THIS WEEK’S VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY

DELAWARE & LEHIGH NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR, INC., Easton is looking for trail tenders and trail patrol volunteers to keep the 165 mile D&L Trail maintained and safe.  Trail Tenders perform clean-ups, brush and branch removal, and other trail activities.  Trail Patrol volunteers patrol the trail on bicycles in all five counties, answer visitors’ questions and tend to their needs, and look for fallen trees, erosion, and other trail maintenance issues.  Call Lauren Golden, 610-932-3548 x227, lauren@delawareandlehigh.org.

EASTON AREA COMMUNITY CENTER is the after school home for almost 100 youth, ages 5-14, Monday through Friday.  Volunteers (14+ years) are needed to assist staff with a variety of youth activities, homework help, arts and crafts, mentoring, recreational/gym time, gardening,  serve snacks and dinner, and assist  with Summer Day Camp.  Adult volunteers (18+ years) must have current PA Child Abuse History Clearance and Criminal Background Check.  Call Brooke Mitman, 610-253-7242, bmitmaneacc@ptd.net.

INDEPENDENT TRANSPORTATION NETWORK LEHIGH VALLEY (ITNLehighValley), Bethlehem needs volunteer drivers to transport seniors (60 years and older) and visually impaired adults in the Lehigh Valley.  Drive when and where you want.  No minimum time requirement.  Need a vehicle and a clean driving record.  Training provided.  Call Karen Schiavone, 610-419-1645, Karen.schiavone@itnlehighvalley.org.

KIDSPEACE, Orefield needs volunteers for the KidsPeace 5k Family Fun Mud Run on Saturday, May 7.  Volunteers are needed to work concession stands, direct traffic and parking, man water stations, cheer, motivate and help participants at obstacles, and coordinate bag drop area.  Flexible times are available between 9:30am-(approx.) 2pm.  Call Gina Stano, 610-799-8071, gina.stano@kidspeace.org.

MEALS ON WHEELS OF LEHIGH COUNTY, Allentown is looking for volunteers (18+ years) to do grocery shopping for homebound seniors and adults with disabilities.  Choose the area of Lehigh County that works best for you.  Flexible scheduling based on client’s needs (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly).  40 minute orientation required  Fri 4/29@10:30am, or call/email to schedule a one-on-one that fits your schedule.  Call Lindsay Fly, 610-841-7132, lfly@mealsonwheelslc.org.

PINEBROOK FAMILY ANSWERS, Allentown – Compeer of the Lehigh Valley is in need of adult volunteers to match in one-on-one friendships with adults in mental health recovery.  Volunteers are trained and then matched with same-gender Compeer members.  Matches and training are based on each volunteer’s availability.  Call Vicky Conte, 610-774-1450, vconte@pbfalv.org.

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK, Nazareth is in need of volunteers to help sort donations so items can be distributed to those in need.  Help is needed 7am-2:30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and 7am-12pm on Fridays.  Volunteers will be trained upon arrival at their first shift.  Call Maria Arcelay, 484-287-4015, shfb-info@caclv.org.

THE SALVATION ARMY CHILDREN’S SERVICES, Allentown is looking for volunteers to help with their 5^th Annual Rock N Run 4Kids 10k, 5k, and Kids Fun Run at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday, May 21 from 7:30am-11:30am.  Positions include marshals, cheer zones, photography, face painting, musicians, dance teams, registration assistants, hospitality helpers, and much more!  No training or special requirements.  Call Jan Musser Geier, 610-821-7706, jan.mussergeier@use.salvationarmy.org.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, Greater Lehigh Valley needs volunteers (age 21+) to step up to the “wheel” and drive cancer patients to scheduled treatments. “Road to Recovery” drivers must have a valid driver’s license, a good driving record, a reliable vehicle and proof of insurance, complete a background check and driver check, and attend a brief orientation.  Call Jennifer Washney, 570-562-9749 x320, Jennifer.washney@cancer.org.

EQUI-LIBRIUM, INC., Nazareth, a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic horsemanship activities for people with disabilities, needs volunteers (18+ years) to help with on-going maintenance such as fence repair, brush and tree management, lawn mowing, and small building repair.  Call Yvonne Darlington, 610-365-2266, volunteercoordinator@equi-librium.org.

