The Arlington Community Services Board is seeking volunteers for the Substance Abuse Committee to the Board. The Substance Abuse Committee reviews and evaluates existing and proposed substance abuse services and facilities available to serve the community. Meetings are held once a month for two hours. Call Jennifer Slark at 703-228-4871.
The Carlin, an independent living facility for seniors located near Ballston Common, has a variety of opportunities for volunteers. Specific needs include assistance with our newsletter, particularly art work; helping to organize a Walking Club for people with limited mobility; a line dance organizer; and someone with medical experience to do blood pressure checks. Call Diane Downey, volunteer coordinator, at 703-243-4300.
Volunteers are needed to prepare dinner for 10 women off-site, and then bring the meal to Pathways, a transitional housing program in NW D.C. for 10 women that are chronically homeless, and serve the meal to the residents. Dinner volunteers are needed Friday and Saturday from 6-7:30 p.m. After the initial meal is served volunteers are welcome to sit down with the residents to eat and socialize. Menus and recipes are available. Call Allison Harvey, volunteer coordinator, at 202-783-6651.
Overnight Volunteers are needed Friday and Saturday nights at Pathways, a small, transitional housing program in NW D.C. that houses 10 women. Overnight volunteers provide assistance to the residents and set out a simple breakfast in the morning. A staff person is always on call to answer any questions. Volunteers arrive at 11 p.m. and leave at 8 a.m. A two-hour training is required. Call Allison Harvey, volunteer coordinator, at 202-783-6651.
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is looking for African-American volunteers to serve as advocates for children in Arlington Juvenile Courts. To learn more call 703-836-1820 or visit www.scanva.org.
The Washington Connection is part of the Grassroots Department at Common Cause, a national non-partisan non-profit organization. Volunteers help organize, educate and mobilize members across the country via telephone, written correspondence and e-mail. They keep local activists informed on legislation and mobilize these members to write, call or meet with their congressmen on Common Cause issues such as election reform, campaign finance reform, government ethics, redistricting and media reform. Most volunteers work 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, but other days and times are available. Call Dan Lijana, volunteer coordinator, at 202-833-1200.
A driver and a driver's helper are needed to pick up food donations at local grocery stores and deliver them to the Arlington Food Assistance Center warehouse every other Thursday evening between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Needed is a licensed driver able to lift 40 pounds and use own vehicle or drive AFAC van. Call Nancy Cude, volunteer coordinator, at 703-845-8486.
The Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation needs volunteers to help in one or more of the following: walk for PKD, other fundraising projects, publicity, reaching out to corporate community for support, public education about PKD and holding support group. Volunteering not only helps the PKD Foundation and the mission to find a treatment/cure, but provides a local network of people for ongoing support. There are no minimum time or training requirements to become a chapter volunteer. A person needs to be dedicated to the cause of finding a treatment and cure for PKD. Contact Ruth Grayson Scott, chapter co-coordinator, at 703-863-8651.
Hogar Hispano, an immigrant assistance program of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, is seeking volunteers to teach English one evening a week for two hours. Classrooms are located in over 20 sites throughout Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun counties. Foreign language proficiency and previous experience are not required. Hogar Hispano volunteers attend a one-day ESL Boot Camp and are given a teacher's toolbox of games, activities and resources, a text and a teacher's guide. Volunteers are required to attend 10 total hours of training in their first year of service, which can be easily fulfilled through the workshops provided on a quarterly basis. Contact Belle Penaranda, associate ESL coordinator, at 703-534-9805, ext. 239.
Computer C.O.R.E. needs a volunteer grant writer. Assist the executive director in researching and identifying grantors, writing and preparing applications. This volunteer will have a direct impact on the quality of service provided to clients and the future development of the organization. Some grantwriting experience would be helpful. Volunteer should have excellent writing and professional skills, communication skills and follow-through, office computing skills (Windows, Word, Excel, Internet/e-mail), and the ability to work independently. Two to four hours per week with a three-month commitment. Renewable. Contact Susan Townsend, volunteer management assistant, at 703-931-7346.
Opportunity Place, the client drop-in center for the Arlington Street People's Assistance Network, has a cabinet full of client files that need sorting. The project will take about five to eight hours total, and can be done all at once or in two or three consecutive days. Project must be done during work hours — 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays. Volunteer needed as soon as possible. Opportunity Place is located at 2708 S. Nelson St., Arlington. Contact Jessica Wood, volunteer coordinator, at 703-820-4357, ext. 17.
