Agency: Heartland Medical Clinic

Address: 619 Vt.

Contact person: Pat Mayo, 843-1758 or 832-1845

Heartland Medical Clinic provides free medical services to low-income patients. Last year, it served 1,100 patients who may have not been able to afford health care otherwise. The clinic uses volunteer physicians, nurses and assistants, and it is open three times a week, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Thursday and 6 p.m.- 7 p.m. Friday. It hopes to expand its hours to include Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon and Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The clinic is looking for volunteers both with and without medical experience. A doctor, nurse and three assistants are typically on staff for each session. Assistants act as receptionists by greeting patients and helping with paperwork. Volunteers are asked to make a one-month commitment.

New volunteers will follow more experienced workers for a few days before committing to a shift. The center plans a volunteer retreat Jan. 24-25 at Tall Oaks Center. The retreat will allow volunteers who work at different times to get to know one another and also will conduct light training and group-building exercises.

Last week’s results

The Kaw Valley Center has not received any volunteers to be foster parents or become mentors for foster children. Mentors are especially needed for males 15 and older. The center did receive some donations and still is collecting lightly used or new clothing, personal-care items and household goods such as booster seats and baby beds to assist foster parents. Donations of cash also are needed to cover youths’ costs, such as sports, prom and graduation. Call Kursten Smith at 331-4200, Ext. 17.

Immediate volunteer needs

• Van Go Mobile Arts Inc. is an arts-based social service agency that provides after-school and summer programs to youths ages 8 to 18. Using art as the vehicle, Van Go is devoted to delivering constructive activities to at-risk children. The program needs volunteers from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays from Jan. 13 to Feb. 8 for “Let it Show.” Responsibilities include transporting students, interacting with a diverse group of children and assisting artists. Volunteers also are needed to complete similar tasks for spring JAMS from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Feb. 10-April 10. Volunteers will work one or two days per week. Call 842-3797 to learn more.
• The Douglas County Chapter of the American Red Cross will conduct a volunteer meeting at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at the United Way Center, 2518 Ridge Court. People interested in becoming disaster team volunteers are invited to attend. DAT members are trained to provide assistance to people and families affected by disasters. Locally, they may respond to single- and multifamily fires, floods, transportation accidents, chemical spills, ice storms and other disasters. They are trained to provide families with immediate, disaster-related emergency needs and help them on their way to recovery. The Red Cross works closely with Douglas County Fire & Medical so that when living units are affected, on-call DAT members are available 24 hours every day. More information about DAT volunteers is available at douglascountyks. redcross.org, or by calling Jane Blocher at 843-3550.
• Douglas County AIDS Project will have a half-day volunteer orientation at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 1 at the United Way Center, 2518 Ridge Court. People interested in attending must pre-register to assure enough materials and food for lunch by calling 843-0040 or by e-mailing dcap3@juno.com. Volunteers go through an agency orientation to become regular, active volunteers involved in the activities and programs of DCAP’s mission.
• The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department needs volunteers to perform trash cleanup along Clinton Parkway between Iowa Street and Clinton Lake. People interested in helping this project should call Fred DeVictor, director of Parks and Recreation, at 832-3450.

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.