Current Volunteer Opportunities

(last updated 1/7/2010)

Happy New Year!! It is a new year and new opportunities are awaiting you. Now would be a perfect time to give back to your community of friends and family by getting out in the community and volunteering. The following are opportunities that are available at this time:

The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteers for their Road to Recovery Program. This Program provides transportation to cancer patients to enable them to get to their scheduled doctor’s appointments, tests, and treatments. Drivers would need to have a valid driver’s license, good driving record and insurance. The driver can choose the days he wishes to drive a patient. There would be training available for all drivers. The drivers do not have to do any lifting. They only need to transport the patient from home to hospital/doctor office and back. The American Cancer Society is also looking for volunteers for the Reach to Recovery Program. This Program provides a trained facilitator to work on a one-on-one basis with a breast cancer patient. If you would like to give some of your time to these programs and you would like additional information, please contact the Wood County American Cancer Society at (304) 422-1471 or e-mail sdavis2@cancer.org.

The Veterans’ Museum of the Mid-Ohio Valley could use volunteers to work at the Museum from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Duties would include, but not limited to, answering the telephone, greeting the public, light cleaning, dusting displays, running a vacuum, filing paperwork. If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity, please contact Gary Farris at 304-420-0332.

The Wood County Habitat for Humanity is looking for 2 types of volunteers who are willing to work a minimum of one 4-hour (additional hours are available) per week at their new ReStore located on 7^th Street. 1) Customer Service Specialists whose duties will include greeting and assisting customers, answering telephone calls, and using a cash register, 2) Material Handlers whose duties would include accepting donated materials, assisting with pickup of materials, pricing, cleaning, and arranging items in the ReStore. Habitat for Humanity could also use volunteers for clerical duties in their office located on Elder Street Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You pick the hours that you would be able to give of your time. If you are interested in these volunteer opportunities and would like additional information, please call the Habitat at 304-422-7907.

The Parkersburg Day Care Center is in need of volunteers to play with the children, cook, clean, or classroom help. They can always use volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering some of your time, please contact Karen Puccio at the Parkersburg Day Care Center, 725 Market Street at 304-422-0862.

The Amedisys Hospice of Parkersburg located at 417 Grand Park Drive, is always in need of direct volunteers for their hospice. Training is extensive and they like to provide a rest for volunteers after an assignment. They are in need of direct “friendly visiting” volunteers to provide respite for a caregiver and/or companionship for a terminally ill person. Visits average about 2 to 3 hours per week. Extensive training and TB test provided. Background and reference checks are required. Their hospice brings service to the home or facility where the patient lives. Volunteers become members of our team in providing help to families during a trying time. For information on how to become a valued volunteer, call Kathy Casto at Amedisys Hospice at 304-424-6270.

The Artsbridge is looking for volunteers to help them with a mailing of postcards that they will be doing in January of 2010. If you can give them some help, please contact John Hoffman at 304-428-3988.

The Alzheimer’s Association, WV Chapter has the following events coming up and would appreciate volunteers for any or all of these events: Their annual Thanks for the Memories Luncheon in May in Charleston to present the Rockefeller Award. They need volunteers to review the nominations for award winners, choosing venue and menu, decorations, distributing promotional material and selling tickets. There is a golf tournament in June with a need to find sponsors, recruiting teams and much more. There is a Birthday Bash being held in February in Charleston. Volunteers are needed for decorations, event activities, etc. They also need help with the helpline/phone support, health fairs, grant writing, advocacy, community outreach, support group facilitators and office support. If you are interested in helping the Alzheimer’s Association, please call 304-865-6775 or 800-491-2717.

Wyngate Senior Living Community is looking for volunteers for nights and weekends. They are in need of music on game nights, game playing, and bingo. Please contact Tracy Trippett if you would be interested in helping them out at 304-428-2004.

The Children’s Home Society of WV is in need of adult mentors for children ages 5 – 17. This would be a one hour a week session with a six (6) month contract. If you think you would be interested in this mentoring, please contact the Children’s Home Society of WV located at 1739 St. Marys Avenue in Parkersburg, WV at 304-485-0650.

The Friendship Kitchen located at 3109 Emerson Avenue, Parkersburg, WV is always in need of help with the cooking and serving for these lunches. They are held at Noon on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. These are free lunches provided for the community. If you would be interested in helping them, please contact Susie Meredith at 304-428-3293.

Step up and help your community! Become a census taker.  You may qualify to be a census taker if:
* You are able to read, write, and speak English.
* You are a U.S. citizen.
* You are a legal permanent resident, or non-citizen with an appropriate work visa, and you possess a bilingual skill for which there are no available qualified U.S. citizens.
* You are at least 18 years old.
* You have a valid social security number.
* You take a written test of basic skills.
* You have a valid driver's license.
* You pass a background check.
* You commit to four days of training. You will be paid for training days. Training can be held either during daytime hours or during evening and weekend hours.
For more information, visit the website at 2010.census.gov/2010censusjobsT

If you would like more information about these or other volunteer opportunities, contact Mary Rader at the Volunteer Action Center of the Mid-Ohio Valley at 304-424-3457, extension 214. You can also visit our website at www.vacmov.org and click on VolunteerWV.

To see the previous week's or previous month's volunteer opportunities, please visit the VACMOV Blog at vacmov.blogspot.com

For more opportunities, please visit Organizations Accepting Volunteers which lists local groups which are always looking for enthusiastic people who are willing to help their community.

Search the entire www.vacmov.org site
including Information & Referral directories

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