NVBIA hosts three to four social activities throughout the year for the Brain Injury community. Guests are people who have survived a traumatic brain injury and their family members. Facilitators are needed to help set up, cook, serve and clean up after the party. Facilitators will mingle with attendees, helping them to socialize and to join in dancing or sport activities. The 2005 social calendar is : Summer Picnic Aug. 12 and Holiday Party Dec. 3. There are no training requirements or limitations on volunteers. Volunteers should, however, be outgoing, enjoy other people, and able to help generate a festive atmosphere. Contact Cynthia MacDonald, treasurer, at 703-569-1855.
The Arlington Community Temporary Shelter needs volunteers to help run the thrift store for two hour shifts during all store hours, Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. The shelter also needs volunteers to help with research, mailings, special projects, organizing and cleaning out files and supporting daily operations. The shelter offers help to women and families seeking shelter because of domestic violence. Call Roseanne at 703-522-8858, ext. 13, or e-mail rcampbell@tacts.org.
The Arlington Community Temporary Shelter needs weekend volunteers to support sheltered families, assist in daily operations and answer crisis and information phone calls. Caring, empathetic, non judgmental people are needed for Saturdays and Sundays for two- to four-hour shifts from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. The shelter offers help to women and families seeking shelter because of domestic violence. Call Roseanne at 703-522-8858, ext. 13, or e-mail rcampbell@tacts.org.
The Arlington Community Temporary Shelter, offering help to women and families seeking shelter because of domestic violence, hosts a Volunteer Information Night on the first Tuesday of every month from 6:30-8 p.m. at the TACTS Administrative Office, 3179 Wilson Blvd. There are more than 20 different ways to get involved. Call 703-522-8858, ext. 13, or visit www.tacts.org.
Whitefield Commons Community Resource Center needs volunteers for its after-school program. Get volunteer experience and help children improve their academic performance. Help children with their homework, and make a positive difference in their lives. After-school program runs Mondays through Thursdays, from 3—5 p.m., except on Wednesdays, when it runs from 1—3:30 p.m. Call Trinidad Coopman at 703-465-5001, or e-mail tcoopman@whdc.org.
BrailleInk needs a marketing/outreach research assistant to work with staff to compile and organize contact information for those who may benefit from and/or help distribute BrailleInk's materials, such as blindness-focused consumer and professional groups, public and private schools, libraries and booksellers. The volunteer will use information gained from Internet research as well as raw data supplied by BrailleInk. This is mostly computer-based work that can be done from anywhere and at anytime, only occasionally requiring an Internet connection. Contact Bruce Curtis, executive director, at 800-324-2919.
BrailleInk needs a community liaison to identify and speak with local teachers and school and public librarians about BrailleInk and its books, and gather and compile feedback. There are two main reasons teachers and librarians may be interested in BrailleInk's books: to provide greater access to these titles for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, and to educate the mainstream sighted community about visual impairments and Braille. Conversations with teachers and librarians would preferably be done in person but may in some cases be done by telephone. BrailleInk will provide orientation regarding visual impairments, Braille and the features of its books. Some flexibility with scheduling during school hours may help with arranging meetings with teachers; perhaps these meetings could be arranged early in the morning, at lunchtime, or during PTA or staff meetings. Contact Bruce Curtis, executive director, at 800-324-2919.
Volunteer for the Greenbrier Learning Center Buddy Night. Spend time with elementary-school-age children while their parents attend a nutrition workshop. Volunteers will be matched up with a child or small group of children to play games and take part in fun, educational activities. Series will take place six Monday nights in a row. Join us for one, a few, or all six. R.S.V.P. to Lauren Cranman, 703-379-6488 or lcranman@gblc.org.
Capital Partners for Education (CPE), the only combination scholarship, mentoring, and academic support and enrichment organization in the Washington Metropolitan area, is seeking motivated and committed professionals to mentor low-income high school students. There are no special skills required. CPE mentors are ordinary people, 21 years of age or older, who want to spend quality time with young adults in their community. CPE asks their mentors to commit to a two-year mentoring relationship, during which they meet with their student once per month and call or e-mail their student once per week. Volunteers also must attend one New Mentor Training Session. Training Session dates are: and Saturday, June 11, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
For more information on CPE's mentoring opportunities and to download a mentor application, visit www.cpfe.org and see the "Applications" section. Call 202-338-1330 or e-mail Darin Simmons at darin@cpfe.org.
