Agency: Douglas County CASA

Contact: Diana Frederick at 785-832-5172 or casa@douglas-county.com

Douglas County CASA is looking for new, dedicated volunteers. Court Appointed Special Advocates are volunteers trained to be advocates for children who have been abused and neglected and are under the protection of the court. The volunteers are appointed by a judge to meet regularly with the child, review records and talk to family members and professionals involved in the child’s case. They report information to the judge, make recommendations to promote the child’s best interests and monitor compliance with the court’s orders until the child has been placed in a safe, permanent home. Volunteers must be at least 21 years old, submit an application, including references, pass background checks, interview with CASA staff, complete 30 hours of training, adhere to all CASA policies and commit to a minimum of one full year of service. If you are interested in becoming a CASA volunteer, submit the volunteer application materials available at dccasa.org so that you can be contacted to schedule an interview. Training begins Thursday, but other trainings will be offered in the future if you’re interested but unable to start training this week. Men and minorities are encouraged to apply. Contact Diana Frederick at 785-832-5172 or casa@douglas-county.com with any questions.

Immediate needs

• Independence Inc. is in need of a front desk volunteer. Currently, the desk needs coverage from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays. If you enjoy people and are comfortable answering phone calls, taking messages, greeting visitors and providing other administrative support, this might be a great weekly volunteer opportunity for you. Contact Stacey Hunter-Schwartz at 785-841-0333, ext. 104.

• Douglas County Senior Services is in need of volunteers who can schedule appointments for local seniors to have their taxes filed through the AARP Tax-Aide program. Volunteers will schedule appointments Monday through Thursday until the end of the tax season. If you are available for any period of time each week to help, contact Criss at 785-842-0543.

• The Lawrence Public Library Foundation is in search of volunteers to help with its annual Caddy Stacks event to benefit the Lawrence Public Library. Caddy Stacks features an 18-hole mini golf course that winds throughout the library. There are a number of fun volunteer opportunities available including helping with the planning of the event, building or decorating a hole (bases are available for use), working during the adult golf party or volunteering during a shift at the public golf session. For more information about requirements for building one of the 18 holes, or to sign up to help with the event in other ways, contact Kathleen Morgan at 785-843-3833, ext. 131, or kmorgan@lawrence.lib.ks.us.

— For more volunteer opportunities, contact Shannon Reid at the United Way’s Roger Hill Volunteer Center, at 785-865-5030 or volunteer@rhvc.org, or go to volunteerdouglascounty.org.