Salvation Army needs volunteers for shelter

Agency: Salvation Army

Address: 946 N.H.

Contact Person: Steve Ozark, 841-5335

Because of approaching winter weather, the Salvation Army hopes to extend its warming shelter hours. The shelter needs volunteers from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon, noon to 5 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Volunteers will commit to one day a week for three months. On the first shift, volunteers should come 15 to 20 minutes early for a tour. Only one volunteer is needed per shift.

The shelter usually serves about 50 people a night, but has lately seen higher numbers. Donating time will help keep homeless people out of the cold. Volunteers will have the chance to play games, talk and watch movies with people who come to the shelter.

“This is a good awareness builder for people to see what’s going on, said Steve Ozark, a Coalition on Homeless Concerns member representing Trinity Lutheran Evangelical Church of America. “I think there are a lot of stereotypes out there. This is enriching because you learn something about yourself and other people.”

Ozark can be reached at oztalent@aol.com, or the number above.

Last week’s results

The Kansas University Center for Community Outreach had so many volunteers come help with its holiday party that it was able to clean the ballroom in 40 minutes. Members of the community and 150 KU students volunteered. Volunteers handed out gifts and did crafts with 600 to 700 Lawrence-area children at the party Wednesday night. A grant from the Today Show guaranteed that every child at the party received a Christmas gift.

Immediate volunteer needs

  • Penn House, an agency that provides services for low-income families, has several large families, 6 or 7 people, who have not yet been adopted for Christmas. Individuals, groups or families can adopt an entire family or make donations of money or gifts to Penn House. For more information, call 842-0440.
  • Community Drop In Center needs a volunteer to pick up its recycling once a week, preferably someone with a pickup. Call Tami Clark at 832-8864
  • Meals on Wheels needs regular and substitute volunteer drivers. Each route takes about 30 minutes. It also needs people to staff the meal room to prepare meals. To volunteer, call Kim Tinsely at 979-1440.
  • ECKAN still needs volunteers to adopt 11 families for Christmas. It also needs volunteers to deliver to people’s homes on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20. To volunteer, call Deborah Hamlin at 841-3357.
  • ICAN, Interfaith Caring Neighbors, needs a volunteer to build a wheelchair ramp for a disabled person. Contact Joylin Deeker at 749-2005.

For more volunteer opportunities, call the Roger Hill Volunteer Center, a service of the United Way of Douglas County, at 865-5030 or online at www.rhvc.org