In cooperation with the Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan, the Niles Daily Star will publish opportunities for volunteers each week. To find out about these or other volunteer opportunities, please call 983-0912 in the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor area, 683-5464 in the Niles area; visit our website at www.volunteerswmi.org; or e-mail us at volunteer@volunteerswmi.org for further information. To arrange an appointment, please call ahead. Appointments do not constitute an obligation to accept a volunteer opportunity. The center is a United Way agency.

Spotlight of the Week

It’s the summer to discover. Help create a summer of fun for children 3-13 by volunteering to assist YMCA staff at Summer Day Camp and Kinder Camp in Niles. This is a great opportunity for people who want to explore careers in education, recreation and early child development, or just want to work with children. Teens 15 and older are welcome to apply.  Summer Day Camp hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hours you volunteer can be flexible but a commitment to a one week camp is needed for program consistency. Kinder Camp is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Adults

• Hope’s Door in Dowagiac provides transitional housing for women in recovery. A good website is critical to operate today and they are looking for a website administrator to make sure they reach those in need of assistance, referral sources and donors. They have a website but need you to make it a powerful resource.

• Bridges to Digital Excellence is making access to technology easier and more environmentally friendly through its different programs. At their Benton Harbor location they are busy recycling electronics to keep them out of our landfills and to provide funding for their programs. When you volunteer as an electronics tester you pick a time between 10 a.m.  and 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. A minimum two hours a week time commitment is required.  They would love to have at least eight hours a week of testing conducted so tell your friends. No special skills are required and a simple training is provided. You will learn about technology issues and what Bridges if doing to make a difference throughout southwest Michigan.

• Lakeland Hospice has an increase in patients in Bridgman, Baroda, Three Oaks, Sawyer, Niles, New Buffalo and Harbert requesting respite care. A respite care volunteer relieves caregivers so they can run errands, get out for a while, sleep, complete household chores, etc. You will sit with the patient and talk or perhaps read to them. Training will be provided and can be set up to meet your schedule.

• Berrien County Cancer Services maintains a loan closet of medical equipment — walkers, electric scooters, wheelchairs, beds, commodes, etc. Volunteers can be on call to pick up and/or deliver equipment from the Stevensville office.

• Poster distribution volunteers help the Volunteer Center get the message out: “yeah, go volunteer — it is a good thing!  Offer to be on call to distribute posters for specific events or contact us now about hanging up posters promoting mentoring and youth volunteerism. We cover Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties so poster distribution volunteers will make it possible for us to cover more communities.

• If every person who donates blood once a year recruited one person to donate once a year, blood shortages could be a thing of the past. Recruit a friend to donate blood today.

Berrien County Chapter of the American Red Cross

• Monday, May 23 – Moose Lodge, 101 S. Redbud Trail, Buchanan, 1:00 6:45 p.m.

• Wednesday, May 25 – Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 1200 West Glenlord Rd., St. Joseph, noon to 5:45 p.m.

For a complete listing, visit www.berrienredcross. org.

Michigan Blood

• Monday, May 23 — Niles Senior Center, 1109 Bell Rd., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Saturday, May 28 – Martin’s Super Market on the Blood Bus, 720 South 11th St., Niles, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For a complete listing, visit www.miblood.org.

Adults and youth

• Summer is fast approaching and that means festival volunteer opportunities. Krasl Arts on the Bluff has many opportunities listed on the Volunteer Center’s website including handing out artist and visitor surveys. This helps greatly in making the event one of the best in the country. You can sign up for a shift on July 9 or 10 and tell them how many hours you are able to contribute.  Another opportunity is to work a shift in the sales and information tent answering questions and selling fun T-shirts and other items. Three-hour shifts are requested.

• Be a smile-maker volunteer. Assist special needs youth and teens with various sports, camps and activities this summer in the St. Joseph Michigan area sponsored by the Sonya Ansari Center for Autism-Logan Center. Dates and times to be decided.

• Curious Kids’ Museum in St. Joseph is a super fun place to volunteer.  Adult volunteers can help out with the end of the school year field trips to the museum. Youth don’t wait to give them a call, sign up now for summer volunteering.  A background check is required and an orientation is provided.

Youth

Summer will be here before you know it. Do you know what you are going to do? The Volunteer Center will be offering Youth Summer Serve 2011. Volunteer for 40 hours over the summer and you will be officially recognized. It looks great on job and college applications, you get to learn new things and also have fun. Contact Callie today at youth@volunteerswmi.org and find the summer volunteer position that fits your interests, your schedule and your transportation situation.

Families

• Come be part of the Community Unity Project. Benton Harbor City has rescheduled their community-wide cleanup day for Saturday, May 21 from 9 am to 1 pm. Individuals, families and groups can help keep the city safe, fun and clean.

• The Community Garden movement continues to grow. Contact Debra at the Volunteer Center to learn how your family can get involved.