By Staff
ADULTS AND YOUTH
THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AUXILIARY, composed of uniformed, non-military volunteer civilians, assist the Coast Guard in all of its varied missions, except for military and direct law enforcement. Volunteer boat crew members, watch standers, and volunteers in marine safety, search and rescue and homeland security are welcome to support the work of the Coast Guard. Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age. Training will be provided for all volunteers. To connect, call the Volunteer Center.
Do you love science? Are you 16 years old or older? If so, UPTON MIDDLE SCHOOL invites you to become a science mentor one day a week for six weeks between 3 and 4:30 p.m. Volunteers would be working with two students at a time to prepare them for the Science Olympiad which will take place on March 15th. Subject areas to be studied include chemistry, food science, heredity, meteorology, disease “detective,” mystery of architecture, fitness and the solar system. Sounds interesting, doesn't it?
FAMILIES
Are the girls in your family fans of American Girl dolls and stories? If so, the BERRIEN COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION would welcome your participation in the American Girls Club meetings and crafts activities. The club meets once a month on Thursday evenings and would welcome volunteers who could work at the meetings where the focus is the dolls and the ethnic and historical stories they have to tell.
ADULTS
SAFE SHELTER, a local agency that provides safety and empowerment to the survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, welcomes volunteers interested in this issue to work at the crisis desk on weekdays and weekends. The volunteers would be directly assisting clients, answering the telephone, and making referrals. Sixteen to 20 hours of training are provided.
The Kellogg Leadership for Community Change Project at BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF BENTON HARBOR partners with youth to participate in a community change project in Benton Harbor. Volunteer LCCP Fellows are invited to work one weekday afternoon or evening for 3-6 hours to mentor youth in developing various life skills. To connect, call the Volunteer Center.
THE BERRIEN COUNTY COUNCIL FOR CHILDREN is dedicated to shaping a community that shields children from abuse and neglect. The organization would welcome a volunteer who could provide occasional technical support for both computer hardware and software, particularly around the issue of networking.
In addition, the organization would love to have help in recreating its website. If you are interested in one or both of these areas of technical support, please call the Volunteer Center and we will get you connected.
THE BERRIEN COUNTY CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS reports that Berrien County residents use more blood products than we donate. Let's change that! The next Blood drive will be coming to your area soon.
YOUTH
Warm, fuzzy puppies; adult dogs who have been abandoned; cats and kittens, too. If you enjoy these furry friends, local shelters and animal protection organizations would welcome your volunteer time. They include ANIMAL AID OF SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN (St. Joseph); PET REFUGE (South Bend); THE HUMANE SOCIETY (Benton Harbor; and ANIMAL SERVICE LEAGUE (Dowagiac.) Direct help with the animals, editing the newsletter, assisting with fundraisers, and developing websites are all needed services.
HELPING HANDS OF CASS COUNTY in Cassopolis provides county residents with food, clothing and medicine in times of emergency. Youth volunteers are invited to help sort donations and assist in providing items to needy families. If you can help after school, call the Volunteer Center.
To connect on these opportunties, call the Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan in Niles at (269) 683-5464.