Special Summer Issue!
Please note that this monthly newsletter will be taking a brief break this summer. Watch for our September issue, delivered to your inbox in late August.
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Veterans Needed to Pilot Android App
 The Council of Better Business Bureaus is seeking veterans to volunteer to help pilot a new Android smartphone app called MobileMi$$ion, which aims to provide at-your-fingertips financial mentorship for veterans. Pilot participants do not necessarily need to be seeking this financial support, however.
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Montgomery Serves Awards Highlights
Several media outlets have produced video reports on the 2015 Montgomery Serves Awards, offering a glimpse of the importance of volunteerism in our county. Here are a few:
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Seniors Today
Check out the clip about Montgomery County's RSVP (Retired & Senior Volunteer Program) with RSVP Volunteer Jane Barrett and RSVP Director Kathleen Meaney Stobie. To get there quickly, click on Select Chapter and scroll down to RSVP Program. |
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Make a Difference
Make a Difference is a County Cable Montgomery Program highlighting the contributions of volunteers and organizations that contribute positively to our county.
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Our Partner Newsletters
The Montgomery County Volunteer Center is part of the Office of Community Partnerships. which works to strengthen the relationship between the Montgomery County government and the residents it serves, with special emphasis on underserved and emerging communities.
Follow these links to subscribe to our other partner's electronic publications:
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Local Organizations Now Recruiting AmeriCorps Members
 More than 75,000 Americans serve nonprofits, public agencies, schools, and community and faith-based groups each year through AmeriCorps, which has been dubbed the "Domestic Peace Corps." In Montgomery County, several nonprofits are currently recruiting AmeriCorps members to serve the community in a variety of positions. Here is a sampling.
CASA de Maryland is looking for full- and part-time immigration integration specialists to support eligible lawful permanent residents in applying for U.S. citizenship and to provide them with financial education and tax preparation assistance. Preference for those bilingual in Spanish, French, Korean, or Mandarin. Applicants should email a current resume to Pablo Blank.
Habitat for Humanity of Metropolitan Maryland recruits AmeriCorps members to help with various activities in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, including volunteer and family services (including youth programs), construction, development, and operation of the Habitat ReStore. For more information email Habitat's volunteer department.
Hospice Caring Inc. is recruiting a part-time (20 hours/week) AmeriCorps member to coordinate and facilitate groups and youth development programs for children who are grieving the death of a loved one. This person will also coordinate educational programs about end-of-life issues, loss, and grief. Full details are available online.
Project Change Maryland partners with a range of academic and service agencies that work to improve the quality of life for Montgomery County residents, and uses the services of several AmeriCorps members to enhance the programs and services provided by these agencies. Opportunities include tutoring and mentoring disadvantaged youth, fighting illiteracy, facilitating school group dialogues on race and ethnicity, and running after-school enrichment programs.
AmeriCorps members receive job experience, training, and are paid a small stipend throughout the course of their service. They can also receive an educational award at the end of their service. More information about the program is available on the AmeriCorps website.
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NONPROFIT IN THE SPOTLIGHT
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Brookside Gardens
Brookside Gardens is a 50-acre display garden that is part of the Montgomery Parks system. Through beautifully designed gardens, diverse learning opportunities, and an engaging staff, Broookside motivates visitors to take action in their own lives and landscapes and to appreciate and care for the plants around them.
Volunteers support Brookside Gardens in every capacity, and volunteer needs change regularly. See current volunteer opportunities here; many are approved for MCPS Student Service Learning (SSL).
Brookside Gardens has two volunteer-intensive programs always in need of help: Wings of Fancy and Garden of Lights.
Wings of Fancy is a live butterfly exhibit, which runs July 1-Oct. 25. Volunteers staff the exhibit and teach visitors about the butterfly life-cycle. Many find it particularly rewarding to work the exhibit during the months of September and October, when elementary students from all over the county visit on school field trips. When children enter the area and see hundreds of colorful butterflies free flying, the excitement and thrill is palpable! Garden of Lights volunteers staff the park's walk-through winter holiday light display. Helping to run this popular festive exhibit is a wonderful way to mark the holiday season.
There are many benefits to being a Brookside Gardens volunteer, including the assistance of a helpful, friendly staff; lots of training and educational opportunities; and several volunteer-appreciation events, including those hosted by of the Horticulture Consortium of the Greater Washington Area, which holds volunteer events at all sorts of beautiful gardens in the DC metro area.
Want to know more? Visit the Brookside Gardens website, email Jodi Bucknam or call her at 301-962-1429.
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HELP STUDENTS GEAR UP FOR SCHOOL
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MCPS Program Funds Backpacks and Supplies for Needy Students 
More than 54,000 MCPS students live in households with income levels that make them eligible to receive free and reduced-price meals. Many struggle to afford basic necessities like school supplies.
Montgomery County Public Schools' Give BACKpack campaign raises funds to purchase backpacks filled with school supplies for such students in need. A $10 donation provides a backpack and supplies for one student, and a $300 donation is enough to supply an entire class!
