Thought for Today:
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who
did nothing because he could do only a little."
Edmund Burke
THE RECENT DROUGHT
took a substantial toll on the trees of the University of Houston's central campus. To help compensate for the damage, a local environmental organization and an alumni association are inviting volunteers to come by on the morning of February 11 and participate in a tree planting project. Individuals, groups, and families are welcome. (Work gloves will be provided.) In return for their time, volunteers will be treated to a free lunch.
Check here to get more info by e-mail about this opportunity!
A FUNDRAISING LUNCHEON
scheduled for February 25 in Houston's Fifth Ward will support a grassroots nonprofit organization's educational services to inner-city youth and adults. Volunteers will be needed to greet and seat attendees and assist with serving the food. In return for their time, volunteers will be invited to enjoy the sumptuous meal themselves. The minimum age for volunteers is 14.
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BE A MENTOR
to a young person in a program sponsored by a juvenile probation department and a nonprofit youth services agency. Coming to any of three of the agency's youth centera (in Spring Branch, the Acres Homes area, area youth center for an hour or two once or more a week, you can interact with a small group of youngsters to help them with their homework and engage them in light recreational activities, such as shooting baskets or table tennis. Program sessions take place weekdays. between 3:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
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A NEW WOMEN'S PAVILION
at a large hospital in the Texas Medical Center needs volunteers. Duties will include greeting visitors, escorting them to the appropriate areas of the facility, and answering the phone at the information desk. Volunteers should be computer literate and have good communication and interpersonal skills. Free parking will be provided.
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FURRY FRIENDS
win over hearts when volunteers bring their pets to visit residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Montgomery County, Tomball, and north Houston. The sight and touch of these amiable animals bring a lot of joy and much-needed stimulation to these folks. Visits can be arranged for daytime hours on weekdays or weekends. Training for new volunteers will be held in February at a location just south of The Woodlands.
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HELP STROKE VICTIMS
and persons suffering from other forms of brain trauma regain their communication skills. Serving as a group facilitator for therapy sessions at a health agency's west Houston office, you'll work with rehabilitation professionals to assist these persons along the road to long-term recovery. Group sessions take place on weekday morning and afternoons, with different sessions focusing respectively on conversation, exercise, and art or music therapy.
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MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE
by becoming music director for a "50 Plus" older adults program of a social service agency in the Cy-Fair area. Right now the program is just an idea, so if you take on this assignment you'll have a lot of latitude for deciding how to organize a bunch of individual program members into a singing group, chorus, or ensemble. If things go well, you might even plan on holding recitals. Your time commitment can be flexible within weekday, daytime hours.
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TEACH ENGLISH
as a second language to parents of children attending selected Pasadena ISD elementary schools. If you can cover two 2-hour class sessions in the late afternoon at the school of your choice, staff of a United Way educational agency will train you in all you need to know to enable a group of eight to ten parents to master the basics of spoken and written English. Knowledge of a foreign language is not required, and materials for the class will be provided.
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THE LONG JOURNEY
toward recovery for many cancer patients begins with a flight to Houston provided by a network of volunteer pilots.
The sponsoring agency is trying to build its corps of other volunteers -- called "Ground Angels"-- to take patients from Bush or
Hobby airports to the hospitals where they will receive treatment. If you can spare an hour or two a month transporting a patient
in your car, the agency will try to schedule your assignments at times convenient to you.
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A COMPUTER-SAVVY VOLUNTEER
fluent in the use of Constant Contact online email software is wanted by a southwest Houston agency that provides important health and social services to low-income persons in that general area. If you're good at using Constant Contact, consider coming by at your convenience to train relevant staff in its use. After that, if you would simply agree to be on-call for when some problem or challenge arises in using the software, staff will be immensely grateful to you, and you'll be doing a lot to support the agency's great work.
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CREATE BLANKETS
for infants and small children. An all-volunteer organization based in The Woodlands is looking for persons willing to make blankets for seriously ill or traumatized youngsters, including pediatric cancer patients, in Montgomery County. The blankets may be sewn, woven, crocheted, knitted, or quilted, and size doesn't matter. You can do the work at home and on your own schedule, and the amount you make is wholly up to you.
