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CitySERVE Linking volunteers to opportunties in the City of Santa Cruz, including ongoing volunteer placements, special events, one day service projects and internships. Volunteer at City Hall, the Library, or any City facility. -Bring your family and friends to a park or beach clean-up. -Work at a City sponsored special event, like Caroling on the Wharf. Call Amanda Ballard at 420-5403 File of Life Have you ever had to call 911, or do you know someone who has? What happens after a medical 911 call is received by emergency services? Quite often, when emergency personnel arrive at the crisis scene, little or nor medical information is immediately available concerning the patient. Proper treatment may therefore be delayed. File of Life materials can help in this situation. File of Life a national program, provides an individual's medical information on a card inserted in magnet which attaches to the front of the refrigerator. This information is then readily accessible to paramedics in the event they receive a crisis call from the home. There is also a wallet-siz component which may be carried with the indivual.(Not all emergencies happen at home.) In Santa Cruz County, the Monterey Bay Area Retired Senior Volunteer Program(RSVP), a program of the Volunteer Centers of Santa Cruz County which initiated the File of Life project in the tricounty area, is encouraging individuals, and community groups, mobile home parks, apartment complexes, senior centers, fire departments, and others, to participate in the progoram. The cost of the 3 major componenets of thefile of Life materials is approximately $1.00. Call for more information or to obtain a File of Life packet. Fairfax , 426-1151 Friends Outside Program We provide practical and emotional assistance to successfully reintegrate inmates released from the county jails with family and community life. Help throw a "Kids Day" party for young children of inmates in local jails. -Provide support to families. Visit inmates in county jails to help them access education, jobs and substance abuse treatment programs prior to release. Heidi Schilling, 427-5070 Helping Hands, Senior Home Repair Program Volunteers under the direction of a skilled team leader perform minor home repairs for low and/or fixed income Senior Citizens. Repairs are often safety related such as the installation of grab bars or railings, fixing broken steps, making modifications to accomodate a wheel chair or walker, etc. If you can hold a hammer or wield a paint brush we need your help. Carol McGuire, 427-5070 The Human Race Walkathon 10K walkathon that annually raises over $150,000 for over 150 local agencies. The course is family friendly and walkers, joggers, babies in strollers, people in wheel chairs and even dogs on leashes are invited to participate on Saturday May 11, 2002. Participants walk and/or collect pledges for their favorite agency. Walkers bringing in pledges of $25 or more receive a Human Race T-Shirt and dogs bringing in pledges receive a Human Race dog scarf (both while supplies last). The walk starts and ends at Natural Bridges State Park and the course winds along West Cliff Drive to Dutra Point and back. Volunteers are needed race day to help with set up, registration, staffing check points, helping with the free picnic at the finish line, passing out T-Shirts, surprises along the walk, etc. Walkers and pledge collecters are also welcome, you can walk for one of over 150 local agencies that have already registered. Karen Jeffries, Human Race Coordinator, 427-5070 Junior Volunteer Program, South County The Jr. Volunteer Program provides practical career experience, increased awareness of community needs and helps encourage the spirit of volunteerism, by placing youth with local non-profit agencies. Youth ages 11-15 donate 12 hours a week for a four week period. Each week there is either an exciting field trip or a leadership workshop. If you are or know a Jr. High student in the South County area, or you are a non profit agency in South County call and find out how you can participate in this great program. Call Jose Guadalupe Padilla, at the Watsonville Volunteer Center. 722-6708 The Literacy Program The Literacy Program focuses on serving the needs of very low literacy adults throughout the county who cannot access, or succeed in traditional classroom setting. Our instruction is one-to-one or in small groups to enable us to focus on the specific needs, skills and goals of each student. Some of the instructional services we offer are:functional English for speakers of other languages(ESL); citizenship;adult basic literacy; and workforce Literacy. Commitment: The Literacy Program's tutors and students make a commitment of one year, although they often remain with the program for several years. Tutors and students meet for a minimum of 2 hours weekly and complete a simple monthly report of hours and progress. Propective volunteers begin by attending a one-hour orientation session. The orientation provides an overview of the Literacy Program and describes the role of tutors and other volunteers in the program. Participants learn about our tutor training process. An opportunity to register for the tutor training class or find another volunteer position within the Literacy program will conclude the session. Santa Cruz, 427-5070 or Watsonville, 722-6708. Retired Senior Volunteer Program The Monterey Bay Retired Senior Volunteer Program is administered by the Volunteer Centers of Santa Cruz County and places volunteers 55 years of age and older in volunteer positions in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito Counties. The benefits of RSVP membership include mileage reimbursement, a quarterly newsletter, and an annual recognition luncheon held each year in September. If you are 55 years or older and interested in volunteer opportunities contact Lois Connell at (831)427-5070.
Transportation Program Volunteer drivers provide up to one ride a week for Senior Citizens or disabled persons to medical appointments, grocery shopping, or banking. Many people rely on this service to help them remain in their own homes, if they are not physically able to drive or take public transportation. If you have a good driving record, a car, and insurance you could become a volunteer driver. Drivers participate at their convenience. Some drive once a month, some once a week, and some more often. We provide supplemental insurance coverage. We also need dispatchers, to work at the desk one morning or afternoon a week. For Santa Cruz, call 427-5070, or Watsonville, 722-6708. Volunteer Initiative Program Find volunteer internships in Santa Cruz County government. An ideal way to gain skills, update your resume and help county government serve the people. Many interesting internships are available in all county departments. Call Amanda Ballard at 454-2987 Volunteer Referral Placement Counselors are available by appointment to help prospective volunteers find a volunteer job that best suits their time, interests, and talents. Over 400 agencies utilize this service to recruit and place volunteers. Volunteers are currently needed to perform clerical duties, help with one day projects, drive Senior Citizens and disabled people to Medical appointments, do grocery shopping and banking, and to staff the dispatch desk for the volunteer senior transportation program. Make an appointment to talk to one of our volunteer counselors to see if there is a volunteer opportunity that would fit into you schedule at this time. If nothing is right for you now, chances are there might be in the future. Many volunteer tasks can be performed at home such as making phone calls and typing letters. The Volunteer Center 427-5070. YouthSERVE YouthSERVE works to empower and support young people in getting involved in the community, participating in service projects, taking leadership, and voicing their opinions. YouthSERVE also produces the Youth Volunteer Opportunities Guide, listing over 80 local agencies who have openings for youth volunteers. Young people ages 12-20 can join one of our great youth-run programs: Youth Coalition Santa Cruz (YCSC) is a dynamic youth led group of young activists working to make positive changes in the community. YCSC organizes poetry readings, speak outs, campaigns for youth rights, and fun events. Call The Youth Volunteer Hotline at 427-5066. |