October 21, 2019
By Sue Alenick, United Way Volunteer Columnist
HALLOWEEN SET-UP – City of Winooski is looking for a volunteer Rotary Park Set-up Crew to help make the park come alive this Halloween. On Friday, October 25th, help load jack o’lanterns into the park, place candles in each jack o’lantern, and light the candles. Set up at 9:30 a.m. and candle lighting at dusk. Contact Olivia Miller at 734-1836 or email volunteer@winooskivt.gov.
MENTOR! MENTOR! – Spectrum Youth & Family Services’ mentoring program is in search of healthy, responsible adults to spend 4 hours a month sharing fun activities with mentees in the local community. A bike ride, a movie, a craft project can mean so much when shared with a caring mentor! Contact Stephanie Ball at 864-7423, Ext. 321, or email sball@spectrumvt.org.
A FRIENDLY GREETING – Winooski Senior Center is seeking volunteers to provide morning support. Support volunteers greet seniors, encourage senior engagement, answer phones, and help with the nutrition program. Contact Olivia Miller at volunteer@winooskivt.gov.
JOIN THE CIRCLE OF SUPPORT – Burlington Community Justice Center is in need of volunteers to join its Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) program. COSA is a reentry program that assists offenders who are reintegrating into their communities. Volunteers work in teams and meet weekly with returning offender to help plan his/her future, find a job, create and live within a budget, find constructive solutions to problems, follow rules set by the Department of Corrections, etc. Contact Rachel Jolly at 865-7185 or email rjolly@burlingtonvt.gov.
PHONATHON – COTS invites volunteer individuals and groups to join them on an evening between December 2nd and 11th to help them raise the fund needed for shelter and services so that no Vermonter is without a safe, warm place to be this winter. Volunteers can serve as callers or in the mailroom. There’s dinner at 5 p.m. and an orientation from 5:30-6 p.m. All calls are made to current COTS supporters. It’s a fun event, with raffles, refreshments and the joy of seeing immediate results. Contact Reagan Murphy at 864-7402, Ext. 207, or email reaganm@cotsonline.org.
JINGLE THE BELLS – Ronald MacDonald House Charities is looking for volunteers to spread holiday cheer aboard the Jingle Bell Express between November 30th and December 1st. Volunteers can serve as greeters to direct people to the proper train car, ticket-takers, train car captains, a car elf, character actor, clean up crew, or station elf. Dress in your best holiday colors and costumes and join the fun! Click on link for a 2019 Volunteer Application: https://files.constantcontact.com/832ba9b9001/3b86ad34-e0d9-408a-b790-5f90647060c4.pdf
MENTOR! MENTOR! – Watershed Mentoring is seeking mentors for school-aged children and adolescents that are “at promise” in Franklin County. Mentees are waiting in St. Albans, Richford, Swanton, Enosburg, and Fairfield. Mentors meet with mentees for an hour or two in the community year round; school-based mentors meet with a child during school lunch and recess for an hour a week while school is in session. Those few hours make a lifetime of difference! Training provided. Background check required. Contact Beth Crane at 527-5049 or email beth.fcccp@gmail.com.
CRAIGSLIST HELP – Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Milton is looking for someone to assist with Craigslist postings. Take photos of store items, upload them to Craigslist with descriptions and contact information, and keep the listings up to date. Once or twice a week for 1 – 3 hours. Contact Allison DeVoe at 318-7533 or email adevoe@vermonthabitat.org.