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A SENSE OF HISTORY
will stand you in good stead when become a volunteer guide at a downtown museum specializing in Texas history. This museum features a kaleidoscopic collection of artifacts, photographs, and other memorabilia bearing testimony to the trials, triumphs, and occasional foibles of our local heritage. Your time commitment can be as little as two 3-hour shifts a month, on weekdays or weekends. Free parking is provided.
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SERVE AS RECEPTIONIST
at the office of an agency that provides job-preparedness services to veterans, older workers, persons with persons with disabilities, and the homeless. Duties will include greeting clients, managing incoming phone calls, filing, and data entry. You'll have your choice of weekdays on which to take on this assignment. The agency's office is located near Richmond and Kirby.
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HELP WITH HOMEWORK
is provided by caring volunteers in an after-school tutoring program at an apartment complex in Alief for low-income families. If you have a good rapport with kids and would be comfortable tutoring these youngsters in the most basic school subjects, consider coming by once or more a week during the coming semester to help them with their individual learning needs. No teaching experience is required, and your time commitment can be flexible.
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THE SOUND OF YOUR VOICE
will really be appreciated when you read aloud to residents of a nursing home in the Astrodome area. If you have a clear speaking voice, plan on coming by for "Story Time" readings on weekdays or weekends to stimulate patients' minds and keep their spirits bright. Material read can include inspirational passages, poems, or pieces chosen for entertainment value. You are invited to visit on a regular or occasional basis.
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HELP THE NEEDY
by volunteering at the Spring Branch headquarters of a prominent faith-based social service agency. Depending on your personal preference, you can interview clients to identify their needs, answer incoming phone calls, or help out at the reception desk. These assignments call for basic computer skills. A weekly three-hour shift can be scheduled for your choice of weekdays. A commitment of six months is asked. Training will be provided.
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SPANISH-SPEAKING
volunteers are wanted as caseworker aides by an agency that provides a broad range of services to families with children experiencing behavioral or motivational problems. Each of these volunteers will serve as an interpreter for caseworkers whom they'll accompany on home visits to Hispanic families who have limited English communication skills. A typical volunteer commitment would involve two to four home visits a month.
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WOMAN TO WOMAN:
Female mentors are wanted for mothers in a chemical dependency recovery program at a correctional facility in Atascocita.
These mentors will receive in-depth training equipping them to provide the moral and emotional support needed to facilitate
these moms' reentry into society as productive citizens and capable parents. Volunteers should be at least 21 years of age and
willing to commit to a one year involvement.
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TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITY
as an action-committee member for an all-volunteer organization based in southwest Houston that provides medical services and supplies to impoverished persons in Sierra Leone. Working closely with the organization's board of directors, you'll help develop and implement plans focusing on fundraising and delivery of services. Your time commitment would probably involve about eight hours a week.
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PRIME TIME
awaits you as a volunteer member of the production crew for a nonprofit news organization that airs shows locally on public television. Persons with relevant experience (including college students) are wanted to assist with camera work, editing, graphic design, animation, and set design. Daytime, evening, and weekend assignments are available, and time commitments can be flexible.
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DOGS AND CATS
can have prospects for brighter futures thanks to your involvement at either of two pet adoption stations (one in the Heights, the other in the Montrose area) operated by an innovative “no-kill” animal welfare organization. By showing the animals and assisting with the adoption process, you’ll help insure they find new, happy homes. Shifts are available during the afternoon on weekdays and weekends, as well as selected weekday evenings.
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LIVING INDEPENDENTLY
is a little easier for elderly persons in the Spring Branch and Memorial areas thanks to an all-volunteer organization that provides them with transportation to medical appointments and grocery stores. If you have a good driving record, consider using your car or van to help one or more of these folks run essential errands. Assignments can usually be fitted to individual volunteers' schedules.
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BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS
(active or retired) help small businesses by volunteering for a non-profit agency officially sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
These volunteers can take on a weekly shift counseling with entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs at any of ten offices maintained by the agency throughout the greater Houston area. Currently, the agency is especially interested in recruiting volunteers with expertise in advertising, banking, information technology, marketing, or sales.
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CHECK OUT BARGAINS
as a volunteer at a popular thrift shop in the Spring Branch area. Taking on a weekly morning or afternoon shift on weekdays or Saturdays, you can assist customers with their selections and help sort, price, display, and sell donated merchandise. Your commitment can be ongoing or just through the holiday season. Proceeds from sales directly support a local church coalition’s broad array of services to the needy.
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