 Feature Volunteer Opportunities | | For our online calendar of opportunities, click here! | The Montgomery County Volunteer Center is part of Montgomery County Executive Leggett's Office of Community Partnerships. For more information on the Office of Community Partnerships and to sign up for the Partnerships Newsletter and Bulletin, please click here. | | | | Record turnout for Montgomery's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service: 5,000 residents give time, money, and food to help our neighbors in need | Five thousand Montgomery County residents responded to President Barack Obama's call for a new spirit of service and sacrifice by turning out in record numbers to participate in events inspired by the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.
 More than 3,000 people alone volunteered at the Montgomery County Volunteer Center's Day of Service event at the North Bethesda Conference Center on Monday January 19th. Participation in service events in Burtonsville, Silver Spring, Rockville, and Germantown pushed the total number of volunteers for the day to nearly 4,000, three times the number of participants compared to 2008. Attendees assembled care packages for troops in Iraq, made Valentine's Day cards for the Orphans Foundation, decorated bookmarks and cards for children with cancer, and participated in dozens of other activities. "We were thrilled with the turnout and hope people continue to volunteer with the many nonprofits that need their help throughout the year," said Reed Dewey, director of the County's Volunteer Center.
The Whole Foods Market of Montgomery County stores worked together to provide the largest project, enlisting more than 20 employees and 80 volunteers in making over 1,000 bag lunches for area shelters and soup kitchens with food donated by the company."Whole Foods Market is honored to participate in this event and watch it grow over the years. Our team members are proud to volunteer their time in service to those most in need," said Susan Lennon, Community Liaison with the Rockville store.
"Yes Montgomery Can," a special campaign formed around the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the Inauguration of President Obama, encouraged thousands of residents to donate food, sign-up to volunteer, and contribute money to our neighbors in need. More than 500 volunteers went door-to-door in scores of neighborhoods on Saturday and Sunday prior to the King Day of Service passing out information about the "Yes Montgomery Can" campaign. To see more photos from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, click here. | | President Barack Obama's Call to Service | | From USAService.org: Every time our nation faces crisis, our national experience has shown Americans rise to the challenge. While government has an important role to play in helping rekindle our economy and addressing the problems of a distressed nation, President-elect Obama believes each of us, as Americans, have a responsibility to do what we can for our communities and fellow citizens. The United States is once again at a crossroads and that is why the President-elect hopes to use the occasion of his Inauguration to rally our nation to commit to service in our communities. To view a community service event guide on how to host your own project, visit: www.usaservice.org/page/content/eventguide | | What Is a Good Volunteer? | | Volunteering is fun and rewarding, but it's also a little more complicated than just showing up and having a good time. Good volunteers are:
Selfless. Don't think about what you can do to help yourself. Think about what you can do to help others.
Well-trained. Know what you're doing as a volunteer. If you need some time to learn your job, take that time.
Dependable. Do what you say you'll do, and do your best.
Enthusiastic. Always have a positive attitude and show others that you're doing this because you WANT to.
Open-minded. Keep your mind open to new possibilities, and you'll probably grow as a person.
Respectful. Always remember to show respect for other people and other cultures.
Cooperative. Work as part of a team to make sure everyone gets a chance to participate and do his or her fair share of work.
Understanding. Try to see things through other people's eyes.
Humble. Humble people are happy knowing that they're making a difference, and don't need to shout about it.
Friendly. Treat others like friends, and they'll do the same for you.
| | Agency Spotlight: Junior Achievement Needs 300 Volunteers |  At no time in recent history has the need for financial literacy education been more visible and widespread than today. Junior Achievement (JA) is in need of volunteers to help promote financial literacy by bringing life's economic lessons into the classroom. Over 300 volunteers are needed between 4/17/09 - 5/29/09 to work with over 6,000 middle school students from 22 public schools. Additional opportunities to work with elementary and high school students are available throughout the year.
Volunteers will present the "JA Global Marketplace" program, which teaches 7th grade students about the impact of the economy on their daily lives and covers the movement of goods, communication, migration and currency across the globe. Volunteers will teach six 45-minute lessons during the school day. No teaching experience is required and teachers are always present while you speak. All materials, activities, lesson plans and thorough training are provided. Volunteers select their class time from 7:55-2:10 and their school location. Business partnerships and team teaching are encouraged.
Visit http://www.myJA.org/volunteers/schools/ for a list of classrooms in need and contact Chelsea Soneira, Program Director, at 301-838-0471 or Chelsea.Soneira@ja.org to sign up. Visit www.myJA.org to learn more about Junior Achievement. | | Quote of the Month | | "Volunteering can be an exciting, growing, enjoyable experience. It is truly gratifying to serve a cause, practice one's ideals, work with people, solve problems, see benefits, and know one had a hand in them."
