THIS WEEK’S VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY

CAMELOT FOR CHILDREN, INC., Allentown – The holidays will be here before you know it! Consider helping to wrap gifts with your friends and family at the Lehigh Valley Mall Gift Wrap Booth or the Outlets at the Sands. Shifts are about 4 hours daily. Proceeds benefit Camelot for Children. Sign up at www.camelotforchildren.org. Call Kristen Bond, 610-791-5683, Kristenb@camelotforchildren.org.

CENTER FOR CAREER PATHWAYS & LITERACY, LCCC Allentown is hosting a volunteer tutor orientation for people interested in working with adult students in GED and ESL programs. Tutors help students pass the GED in subjects of Math, Language Arts, and more. Tutors must have a Bachelor’s Degree in any field and tutor for 3 hours a week. Times are flexible. Orientations are Wed. 12/9 at 1pm and Thur. 12/10 at 6pm. Call Allison Ludlow, 610-799-1216, volunteertutor@lccc.edu.

COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, INC., Allentown is looking for volunteers to coordinate a drive for new warm outfits or coats to put under a child’s tree this year. This agency serves the valley’s poorest children and families with an average family income of $13,000 for a family of four. To begin a coat drive, call Amanda Buss, 610-437-6000 x2112, abuss@cscinc.org.

EASTON AREA NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS needs volunteers to adopt a family in the Easton area connected to their center through their low-income assistance programs. Volunteers will receive a “Wish List” and are asked to respond to it as they are able. Deadline for drop off of items is 12/19. Call Emigh (Amy) Allison, 610-906-0427, eanc.holiday@gmail.com.

MORAVIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Nazareth is looking for volunteers to help with the annual Christmas in Nazareth All Day Eventon Sat. 12/12 from 11am-6pm. Walking tours, carriage rides, vendors, and Santa at the Nazareth Library will be featured. Volunteers will help take care of guests, provide them with information, help with exhibits, and help in the gift shop. Call Megan VanRavenswaay, 610-759-5070, director@moravianhistoricalsociety.org.

SHARECARE FAITH IN ACTION, Bethlehem needs volunteers who have a certified therapy dog to visit a person who is disabled or elderly. Visits take place once or twice a month. This allows for a deep friendship to form between the handlers, the dogs, and the people they visit. Volunteers must go through an orientation. All dogs must be certified as therapy dogs. Call Lynn Heiney, 610-867-2177, sharecare8@aol.com.

THE GRESS MOUNTAIN RANCH, Orefield is in need of volunteers to help feed our animals by donating their holiday meals consisting of lettuce of all kinds, produce, vegetables, juices (OJ, apple, and cranberry). To help make the medicine go down, we can use a lot of canned pumpkin and vanilla pudding. Call Kathryn Gress, 610-398-2122, gressranch@gmail.com.

TOUCHSTONE THEATRE, Bethlehem is seeking volunteers to fill the positions of Usher and Café Assistant during Thur. 12/3 – Sun. 12/20 for their annual high-spirited, vaudevillian variety show “Christmas City Follies XVI.” Volunteers needed for performances Thurs, Fri., and Sat. at 6:45pm and Sun. at 12:45pm. Please inquire by 11/30. Call Amber Finn, 610-867-1689, Amber@touchstone.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.