Give BACKpacks accepts donations in any amount and all contributions are tax-deductible.
For more information, including donation links, visit Give BACKpacks website or call 301-279-3100. |
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Agencies Sponsor School Supplies Drives
 It may only be July, but stores are already stocking school supplies. Time to do some shopping!
You can help ensure that all students in our area are equipped for success in the coming school year by donating supplies to the following organization's collection drives.
Some of these drives are seeking specific supplies as noted below, but, in general, the greatest needs are sturdy new backpacks, loose-leaf paper, pencils, highlighters, markers, colored pencils, binders, pencil pouches, pens, and glue sticks. Note specific end dates for the different programs. Supplies are collected now so there's time to have them ready for the start of the school year. What: Backpacks When: Though Aug. 15 Where: Any Montgomery County Panera Bread or HOC Office Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH) What: New backpacks in all sizes; new or gently used calculators; new, sturdy 1", 2", and 3" binders; and gift cards for back-to-school clothing and shoe purchases--all to help the more than 300 children that reside in MCCH's permanent housing programs. When: weekdays, normal business hours, through Aug. 1 Where: MCCH, 600-B East Gude Drive, Rockville Details: Email Teri Brenits or call her at 301-917-6660 for more information or to organize a collection drive Faith Connections What: Backpacks and school supplies When: Through Aug. 17 Where: Various churches in the Damascus/Clarksburg area (see website for complete list of locations) Details: Email Jill Ochs or call her at 240-994-8979 Interfaith Works What: School supplies, especially new backpacks for all ages, lined loose-leaf paper, binder tab dividers, 2-pocket folders, and pencil pouches When: Through Aug. 7 Where: Interfaith Clothing Center, 751 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville Details: Email Pamela Leiva or Yvonne Esipila or call Pamela at 301-424-3796. International Cultural Center What: School supplies for the Stepping Stones Shelter, especially 2" binders, folders, binder dividers, composition notebooks, markers, colored pencils, glue sticks, pencil pouches, and backpacks for teens When: Through July 28, 5 pm Where: 19650 Club House Road, Suite 204, Montgomery Village Details: Email Samia Haque or call her at 240-396-5350 International Rescue Committee What: Backpacks, #2 pencils, glue sticks, pink erasers, safety scissors, wide-rule spiral notebooks, pocket folders, pencil cases, loose-leaf paper, rulers, 1" binders, and pens When: Thursday, Aug. 15, 10 am-4 pm (or by appointment) Where: Suburban Washington Resettlement Center, 8719 Colesville Road, 3rd Floor, Silver Spring Details: Email Dana Henderson Montgomery Housing Partnership What: Sturdy backpacks, school supplies, and new books to encourage kids to continue their leisure reading during the summer (Each of the agency's community centers has a reading library that is also stocked with book donations for K-12.) When: Through July 24 Where: Call for pickup, or drop off at 12200 Tech Road, Silver Spring Details: Email Lesia Bullock or call her at 301-812-4138
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FEATURED VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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Your Financial Skills Can Make a World of Difference for Someone in Need
The Mental Health Association's Representative Payee Program is looking for volunteers to work with low-income, disabled Montgomery County residents who need help managing their federal benefits. Representative Payee clients are often homebound, disabled, forgetful, or have no family or friends who can help them manage their finances. Following successful completion of training and background check, volunteers are assigned to a program client. Volunteers typically spend four to six hours a month working with their client to make sure that the client's bills are paid and financial obligations are met. Volunteers must be at least 21 years of age and be willing to make a one-year commitment. General knowledge of household budgeting required. Training is available at MHA's offices (1000 Twinbrook Parkway in Rockville) on the following days this summer: Thursday, July 9, 1-3:30 pm; Tuesday, July 21, 6-8:30 pm; Tuesday, Aug. 11, 1-3:30 pm; Thursday, Aug. 27, 6-8:30 pm For more information or to register for one of the upcoming trainings email Emily Kamin or call her at 301-424-0656 ext. 541. Additional information can also be found on MHA's volunteer website. |
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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 date-specific opportunities, and use the red box to search for more ongoing 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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OPPORTUNITIES IN JULY & AUGUST
Summer Meals for Children: Weekdays through Friday, Aug. 28, 12:30-1:30 pm, Silver Spring. Share Our Strength provides lunch for needy children throughout the summer at Langley Gardens and University Manor. Volunteers distribute lunches, supervise the children, and clean up, thus playing a critical role in ensuring that these kids don't go hungry. Minimum age: 18. Email Tiffany-Nicole Haynes or call her at 410-456-6778.
Lotus and Waterlily Festival: Saturday, July 11, two-hour shifts between 9 am and 4 pm, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington, D.C. Help with set-up and take down; assist with Asian and African cultural/craft activities; and orient visitors. Minimum age: 18. Email Tina O'Connell or call her at 202-494-0456.
