THIS WEEK’S VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY

DELAWARE & LEHIGH NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR, Easton invites the public to a volunteer recruitment event on Saturday, March 12 from 10am to 1pm. Volunteer opportunities include Trail Maintenance/Field Work, Canal Museum Education, Administrative Support, Social Media, Public Outreach, Events, and Half Marathon. Call Lauren Golden, 610-923-3548 x227, lauren@delawareandlehigh.org.

EASTERN PA DOWN SYNDROME CENTER, Allentown needs volunteers (15+ years) for their Third Annual 3.21 Run for Down Syndrome at the Lehigh Parkway on Saturday, April 16 from 7:30am-12pm. Sign up to assist with registration, start, refreshments, and course guides. No special training is required to volunteer. Call Michael Carney, 610-402-0184, michaelbcarney@hotmail.com.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY LV RESTORE, Whitehall will be re-mixing latex paint to create new recolor latex paint product for sale at our ReStore. Volunteers (16+ years) are needed to assist with sorting colors, opening paint cans mixing paint, dispensing new paint, and labeling cans. Dates are Tuesday 3/8 and Thursday 3/10 at 10am-3pm both days. Call Camille Urbano, 610-776-7737, Camille@habitatlv.org.

LEHIGH VALLEY ZOO, Schnecksville is looking for individuals (14+ years) or groups to volunteer in Education, Administration, Guest Services, Horticulture, and Maintenance. They ask for a commitment of time, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude. In return they offer a really “wild” time with the benefits of expanding your knowledge while providing a rewarding experience in a warm and sometimes “fuzzy” environment.   Call Timmi Fiske, 610-799-4171, tfiske@lvzoo.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. Choose from upcoming dates: Fri 3/18 @10:30am, Wed 3/23 @6pm, Fri 3/25 @1pm, 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.

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.

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.