Know of something missing from our volunteer listings? E-mail arlington@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is 2 p.m. the Thursday before publication. Call Rebecca Halik at 703-917-6407. Visit www.connectionnewspapers.com for more volunteer opportunities.
The Arlington County Senior Adult Travel office is looking for volunteer travel leaders to escort seniors on day and overnight excursions. The travel office is part of Arlington’s Office of Senior Adult Programs. Travel leaders must be able to assist seniors on and off the bus, have a clear speaking voice and flexible personality and be organized and customer-service oriented. Call Janice Covert, volunteer coordinator, 703-228-4730 or e-mail, jcover@arlingtonva.us.
Northern Virginia Family Service needs volunteers to move its Bailey's Crossroads thrift store. Helpers are needed Feb. 24-25 to pack merchandise, disassemble store furnishings (requires basic carpentry skills and tools), load and unload trucks (requires heavy lifting) and move items to Centreville. Two vans are also needed to transport smaller items. Choose from 4-hour shifts or all day. Proceeds from the Clock Tower Thrift Shops benefit over 35 programs that help individuals and families throughout Northern Virginia. Call 703-219-2193 or e-mail volunteer@nvfs.org.
If you are interested in volunteering for Arlington Public Schools, there are many different opportunities, from tutoring and mentoring programs, to reading to students and helping with clubs. Most of the programs take place during the school day, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Contact Kim Durand, 703-228-6003 or www.arlington.k12.va.us/volunteering.shtml.
Volunteer Orientation. First Tuesday of every month. Doorways for Women and Families orientation meeting to learn more about volunteer opportunities with family shelter, domestic violence Safehouse and other community programs. Log on to www.doorwaysva.org/volunteer or email volunteer@doorwaysva.org.
Volunteers Needed. Doorways for Women and Families is seeking volunteers for its Safehouse domestic violence shelter program. Volunteers are needed for weekend and evening shifts and to answer 24/7 hotline. Some weekday opportunities available. Training begins August-September. Please call 703.522.8858 x13 or email volunteer@doorwaysVA.org. Visit www.doorwaysva.org/volunteer.
Assist with an annual dance for individuals with disabilities on April 21 from 5:30-10 p.m. at 2121 N. Culpepper St., Arlington. This dance is open to the Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. area for those identified with special needs ages 18 and up. Duties would include at minimum set up and clean up. Additional duties could include registration, coat check, serving food, and assisting with activities. It would be important for volunteers to encourage participants to engage in all activities and to socialize with peers. Comfortable working with individuals with disabilities. A brief training. Date, time, and location to be determined. Contact Becky Suttell, TR Programmer at 703-228-4741.
Volunteer to help individuals with disabilities ages 3-14 to learn swimming and water safety skills. Assist with three back to back classes on the same day and at the same location. The classes will take place April 16-June 11 with the opportunity to volunteer on a continuous basis for this program (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall classes). The time and location are still to be determined. Mandatory training prior to beginning as a volunteer will include lectures and hands-on workshops. Contact Shaeron King, Therapeutic Recreation/Prevention Intervention Programmer at 703-228-4731.
Amateur radio operators provide critical communication support for many public service events in the Washington, D.C. area including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Walk and Bikathon, the American Diabetes Association's "Tour de Cure", and the Marine Corps Marathon. Put your RACES and/or ARES training to use and help out a good cause at the same time. The Arlington County Radio Public Service Club (ARPSC) is typically contacted 4-8 weeks prior to a public service event needing amateur radio operators. Events are generally held from April through October. Specific opportunities will be posted as we are notified. Volunteers must have an amateur radio license to be the control operator for an amateur radio station. Events typically utilize the 2m band so a Technician license and an HT with extra batteries is frequently sufficient. Some events will have additional needs such as higher power stations, packet capability, or APRS. Contact David Jordan, Chief Information Security Officer, 703-228-3185 or visit www.W4AVA.org.
