THIS WEEK’S VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY

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.

GRACEDALE NURSING HOME, Nazareth needs volunteers to transport residents to appointments and to various activities within the facility. Also needed are bilingual volunteers for friendly one-to-one visits with Spanish speaking residents. Must complete application and interview, TB test, and Criminal History Record Check along with an orientation and training session. TB Test and Criminal History Record Check conducted at Gracedale free of charge. Call Michael Colon, 610-746-5248, mcolon@northamptoncounty.org.

MORAVIAN HALL SQUARE, Nazareth needs volunteers (18+ years) for their Gift Shop. Share your talent and time; have fun and assist residents, staff, and visitors; meet new people in an environment where volunteers are appreciated. Hours- 2 shifts available on Tuesdays 11am-1:30pm and 1 shift on Wednesdays 11am-1:30pm. Training will be provided. Call Laurie Brunstetter, 610-746-1334, laurieb@moravian.com.

PINEBROOK FAMILY ANSWERS, Allentown – Compeer of the Lehigh Valley is 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.

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.

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.

SHARECARE FAITH IN ACTION, Bethlehem needs volunteers to assist clients in Lehigh and Northampton counties to improve the quality of life and promote independence by helping elderly and disabled clients with various caregiving services. If you can spare just 2 hours a month, you can make a difference. Flexible schedules and mileage reimbursement are offered. Call Lynn Marie Heiney, 610-867-2177, ShareCare8@aol.com.

UNITED WAY OF THE GREATER LEHIGH VALLEY, Allentown is looking for a Database Administration Intern/Volunteer to be assigned projects such as scrubbing, entering, importing/exporting data in donor database StratusLive, written in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Participate in writing of code, macros and queries in MS Dynamics CRM and MS Excel. A minimum commitment of 3 months and a minimum of 10 hours a week up to 20 hours per week, if needed. Flexible schedule within business hours Monday to Friday. Call Mary Terp, 610-807-5712, MaryT@unitedwayglv.org.

BETHLEHEM SPECIAL OLYMPICS needs Booster Club Members to plan and facilitate all their Fundraising Events. These volunteers should be well-organized and have some experience coordinating events, sales experience, or fundraising experience. Experience not necessary if you are self-motivated, able to work as part of a team, and have excellent planning, organizational, and follow up skills. Call Dana Lindsey, 267-221-7740, bso.dana@gmail.com.

CEDARBROOK NURSING HOMES, Allentown & Fountain Hill needs volunteers for transporting their residents to and from in-house programs and the beauty shop. Help is needed days, evenings, and weekends. Transporting residents is a very important and fun job that enables wheelchair bound residents to enjoy activities. Make a difference in their lives! Call Kerry Magliane, 610-336-5684, keerymagliang@lehighcounty.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. A 40 minute orientation required; one is scheduled for Fri. 2/26 @10:30am or schedule one convenient for you. Call Lindsay Fly, 610-841-7132, lfly@mealsonwheelslc.org.

NCC FOR ADULT LITERACY & BASIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, Fowler Southside Center, Bethlehem seeks volunteers to tutor adult students in adult basic education, GED Test preparation, and English as a Second Language. Volunteers tutor once or twice a week, mornings or evenings, Monday-Thursday. An Orientation Workshop will be held in early March. Pre-registration is required. Prior to Orientation, registrants complete a brief, free online introductory course. Call Kathy Rector, 610-332-6424, tutoringinfo@northampton.edu.

NORTHEAST MINISTRY, Bethlehem is in great need of tutors for their After School Homework Club held Monday through Thursday from 3-5:30pm during the school year. Tutors assist with homework, provide reading support, and work on basic math skills. Tutors are needed daily, and can participate as often as the program meets. Call Paula Johnson, 610-691-3355, johnsonp@northeastministry.com.

PINEBROOK FAMILY ANSWERS, Allentown is looking for groups, large and small, to create ‘Spring Baskets’ full of seasonal goodies for their children in foster care. They will provide the age & gender of the foster child and you purchase inexpensive treats and a basket. A total of 50 baskets are needed by March 14th. Contact Kathleen Trimble, (610) 432-3919 ext. 2205, Ktrimble@PbFALV.org

PROJECT BLUEPRINT – The Volunteer Center is seeking ethnic diverse volunteers for its volunteer leadership program that develops and trains leaders to serve on boards and committees of local non-profit agencies. Six sessions are scheduled for Tuesdays 5:30-8:30pm from April 13^th through May 12^th. Application deadline is April 1^st. Applications and information available on our website www.volunteerlv.org.

SACRED HEART HOSPITAL, Allentown is seeking volunteers for their busy volunteer department. Tasks include delivering flowers and mail to patients and assisting patients and staff. This is a great way to contribute while making new friends. Training is provided; all shifts available. Call Beth Fogel, 610-776-5413, bfogel@shh.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.