including hunger, poverty, and the need for providing alternatives to risky behaviors engaged in by local youth. They focused on developing quality, supervised after-school activities led by volunteers.
Since the inception of So What Else, Bob has taken on a variety of roles within the organization and remains actively involved, personally contributing over 3,500 volunteer hours annually.
Bob's volunteer contributions to SWE include: serving as President and Treasurer of the Board of Directors, assuming sole responsibility for all fundraising activities, volunteering at SWE community-based events, filling in for the youth providers, and teaching at after-school and summer camps, monitoring the quality and satisfaction of SWE's services, identifying and establishing relationships with pro bono consultants to enhance SWE's organizational effectiveness and professionalism, identifying and adding four new Board members in 2013, and providing annual, generous and personal financial support to SWE. Bob has also formed collaborative relationships with other nonprofits, implementing projects with Nourish Now that provide after-school and weekend food to low-income families and providing free out-of-school time activities to MCPS middle schools in conjunction with Excel Beyond the Bell.
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Good Deeds Day is March 15th. Mark your calendars for this annual global tradition celebrating good deeds all around the world!
Last year, over half a million participants in 50 countries worldwide gave more than 2 million volunteer hours - uniting around the simple idea of doing a good deed for someone else. Many good-deed-doers continued volunteering throughout the year. To learn more, click here.
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Hospice Caring, Inc.
Volunteer Training
Hospice  Caring, Inc. will provide a three-day training March 10, 11 and 12 from 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM for new hospice caregivers and bereavement volunteers. The training covers topics such as communication and active listening, understanding grief, cultural competency, and self-care.
Trained Hospice Caring volunteers provide companionship, home assistance and transportation, adult bereavement support group facilitation, school-based Good Grief Clubs, and Health Class facilitation.
To sign up for training, please contact Penny Gladhill at pennyg@hospicecaring.org or (301) 990-8904. Please share this opportunity with others who might be interested such as your faith community or your neighborhood listserv. Click here to view Hospice Caring opportunities.
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Volunteer with Montgomery County's Nutrition Focused Organizations for National Nutrition Month!
March is National Nutrition Month and communities around the U.S. are focusing on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
The theme for 2015 is "Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle," which encourages everyone to adopt eating and physical activity plans that are focused on consuming fewer calories, making informed food choices and getting daily exercise in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote overall health.
Our website lists many organizations with missions that include feeding those in need, as well as educating the community about nutrition and adopting healthy eating habits. Here are just a few food and nutrition-related opportunities:
Manna Food Center
Manna has many volunteer opportunities throughout the year to collect food and raise funds for Manna Food Center. There is a wide range of opportunities to harvest and collect fresh produce, collect non-perishable food items and/or raise awareness and funds for Manna. Find out more here.
Root 53 Foundation, Inc.
Want to volunteer to help under-served middle school youth in Montgomery County? Have healthy cooking skills, knowledge in nutritional facts or music experience? NFL Player and Former Terrapin Moise Fokou founded the Root 53 Foundation over two years ago, and it strives to bring after-school educational programs to the Montgomery County area, including a Healthy Living Workshop. Find out more here.
Community Clinic, Inc.'s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program is dedicated to providing excellent nutritional education and assistance. Help is needed with data entry to compile periodic client nutrition surveys used to improve the services provided by CCI WIC. Find out more here.
There are many more organizations with great volunteer opportunities focused on food and nutrition; check out this extensive list!
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Featured Volunteer Opportunities
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Below are just a few of the opportunities listed on the Volunteer Center's website. Check the Calendar of Events for more opportunities.
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Denotes opportunities that are approved to provide MCPS Student Service Learning (SSL) Hours.
Many are still great opportunities for adults too!
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One-Time Opportunities
 March 3 - 15 -2nd Annual Rockin' 4A Cause Preparation and Follow Up -The Brain Aneurysm Foundation. For the Second Annual Rock Concert and Silent Auction, The BA Foundation collects silent auction and sells tickets for a rock concert. Volunteers are needed to do prep work at the volunteer office in Rockville, e.g. making phone calls to bring in donated items, assisting in organizing the event, and making signs and posters. Volunteers are also needed following the event to follow up with donors by sending out thank you letters, calling prize winners for item pick up and packing up for next year's event. Contact Cara Weiss at Cara.SaveTheDate@gmail.com or (301) 351-2100.
March 7 and 14 -Aaron's Army Tutoring -Hope Restored Inc. Hope Restored Inc. is looking for good candidates to become tutors. Must be 15 years of age or older with excellent academics records and have an interest in working with children and/youth or peers! In need of Student Service Learning hours we can help. Contact Chandra Thames at cthames@hoperestoredinc.org at (301) 587-1490.
March 14 -History Day Judge -Montgomery County Historical Society. Evaluating History Day projects is interesting and rewarding for you - and it really helps young people develop their skills and abilities. History Day judges review entries in their preferred category, give students feedback and select which projects advance from the regional to the state and national events. The Montgomery County Historical Society is seeking volunteers for as little as one five-hour event or extend to multiple competitions in different venues; you can even judge papers at home. Training packet provided prior to judging day. On-site training available on the day of competition. Contact Amanda Elliott at education@montgomeryhistory.org or (301) 340-2825.
