2008 October Newsletter

- 10/25-26 - Community Service Day

One Time Opportunities

• Student Election Aides and Election Judges Needed! - The Board of Elections is still seeking people to help out during the Nov. 4th Election.  There will be a mandatory student aide training during the 3rd week of October and the last day to apply is Oct. 17th.  Training for election judges is ongoing.  To review the job descriptions and application, please visit www.777vote.org. 
• Montgomery Parks Harvest Festival (Derwood) - It's time for their annual 2 day fall festival celebrating what "Life on the Farm" was like at the turn of the century, back in the early 1900's. Held at one of our prettiest historic properties in Montgomery County, they need over 100 volunteers to help our park naturalists and historians show our visitors what crafts, machinery, food, and games were like back then during the fall harvest time. For more information, please click here.
• Family Self-Sufficiency Graduation Ceremony (Rockville) - FSS is a federally mandated program designed to assist families in public housing and Section 8 programs to achieve self-sufficiency and to end dependency on welfare assistance.  Volunteers are needed to help with the celebration from 4:30pm to 8:30pm to set-up, help serve food and clean up.  For more information, click here.
• Jubilee Carnival Helper (Kensington) - Jubilee is having a Carnival and needs help with game booths, food stations, moon bounce, set up and clean up.  Volunteers can work 1 of 2 shifts or both 9:00am - 1:00pm or 12noon - 4:00pm.  For more information, click here.
• Halloween Extravaganza (Rockville) - Volunteers are needed to help the Meadowside Nature Center staff transform the nature center in to a place to have a howling good time for a night of Halloween fun! Wear your favorite costume, help the kids make crafts, work at different educational stations or lead hikes along trails lit by jack o' lanterns. For more information, click here.
• 4th Annual Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome (Potomac) - The volunteer will help with registration and facepainting at the 4th Annual Buddy Walk for the Down Syndrome Network of Montgomery County, an affliate of The Arc of Montgomery County.  For more information, click here.
• House of Hope 5k Run/Walk (Olney) - On October 18, 2008, House of Hope Maryland is sponsoring a 5K Run/Walk. We need volunteers (especially student volunteers) to assist with participant registration, activities for the children and the awards ceremony. The volunteer activities will take place on the grounds of Oakdale Emory United Methodist Church.  For more information, click here.    

Ongoing Opportunities

• A Wider Circle - Neighbor-to-Neighbor (Bethesda) Volunteers help to provide the basic needs for families moving out of battered women's or homeless family shelters. Volunteers are needed to collect furniture and household good donations, organize and sort items in the storage facility, and assist clients with selection of items.  For more information click here.
• Stepping Stones Shelter (Rockville) - Stepping Stones is an emergency shelter for homeless families.  They need a group (business or church group) or individuals with a large van or small bus to transport approximately 25 to 28 people from the shelter to a local restaurant (in Olney) on Thanksgiving Day and they also need volunteers to provide childcare for the shelter children in the evenings.  For more details, please click here. 
• Computer Teacher - Highland Elementary (Silver Spring) - They are looking for volunteers to teach our parents group and help them to learn about how to use and take advantage of computers in their children education.  Volunteers would be needed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am to 9:15am.  For more information, click here. 
• Alzheimers Association (county-wide) - Over the next few months, volunteers will be going door to door in various Montgomery County neighborhoods placing door hangers on residential front doors. These hangers will be a way to let those who are struggling with dementia know that the Alzheimer's Association has services which may help. There will also be information on county services on this door hanger. This would be a GREAT event for schools, scouts, faith communities or volunteer groups.  For more information, click here. 
• Germantown HELP (Germantown) - Organized individuals and small groups needed to pack non-perishable food into boxes for delivery during the week ot needy families in Germantown. Boxes are packed at our pantry. This position is suitable for families or small groups (3-4 max) with adult supervision. Openings are rare.  For more information, click here. 
• Senior Connection (Silver Spring) - The Senior Connection is a nonprofit agency that is dedicated to helping older persons live independently as possible while remaining integral members of their communities. Duties include, but are not limited to: identifying and contacting congregations, businesses, community groups and local groups about the services The Senior Connection (TSC) provides, the clients served and how TSC may work with them to serve senior citizens in the community, helping to recruit and train volunteers and helping to identify opportunities that could be a source of funding for the program.  For more details, click here.