~ Harriet Naylor (Harriet Naylor was a pioneer in the development of volunteer management) | | Feature Volunteer Opportunities | | One-Time Opportunities - Valentine's Day Dance at Jubilee (Silver Spring) - On February 11, Come out and have a great time while helping a group of adults with developmental disabilities enjoy this special occasion. Plan to arrive at 6:30 pm to help decorate and set up the room, serve snacks, socialize, dance and help clean up. The dance ends at 9:00 pm. Volunteers must be over 18 and be outgoing and patient. Volunteers should plan to stay until 9:30pm. For more information, please contact Sharon Freedman, Volunteer Coordinator, at 301-949-8628 or via e-mail at sfreedman@jubileemd.org. You can also visit the Jubilee website at http://www.jubileemd.org. - Beautify a Public Garden in Brookeville - On February 21, Your work will make a visible difference! Volunteers are needed to weed the beautiful azalea gardens at Brighton Dam at Brookeville from 10 a.m. to Noon. Over 20,000 people who come to see WSSC's gardens each year will see your work. Meet at the Visitors' Center at Brighton Dam at 10 a.m. For more information and to volunteer, please contact Kim Knox at 301-206-8233 or via e-mail at kknox@wsscwater.com. - ARABESQUE: Arts of the Arab World Festival (Washington, DC) - The Friends of the KennedyCenter is recruiting volunteers to assist with the ARABESQUE: Arts of the Arab World Festival taking place February 23 - March 15. Volunteers will be assisting with the Visual Art installations, and interactive installations, in the Souk/Marketplace, and helping with Crowd Management. To download an application please visit: www.kennedy-center.org/support/volunteers/ArabesqueApplication.pdf. For more information please contact Allison Sledz at 202-416-8301 or via e-mail at asledz@kennedy-center.org. Selected Ongoing Opportunities - Arc of Montgomery County (Rockville) - Adult volunteers are needed for various jobs such as helping with decorating, set-up, etc. at our Beat the Odds Casino Night fundraising event. For more information, please contact Linda Wingo at 301-253-1617 or lindawingo@verizon.net. To see other volunteer opportunities with the Arc, click here. - Events Aide at the Gilchrist Center (Silver Spring-SSL Approved) - Assist recreation staff with various special events throughout the year. Activitives include but are not limited to setting up; xeroxing; mass mailing, providing information and distributing handouts; serving and cleaning up for meals and special events, setting up AV equipment; taking photos and video; language interpretation. Great for students! For more information contact Dolores Ustrell, Volunteer Coordinator, at 240-777-4940 or via e-mail at dolores.ustrell-roig@montgomerycountymd.gov. For other opportunities with the GilchristCenter for Cultural Diversity, click here. - Barn/Farm Worker at Great Strides (Damascus-SSL Approved) - This position offers volunteers the chance to work with horses! No previous experience is necessary. Responsibilities may include leading horses, grooming, cleaning buckets, feeding, mucking, filling water troughs, weeding fence lines or gardens, and other farm work or horse care tasks. For more information, please contact Elise Scott, Volunteer Coordinator, at 301-253-1166 or elise@greatstrides.org. You can also visit their website at http://www.GreatStrides.org. To see other opportunities with Great Strides, click here. - Creative Project Volunteers (Rockville) - The Tree House needs volunteers to design and create varied arts and crafts projects for fundraising and community outreach, including quilt making, holiday decorations, and other creative projects as necessary. Please contact Laurie Kesaris Volunteer Coordinator, at 240-777-3976 or laurie.kesaris@montgomerycountymd.gov if you're interested. You can also visit their website at http://www.thetreehousecac.org. To see other volunteer opportunities with the Tree House, click here. - Bingo Caller at Potomac Assisted Living (Potomac-SSL Approved) - Residents of their senior citizens community love Bingo and we are seeking a volunteer Bingo Caller Sunday mornings. A friendly, outgoing manner and a strong voice are helpful for this position. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. For more information, contact Janice Cavanaugh or Nancy Morentz at 301-765-9198 or via e-mail at nmorentz@aol.com. To see other opportunities with Potomac Assisted Living, click here. - Casey House Administrative Volunteer (Rockville) - Administrative volunteers are needed to provide office support at our medical facility, Casey House. They answer phones, help with correspondence, organize the linen/supply closet and survey hospice families about the quality of our care. A 3-day training is required. For more information, please contact Terrie James-Taylor, Volunteer Coordinator, at 301-921-4400 or | | To See More Volunteer Opportunities, Click Here! | Privacy is important to us; therfore, we will not sell, rent, or give your name or address to anyone. At any point, you can select the link at the bottom of every email to unsubscribe. | | | | |
02-02-2009, 01:42 PM
Montgomery Volunteer eNewsletter - February 2009
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