 Learn to be a Stream Steward: Saturday, July 18, 10 am-noon, or Thurs., July 23, 6:30-8:30 pm, Rockville. Are you passionate about the environment and interested in helping our local waters? Learn about the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection's Stream Stewards volunteer program, the issues affecting our local waters in Montgomery County, and how you can make a difference at this orientation session. Those younger than 13 must be accompanied to the orientation and volunteer opportunities by an adult. Email Ana Arriaza or call her at 240-777-7778.
Citizenship Clinic: Sunday, July 19, 11 am-4 pm, Baltimore. Help an immigrant become a new citizen through this program sponsored by CASA de Maryland. Volunteers must be 18 or older, speak English fluently (bilingual welcome!), have good handwriting, and demonstrate attention to detail. Email Molly Gavin or call her at 301-431-4185, ext. 4849.
Car Wash: Sunday, July 25, 9:45 am-12:30 pm, Kensington. Jubilee Association of Maryland's annual car wash needs volunteers to help with cleaning vehicles inside and out. Email Melissa Goldstein or call her at 301-949-8628, ext. 177.
Women's Board of Montgomery General Hospital 95th Annual Picnic & Bazaar: Tuesday, July 28, various shifts between 7:30 am and 9 pm or later, Olney. Hundreds of volunteers are needed to shuck corn; serve food; assemble large food orders; assist in the jewelry, beverage, books and plant booths; serve as cashiers, work with the kids' games and parking; and set up and take down the event. Funds raised at the bazaar are donated to the hospital and used to support scholarships for students pursuing healthcare degrees. Email Sandra Attick.
MCPS International Enrollment: One-week assignments between Monday, Aug. 3, and Friday, Aug. 28, 8 am-5pm, Germantown and Rockville. High school students and adults who are bilingual in any language can help with summer enrollment of international students. Orientation provided. Email Kimberly Brooks or call her at 301-315-7335.
County Fair Environmental Information Booth: Friday, Aug. 14-Saturday, Aug. 22, two-hour shifts between 9 am and 9 pm, Gaithersburg. Help staff the Department of Environmental Protection's information booth at the fair, educate fair-goers, and man watershed-related educational games. Volunteers must participate in an orientation session in Rockville on Saturday, July 18, or Thursday, July 3. Email Ana Arriaza or call her at 240-777-7778.
Comcast Outdoor Film Festival: Friday, Aug. 21-Sunday, Aug. 23, 5-11 pm, Rockville. This three-day event benefits three NIH charities: The Children's Inn, Special Love, and Friends of the Clinical Center. Volunteers will assist with donation collections, raffle ticket sales, food vendor needs, and general festival activities. Minimum age: 16. Email Kallie Wassermann or call her at 301-496-6061.
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ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES
Affordable Housing Outreach: Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP) is celebrating its 25th anniversary and seeks ambassadors who are passionate about the need for more affordable housing in Montgomery County. Volunteers will help staff and recruit attendees for MHP's "Building Dreams" tours in Silver Spring. These one-hour sessions of MHP's mission are held biweekly and educate the community, elected officials, business leaders, and faith-based leaders about the myths surrounding affordable housing. Email Lesia Bullock or call her at 301-812-4138.
Swimming Instruction: Rockville Swim & Fitness Center's year-round Learn-to-Swim program needs volunteers to serve as an instructor's aide for swimming classes. Email Debbie Bouwkamp or call her at 240-314-8756.
Childcare Help: Stepping Stones Shelter in Rockville is beginning July with four new families with lots of young children! That brings the shelter's population to include 14 children under the age of 10, including three infants. Volunteers are needed to help with caring for these children in the evenings. Email Sara Ritchie-Helmuth or call her at 301-251-0567.
Small Animal Foster Care: Small Angels Rescue seeks temporary foster homes to provide daily care and socialization for guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, and mice awaiting adoption. Save a life and help children learn responsibility. Email Joan Bass or call her at 301-963-0882.
Farming to Help the Homeless and Elderly: Help harvest, weed, and water the Cedar Ridge Community Church's organic crops in Spencerville every Wednesday evening, 5-8 pm, and the last Sunday of the month, 8-10 am (or other days/times arranged in advance). All produce is donated to nearby homeless shelters and homes for the elderly. All ages welcome and no previous gardening experience necessary. Email Ruth Campbell or call her at 301-421-5949.
Drivers for the Elderly: The Olney Home for Life is recruiting volunteer drivers to give the "gift of a lift" for seniors. Volunteer for as many or as few rides as fit your schedule and view and accept ride requests online, at your convenience. Most rides are hyper-local, taking just a half hour to an hour--just enough time to hear interesting stories and get to know your neighbors. Drivers must submit to a background check, take a two-hour driver orientation, be at least 18 years old, and provide their own cars. Additional insurance is available for your protection. Email Tom Brunetto or call him at 240-463-9928.
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