Volunteer Opportunities
Thank you note from Erie:
“This year, we distributed gifts to 1,064 individuals with the assistance of 161 volunteers and 27 organizations and congregations! Overall, the 2004 Bazaar on December 18th served 329 families. Parents selected gifts for 718 children ages 12 years old and under. Warm clothing and personal care items were again the most common requests. Fifty-two families received wrapped gifts at a Holiday Party on December 20th. All 80 TEAM students and 41 Drop-In youth received gifts and stocking stuffers. These gifts were distributed at the youth department’s annual holiday celebration on December 23rd.
Every year, we are deeply moved by the outpouring of compassion and kindness that the Holidays with Heart Bazaar inspires. Thanks again for your time and efforts in coordinating CSOPP’s gift collection – We at Erie truly appreciate it all.”
Your CSSA cabinet is aware that many of you are interested in volunteering at local agencies. The CSSA cabinet is further aware that when students volunteer their time, knowledge, and skills they too benefit. Students who volunteer gain additional, hands on, experience. They make contacts within their area of interest that could be of use to them when they search for a practicum site or a job. Did we mention that volunteering also looks great on your resume?
As the CSSA becomes aware of new volunteer opportunities, they will be added to this page. Each of the agencies listed have been contacted and have expressed an interest in receiving student volunteers from The Chicago School. Further, all listed agencies have provided the information that appears on this page. Should you have information on an agency that is in need of volunteers, either short term or long term volunteers, please contact a CSSA cabinet member to share the agency’s contact information and volunteer needs.
Additional, information on volunteer opportunities throughout the Chicagoland area and surrounding suburbs are available by visiting the Chicago Volunteer’s Web site at www.chicagovolunteer.org
UPCOMING
Albany Park Community Center
http://www.albanyparkcommunitycenter.org/apcc/volunteer/volunteer.htm
The Albany Park Community Center educates and supports members of the community (Chicago’s northwest side) as they determine their own path of growth and development, by providing diverse programs and services for individuals, families, groups and businesses. Major programs include: Child Care/Head Start, Housing, Employability and Employment, Counseling, Neighborhood Planning, Food, Energy, Health, and Emergency Assistance, Youth Services, Business Planning and Development, Substance Abuse Prevention, Literacy, Adult Education, and Family Literacy.
Volunteers are needed to: tutor adults (reading, English) or youth (homework help, reading), interpret at registration (especially speakers of Arabic, Urdu, Gujarati, Korean, Bosnian, Spanish), help in the office: copying, answering phones, and filing, perform other regular and routine computer maintenance, organize the literacy resource library, or the used clothing closets, answer phones, mentor a job seeker/employer individual seeking career advancement, or become a member of the Board of Directors.
Specific volunteer opportunities:
Literacy Program Volunteer Tutor in APCC/LIT
http://www.chicagovolunteer.net/opportunityDetails.asp?opp=2487
Volunteer tutors are needed to help adult students in a variety of areas, including English as a Second Language, Adult Basic Reading, Adult Basic Math, and Citizenship. Tutors are asked to complete a 12-hour training in their selected tutoring area and are asked to make a 6-month commitment to the program. Tutors typically volunteer two days per week, and a wide variety of tutoring hours are available, including day and evening. Tutors will work either one-on-one or with a small group of students, depending upon availability and preference. Contact Amy Aleman@ 773.509.5650.
Head Start/Child Care
Assisting the teachers with classroom activities, participating on the parent committee (including parent and community representatives) and assisting with office projects. Contact Eva Volin @ 773.539.1974, Dina Evans @ 773.509.5657, or Sandra Hoffman @ 773.539.5907.
The Anti-Cruelty Society
The Anti-Cruelty Society exists to prevent cruelty to animals and to advance humane education. The Anti-Cruelty Society has provided shelter and medical care for thousands of animals since 1899. Volunteers make our success possible by helping in our shelter and veterinary clinic and with special events. If you love animals, you’ll be volunteering at the right place.
Center on Halsted
http://www.centeronhalsted.org
You must first attend an orientation before you can participate as a volunteer.
We will take this opportunity to meet each other, to review the history and mission of the Center on Halsted, to complete the necessary volunteer forms, and to discuss this season’s special events. Due to the space and resources available at this location, I am requesting that you please R.S.V.P. to me by email. Thank you for your prompt response to this event!
David Saucedo, Director of Volunteer Services and IL HIV/AIDS/STD Hotline
Center on Halsted 2855 N. Lincoln • Chicago, IL 60657
(P) 773.472.6469, Ext. 262 • (F) 773.472.6643 (E) dsaucedo@centeronhalsted.org
Chicago Abused Women’s Association
http://www.cawc.org/
CAWC is committed to ending domestic violence. Using a self-help, empowerment approach, we provide a shelter for women and children, and counseling, advocacy, and a 24-hour hotline for people affected by domestic violence. We work for social change through education, service collaboration, and institutional advocacy. Want to donate something in lieu of time? CAWC’s 2005 Wishlist
CAWC has a need for volunteers in the following areas:
DIRECT SERVICE
Volunteering directly with women and child survivors requires some special understanding of the dynamics of family abuse. Our direct service volunteers are required to complete a 40 hour Domestic Violence training program which we provide for free. We offer this training four times per year. Each training session occurs over seven consecutive Saturdays. This training allows volunteers to work at Greenhouse Shelter, answering hotline calls, supervising children’s playgroups, etc.