March 14 -Making Lunches for the Homeless -St. Anne's Episcopal Church. The St. Anne's Episcopal Church is needs volunteers to help set up, sort food, and make 200 sandwiches for brown bag lunches. These lunches will go to the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless shelter in Rockville. Middle school students and older may participate in this program. Contact Bettianne Quinn at Bettianneqn@comcast.net or (301) 253-2130.
March 14 -Poolesville Community Garden Spring Work Day -Poolesville Green. Come help get Poolesville's community garden ready for its second planting season! We will be installing 6 new planting beds, moving dirt/mulch/compost, and mulching the perimeter beds. Come for an hour or six. The Garden is located at 17800 Elgin Rd. (near the intersection of Elgin/Fisher) on the Poolesville Presbyterian Church property. SSL hours available for middle and high school students. Please bring your garden gloves if you have any. Contact Hisaho Blair at h.s.blair@gmail.com or (240) 489-3337.
March 14-Youth Soccer Coaches -YMCA Ayrlawn Program Center. The YMCA Ayrlawn Program Center is looking for enthusiastic experienced soccer coaches for their Spring Soccer League. The league has teams with players from age 4 up to 12. Practice is one day a week for an hour and games are an hour on Saturday mornings. The League will begin in the middle of March and run until May 15th. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. Volunteers should have experience playing or coaching soccer. Experience working with youth is a plus. Contact Catherine Ianni at Catherine.Ianni@ymcadc.org or (301) 530-8500.
March 15 -Good Deeds Day - Good Deeds Day is an annual celebration of good deeds. All over the world, hundreds of thousands choose to volunteer and help others, putting into practice the simple idea that every single person can do something good, be it large or small, to improve the lives of others and positively change the world. Click here to view local area volunteer opportunities available.
March 16 -CKA Senior Academic All Star Basketball Game -CKA SAVE Project. The CKA SAVE Project is looking for volunteers to assist in hosting their annual senior basketball all-star game. CKA SAVE Project need concession workers, game managers, clock operators, and a game announcer. The games will be at Paint Branch High School. CKA SAVE Project is looking for volunteers to work from 4-10 pm. Contact Keith Adams at coachkadams@aol.com or (301) 996-4333.
March 27 and 28 -MCPOM Spring 2015 Consignment Sale -Montgomery County Parents of Multiples. Volunteers will help the Montgomery County Parents of Multiples club members and other volunteers efficiently run a consignment sale which is held semi-annually as a service to the members of our club. Volunteers are needed to help organize baby, toddler, preschool, and child items including but not limited to, books, clothes, toys, strollers, high chairs, etc. Some volunteers help shoppers carry items to their cars or bring in items for consignment. Contact Katie Byrd at byrdkaj@yahoo.com or (240) 285-7657.
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Ongoing Opportunities
Health Fair Assistant -Community Clinic, Inc. Looking for a volunteer to serve as an ambassador for Community Clinic Inc. by helping with information dissemination, health screenings such as blood pressure and blood glucose level, and maintenance of the health fair booth. The health season starts in April and ends in October. The location of the health fair varies by event but should be located in either Montgomery or Prince George's County. Contact Inna De Leon at inna.deleon@cciweb.org or (240) 839-5790.
Activities Department Assistants -Emeritus at Potomac Life Enrichment. The activities department is looking for energetic, upbeat, motivated volunteers to assist with activities for our residents. The programs will include: brain games, art classes, happy hour, outdoor activities, games. Fondness toward and understanding of the elderly population is a must. The job is perfect for high school and college students and young retirees. Contact Natalie Neviasky at Potomac-Potomac-LED@emeritus.com or (301) 765-9198.
Seeking Board Members -Lead4Life, Inc. Lead4Life is looking for volunteer board members to work with them as they serve youth and their families. Specifically, they are searching for individuals who work or have an expertise in the areas of fundraising, marketing and nonprofit finance or accounting. Individuals who have a passion for helping others reach their highest potential is a plus. Individuals with strong leadership skills or an interest in becoming a board chair are encouraged to apply. Contact Jennifer Gauthier at gauthier@lead4lifeinc.org or (301) 672-4319.
Licensed Social Workers -Widow Care Inc. Widow Care is seeking licensed social workers to assist our new grassroots nonprofit designed to care for widows and widowers of all ages. Location may vary throughout Montgomery County. Contact Kristin Hoover at kristin@widowcare.org or (301) 917-4741.
Storage and Shopping Assistants -MUM Mid-County United Ministries. MUM Mid-County United Ministries looking for assistant to help pick up food from organizations that have held food drives. Contact Larry White at midcountyunitedministries@gmail.com or (301) 929-8675.
Theatre Set Construction and Painting -Damascus Theatre Company. During the months before each of our productions, the Damascus Theatre Company often needs help with set painting and construction as well as loading the set into the theater. Contact Mary Swink at elliswink@gmail.com or (301) 785-8526.
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