The Auxiliary of the Virginia Hospital Center, 1701 N. George Mason Drive, has openings for volunteers in a variety of patient services, daytime and weekends. To give a few hours toward this important work, call June Breen at 703-620-2944.
Some Place for Kids, sponsored by So Others Might Eat, wants volunteers to spend time with youth in grades 1-12, Monday through Friday from 3:30-7:30 p.m. www.some.org.
Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League (MAGDRL) is looking for good homes for orphan Great Danes. MAGDRL is a nine-state, all-volunteer organization that is funded solely by grants, donations and fund-raisers. They use those funds to restore sick Great Dane orphans to health and find adoptive home for rescued Great Danes from New York to North Carolina. In addition, their volunteers host educational events and provide support for current Great Dane owners by suggesting counseling and training that may help them keep their dogs. MAGDRL has Great Danes available for adoption that are already spayed/neutered and up-to-date on vaccines. Our orphans range in age from puppies to seniors. The adoption fee is $300 for orphans under 1 year and $275 for those over 1 year. Fencing is required, and MAGDRL will work with applicants to find a good fit for their lifestyle and their family. To offer a home for a Great Dane or to volunteer, visit www.magdrl.org or call 703-644-8009.
The Auxiliary at Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington, needs volunteers. Every third Thursday of the month, at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., an Information Session is held in the Human Resources Conference Room. Call 703-620-2944 or 703-538-2362.
Arlington CrisisLink, the greater Washington region's only 24/seven crisis, suicide and trauma prevention, intervention and response hotline, is seeking volunteers to take calls and respond directly to individuals in need. Applications are available online at www.crisislink.org. Hotline volunteers must attend 43 hours of intensive training in active listening and crisis intervention and are required to make an additional 150-hour (one-year) commitment upon completion. Flexible hours are available upon close of training. Volunteers must be 18 or older.
The Arlington County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) assists public health to prevent disease and protect the community during emergencies and in other public health priorities. Members are current or retired health care professionals and interested others. MRC volunteers receive an initial orientation and are invited to periodic trainings. During an emergency, volunteers receive event-specific training and work with public health staff. Public health activities may include epidemiology, preventive treatment or prophylaxis, education, community monitoring and other measures to protect the public. More information may be found at the Department of Human Services Web site under the Public Health Division. Members are adults age 18 and over. Call Jan Tenerowicz, MRC coordinator, at 703-228-4986.
Smithsonian Behind-the-Scenes Volunteer Program. Behind-the-Scenes volunteers work with Smithsonian staff in various departments and museums. Typical volunteer assignments include administrative, archival, collections management, computer support, conservation, development, education, horticulture and libraries. Interested individuals must be able to volunteer Monday-Friday during regular business hours. The minimum time commitment is six hours per week for two months. Volunteers must be 16 or older. A completed application and an interview with program staff is required. Call Amy Lemon, program coordinator, at 202-357-2987. For more information visit www.si.edu.
A volunteer is needed to develop a space plan for the Northern Virginia Family Service Loudoun office. Office space is crowded and needs organization and a plan to better utilize the existing space. Time commitment is flexible and the job could be done at home with several visits to the Loudoun office. Call Maureen Collins at 703-404-1901. For more information visit www.nvfs.org.
Gardening Opportunity at Tuckahoe Elementary. Tuckahoe Elementary School has seven large "outdoor" classrooms with many gardens that always need tending. Families sign up to water once a week, but more volunteers are needed. Anyone who would like to tend the gardens should contact Beth Reese, the school's outdoor learning coordinator, at 703-228-5288. For more information visit www.arlington.k12.va.us/schools/tuckahoe/schoolyard. Tools and training provided if necessary.
Gardening Opportunity at Campbell Elementary. Garden Work Days are a part of Campbell Elementary School's history. The Campbell community works to build an environment where children learn through contact with their natural surroundings. To this end, three garden work days are scheduled in the spring and the fall. Parents, children, teachers and community members work to beautify the school. Volunteers are always welcome. Call Pat Findikoglu at 703-228-6770. For more information visit www.arlington.k12.va.us.
The Barrett Outdoor Classroom is located in the school's courtyard. It has a pond and waterfall, raised garden beds, a Virginia forest habitat, erosion/watershed center, a pollinator garden and bird watching centers and will be building a stage and pond observation deck this summer to add more learning centers to the area. Help is needed this summer with construction, weeding and marking plants and trees, as well as throughout the year with maintenance and other activities, such as sponsoring an after-school club to learn about nature in the outdoor classroom. Call Mary-Hannah Klontz at 703-228-6288 or e-mail: MaryHannah_Klontz@apsva.us. For more information visit www.arlington.k12.va.us.
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.
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.