SPECIAL EVENTS
We rely on volunteers to help organize our major fund raising events. Our Annual Walkathon (September) requires Team Leaders & outreach volunteers. Our Annual “Visions of Chocolate Gala” (April 30th) is organized and presented by volunteers. Committees meet monthly and help solicit chocolate, silent auction items, sponsorships, table sales and individual ticket sales.
ADMINISTRATION
CAWC’s Development Office has general support needs including press call-backs, filing, envelope stuffing, etc. (Monday – Friday, 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.)
Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation (“DMSF”)
DMSF provides 4-year high school scholarships and educational support services to economically disadvantaged Chicago eighth grade students. Mentors volunteer their time to help DMSF scholarship recipients achieve a positive scholastic journey throughout high school. You can also volunteer to participate in the interviewing process of the eight grader and their parents to help DMSF in the tough decision of who is worthy of the scholarship. Click here for an information sheet and here for a fact sheet. The mentor application is available here . Contact: Robin Browne at robin@dmsg.org or 312-455-7808 if you are interested in volunteering. Visit DMSF’s Web site for additional information.
La Rabida Children’s Hospital
La Rabida is the only hospital in Chicago dedicated to serving children with lifelong medical conditions, developmental disabilities and those who have been abused. There are numerous volunteer opportunities available to adult and student volunteers. Whether it is reading to a child in our waiting areas, at bed time, assisting Child Life staff in the playroom, or helping special-needs children during meals, volunteers work closely with children to help make their hospital stay a warmer, more comfortable experience. There are also clerical and office support opportunities for volunteers. Positions are available days, evenings, or weekends. Contact Judi Blakemore at 773-363-6700 x248 or volunteer@larabida.org if you wish to volunteer.
Locks of Love
http://www.locksoflove.org/donate_hair.php
Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children 18-years and younger suffering from long term medical hair loss. Locks of Love accepts a minimum of 10-inches of hair.
Mercy Home for Boys and Girls
Mercy Home provides the highest quality of care to hurting, neglected and troubled children. They have a 118-year history of giving these kids not only food and shelter, but the love of a family and hope for the future. Friends First Mentoring Program matches adults with kids (ages 9-16) who live near the volunteer. Orientations are held to inform the volunteer of the requirements. Tutoring Program volunteers work at the boys campus (Jackson & Racine) or the girls campus (116th 7 Longwood). Volunteers are assigned a resident to help study on Mondays-Thursday evenings, which ever night is best for the volunteer for one hour per week. Training and Support are provided. Contact Mary Ann Pilet at 312.738.7552 or marpil@mercyhome.org if you are interested in volunteering with this organization.
The Pillars Community Services
The Pillars Community Services is rooted in the Jane Addams’ principle of “helping individuals and families help themselves.” We are dedicated to continuing the efforts, as embodied by Jane Addams, to be a contributing, helpful neighbor in our local community and to making our society a better, more caring one. Volunteers are vital to our work and mission. Volunteers are used in administration, program areas, friend and fund raising events, community outreach work, communications and public relations, and many other positions. Contributions of time, talent, and skills are valuable gifts to our agency. In addition, you may wish to join our special volunteer group, Friends of The Pillars. For more information contact Kathleen McGowan (708) 788-6759
Salvation Army Donations
Are you moving and do not want to haul or throw away the table you’ve had since undergrad? Call Salvation Army for Donation Pickup 888-574-2587. For Auto Donations 877-SA3-AUTO (877-723-2886)
SHORE
SHORE is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities. SHORE has been in existence since 1951. Presently, residential, educational, training and vocational programs are administered that serve over 370 persons with developmental disabilities each year. The agency is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and is a United Way member agency. Feel free to check out SHORE on line at http://www.shoreinc.org. For a list of volunteer opportunities and a volunteer application please contact Candice Cuevas via e-mail at ccuevas@csopp or via phone at 708-383-4254.
Special Olympics Chicago
http://www.sochicago.org.
Special Olympics Chicago is one of 17 Areas of Special Olympics Illinois offering training and competition in 22 sports training and events. Athletes learn fundamentals, rules and strategies from their coaches during a training period prior to competition. Competitions are held at the Area, Regional and State levels. Special Olympics Chicago also provides motor activities training programs for persons with severe and profound disabilities.
Wigs for Kids
http://www.wigsforkids.org/Hair-Donation/Donate-your-Hair-to-Wigs-for-Kids/
When children lose their hair, whether as a result of medical treatments, health conditions, or burn accidents, they don’t just suffer physically. The change in their appearance can drastically undermine their self-image and sabotage their self-esteem. To combat this additional trauma, Certified Cosmetic Therapist™Jeffrey Paul founded Wigs for Kids, a nonprofit organization that has been serving children suffering from hair loss since 1980. A minimum of 12inches of hair in needed.