Hoffman-Boston Elementary School, 1415 S. Queen St., Arlington, needs adult volunteers to work one-to-one with a first or second grade student struggling with reading for two mornings a week from 8:15-9:15. On-going support including training, lesson plans and all materials provided. Call Marty Maher, Book Buddies Co-ordinator, at 703-228-5845.
The Knights of Columbus of Arlington, are searching for volunteers to help serve Thanksgiving meals to the needy, shut-ins and those alone at home. Volunteers are needed at the Councils activities Hall, 5115 Little Falls Road in Arlington on Thanksgiving Day from 2-3:30 p.m. Turkeys are also needed. Call 703-241-1415 for more information.
Have the chance to influence a child's life by volunteering in one of our classrooms. Assist our wonderful teachers with day-to-day learning and fun. The children are three- and four-year-olds attending classes at Child & Family Network Center's preschools in Arlington. Spend time with the children in the classroom doing science projects, coloring, finger-painting, and other activities. Must be 18 years or older. Contact Patricia Chapman, Volunteer Coordinator, 703-836-0214 or visit www.cfnc-online.org.
Volunteers at family roller skating nights help with skate rentals, work as skate "traffic cops" and sell food from the concession stand. The family roller skating series will be held every Saturday night through April 14 from 6-9 p.m. at 3501 S. 2nd St., Arlington. Teen volunteers may also stay and participate in the "teen only" skate nights from 9-11 p.m. Volunteers will receive an orientation on the first night they work. Contact Kevin Clements 703-228-4729 or visit www.co.arlington.va.us/prcr.
Doorways for Women and Families provides a safe, weekly, confidential domestic violence support group. The support group helps current and former victims of domestic violence share feelings, thoughts and information to make healthy life choices and end abuse. Call 703-237-0881. Meetings are held Tuesdays.
Volunteer Emergency Families For Children (VEFC) needs volunteers willing to open their homes and provide short term (1-21 days) emergency shelter to local children who are victims of abuse, neglect, etc. Volunteers can choose the age, gender, and length of stay for each placement. Call 703-969-3795 or email MMiller@VEFC.org. Visit us on the web at: www.VEFC.org.
The Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross is seeking volunteers to assist its blood collections staff at blood drives and blood donor centers. Volunteers will assist with providing a high level of customer service to donors, and with caring for donors in the refreshment area after the donation process. This position is offered to people who are 14 or older. Training is provided. A commitment of two or more blood operations each month is requested. Blood drives last 4.5-6 hours and are held daily throughout the Potomac area. To register for training, please call the American Red Cross Volunteer Office at 1-800-272-0094, ext 1, or e-mail karlofft@usa.redcross.org.
"Voices of Children" Volunteer Project. This volunteer opportunity requires: a commitment to 8 weekly therapeutic groups for two hours; an interest in learning about group work with children; Lots of patience and a sense of humor. Contact the Arlington County Volunteer Office at 703-228-1760 or visit www.volunteersolutions.org/acvo.
The Opera Guild of Northern Virginia needs help archiving historical documents and organizing the history of the guild. Contact the Arlington County Volunteer Office at 703-228-1760 or visit www.volunteersolutions.org/acvo.
Four to six volunteers are needed to tutor Latino day laborers on basic English. Many of the day laborers who come to the Shirlington Employment & Education Center (SEEC) are looking for work, but do not speak or understand English. Contact the Arlington County Volunteer Office at 703-228-1760 or visit www.volunteersolutions.org/acvo.
The Alexandria/Arlington Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program is seeking volunteers to speak up for abused and neglected children in court. Volunteers conduct interviews with children, families, and professionals, monitor compliance with court orders, write detailed reports, and represent the best interests of the child in court. Volunteers must complete training and background checks. Volunteers commit to one year with the program. Bilingual volunteers (Spanish/English) are greatly needed. Training begins in late February. Call 703-820-9001 or visit http://www.scanva.org.