Regular meetings of the Arlington Civitan Club are held at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 5115 Little Falls Road, Arlington in the lower ground level at 6:45 p.m. each second and fourth Tuesday of the month. The mission of Civitan, a non profit organization, is to build good citizenship by providing volunteer organizations of clubs dedicated to serving individual and community needs with an emphasis on helping people with developmental disabilities. Contact Jack Mueller at 703-237-4706 for reservations on Sunday prior. Learn more about Arlington Civitan at www.civitan.org.
Drop off your used cellphones at the Cingular locations in Ballston Common Mall. Proceeds benefit the Soroptimist International of Arlington's Women's Opportunity Awards program and other programs dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in our local community and throughout the world. All cellphone donations are tax-deductible. Call Sharon Williams at 703-404-0932 or visit www.siarlington.org to find out more about Soroptimist International of Arlington.
Help a child affected by HIV/AIDS by donating your time to be a tutor. A second-grader is in need of a tutor once a week for one hour. The tutoring will take place in the child's home in Fairfax. A detailed reference check will be conducted prior to volunteer placement. There is no minimum age to be a tutor. This opportunity is sponsored by: Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry. Contact Stacey Snowden, volunteer coordinator, at 703-533-5505, ext. 13.
The Conservation & Interpretation Section is looking for volunteers. 3608 N. Military Road. Visit the Web site of Arlington County Volunteer Office: www.arlingtonva.us. Many groups need voluntary help. The Virginia Native Plant Society, www.vnps.org, the Arlington Heritage Alliance, www.arlingtonheritage.org, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment, www.arlingtonenvironment.org, Remove Invasive Plants - Arlington, www.arlingtonva.us and Project Watershed Watch, www.arlingtonva.us.
The Arlington Teen Summer Expo is an annual event that links teens with summer jobs, volunteer opportunities, and internships. Teens attend the event and apply directly for various local businesses, agencies, and citizens with job openings and/or community service. Volunteers are needed for the event. www.co.arlington.va.us/dhs/services/eid
Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry is seeking volunteers to host fund-raising parties in the Northern Virginia area to support the Children's Services and Youth Education of Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry (NOVAM) on Saturday, April 30. www.novam.org
Stop Abuse for Everyone International is seeking a media watcher for domestic violence issues. www.safe4all.org
The Federation of Galaxy Explorers is seeking volunteers interested in providing some computer (C++) development support for its upcoming summer camp - Moon Base One. www.foge.org
The Furniture Bank of Arlington, a project of Arlingtonians Meeting Emergency Needs (AMEN), needs volunteers to organize warehouse, to help deliver and pick up furniture. www.emergencyneeds.org
Research Volunteer. Upton Hill Regional Park is working to create a file of historical information on the Upton Family, Upton Hill, during the Civil War, and other information related to Upton Hill's history. Volunteers are needed to help catalog information we have collected to date and/or to perform research at local libraries, archives, courthouses and on the Internet. Volunteers should have knowledge of research methods and be familiar with use of the library to find information. Call Julie Kutruff, volunteer coordinator, at 703- 534-3437.
Mentor with CHAMPS. Mentors in this program are volunteers who provide children of prisoners in Northern Virginia with friendship, recreational activities and constructive example. Contact Ellen Klene at 703-533-3302, Ext. 107, or eklene@cmhs.org.
The Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry needs auction volunteers who can come into the office and help with the auction aspect of its annual fund-raiser, “Imagine.” It needs volunteers to help with making phone calls, organizing items, and researching. It needs volunteers who are free during weekdays. Non-English speakers accepted. Contact Stacey Snowden, volunteer coordinator, at 703-533-5505, Ext. 13. NOVAM is located at 803 W. Broad St., Falls Church.
Community Family Life Services' annual fund-raiser will be held April 9 at Georgetown's Lee O'Donovan Hall to raise funds to provide services to the 10,000 clients it sees each year. Starting at 3 p.m. it needs volunteers for setup, greeting, registration, silent auction table hosting, live auction runners, checkout and final close-out details. Volunteers will attend a short orientation prior to starting their shift. They are also asked to dress appropriately for this black-tie affair. Contact Joayne Larson, volunteer coordinator, at 202-347-0511, Ext. 415.
During the last week of the month, Community Family Life Services needs volunteers to help care for children while their parents participate in the monthly evening community meetings. Families are engaged in supportive services to move toward self-sufficiency. If you have worked with children and would like to support these programs, this could be a great opportunity. Just a few evenings a month, but a true connection with children in need! Contact Joayne Larson, volunteer coordinator, at 202-347-0511, Ext. 415.