FAMILIES FIRST, Pen Argyl needs Facilitators for high school students 9^th through 12^th grades.  Facilitators meet with a group of students once a month (7:40am-9:20am at Pen Argyl High School) to encourage higher education or vocational careers by selecting guest speakers and/or sharing their own experiences.  Limited training sessions provided.  Call Frank Jones, 610-863-3688, jones.frank@penargylsd.org.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY LV RESTORE, Whitehall – Come ReMix some latex paint to create new recolor latex paint product to sell at the ReStore.  Assist with sorting colors, opening paint cans, mixing paint, dispensing the new paint, and labeling new cans.  Shifts:  Thursdays and Fridays 10am-2pm or 2pm-5pm.  Wear comfortable shoes, dress warm, and wear clothes that are okay to get paint on.  Call Camille Urbano, 610-776-7737, Camille@habitatlv.org.

PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY THERAPY DOGS, INC., Kutztown has local volunteer opportunities for all breeds of dogs to become “Therapy Dogs” and visit nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and other facilities throughout the Lehigh Valley.  Therapy dogs must have basic obedience training and obey basic commands, even when excited.  Dogs should be sociable, love meeting new people, get along well with other dogs, be gentle and polite, and under owner’s control at all times.  Call Helene Skopek-Krygier, 570-814-6078, poycdogs@yahoo.com.

SACRED HEART HOSPITAL, Allentown needs reliable, friendly volunteers for the Hospital Gift Shop.  Duties include light stocking, customer assistance, and completing sales.  Weekdays, evenings, and weekend shifts available.  Training provided.  Call Beth Fogel, 610-776-5413, bfogel@shh.org.

THE GRESS MOUNTAIN RANCH, Orefield is looking for volunteers (18+ years) to serve as Camp Counselors during our annual Ranch Camp.  Enhance your leadership skills while mentoring children in grades 3 through 10 on basic care, feeding, and health of horses, donkeys, alpacas, goats, and pigs.   Sign up for one, two, or all three weeks (June 20-24, July 11-15, and August 1-5 from 9am to 2pm)!  Preferable that you volunteer for the entire week; we will try to accommodate partial week requests.  Call Kathryn Gress, 610-398-2122, GressRanch@gmail.com with “Ranch Camp” in subject line.

THE PERFECT FIT, Allentown is looking for fashion-savvy volunteers to help low-income women choose appropriate and professional outfits.  Should love working with people; have patience, enthusiasm, and a love of fashion and how it can positively impact and empower women.  Other duties include sorting, tagging clothing donations, and keeping boutique organized and appealing.  Light lifting required, must be able to stand for approx. 3 hours, and be knowledgeable about current style and business casual clothing trends.  Call Heidi Lennick, 610-871-5060, manager@theperfectfit.org.

The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley has been connecting volunteers with the needs of the Lehigh Valley community for over 25 years. The organization’s mission is to engage the community to care for one another through volunteerism.

As the premier resource on volunteerism for the Lehigh Valley and surrounding communities, The Volunteer Center focuses on four main areas of volunteerism: Recruitment, Placement, Recognition, and Training. The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley is affiliated nationally with The Points of Light Foundation, Hands On Network, and the Corporation for National & Community Service, and is a member of the following organizations: Volunteer Centers of Pennsylvania, the State Commission Advisory Board for Citizen Service, Keystone Service Coalition, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, and Society of Volunteer Administrators of the Lehigh Valley.

As an example of the impact the Volunteer Center has on the community, in 2012, they recruited, matched, recognized and trained 17,000 volunteers. Of those, 5,000 were youth volunteers. These volunteers saved Lehigh Valley agencies and the community more than $47.5 million. The Volunteer Center collaborates with more than 50 area corporations and 450 Lehigh Valley agencies to create educational and human service partnerships to enhance and enrich the Lehigh Valley community.

Contact the Volunteer Center to receive a brochure listing agencies in need of volunteers at 610-807-0336 or e-mail: vc@volunteerlv.org. Visit our website www.volunteerlv.org for a larger listing of volunteer opportunities.