How to Help: Van Go seeks helpers for lunch program

Van Go Inc. is looking for people to help its chef with the summer lunch program provided to youths in the Summer JAMS program. Volunteers would help prepare meals for 20 apprentice artists, ages 14 to 18. Culinary experience is a plus but not required. All the meals are planned by the chef, who will assign tasks, including food prep, setting the table, cleanup, etc. The summer program runs from May 29 to July 19, Monday through Thursday, and kitchen volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. As a thank-you for your time, volunteers will be well fed. Volunteers who can commit to at least one day every week for the entire eight-week program are preferred. A volunteer training will be from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. May 19. For more information, contact Lindsey Ritscher at 785-842-3797 or lindsey@van-go.org.

Other immediate needs

• Tenants to Homeowners Inc. is seeking a volunteer group of three to five people to help with trim work and other landscaping tasks at its accessible rental property, located at 2222 Yale Road. Volunteers are needed for approximately two to three hours of work, and the work needs to be completed by the end of May. Dates and times are flexible, and can be scheduled for any day of the week ahead of time. TTH will provide all the tools necessary and be present to coordinate the work that needs to be accomplished; volunteers need only to bring gloves if they prefer to work with them. Children can come but must be supervised at all times by a parent or guardian. Contact Hayley Travis at 785-842-5494 or hmtravis@gmail.com to coordinate a time to help this month.

• Douglas County Senior Services is in need of volunteer drivers for its Senior Meals program. Volunteers drive a designated route in Lawrence that usually takes less than an hour to complete. Routes are run during the noon hour each day, and volunteers deliver meals to homebound seniors, offering them a hot lunch and an opportunity to interact with community members. Volunteers use their own vehicles and may choose a steady one-day-a-week assignment or can opt for a more open schedule to be determined with the Senior Meals coordinator. For more information, contact Ray Buckingham at 785-842-0543 or rayb@sunflower.com.

• Kansas Tick-Borne Disease Advocates Inc. is looking for about 20 volunteers who can work two- to four-hour shifts at its 5K Race and 1 Mile Walk on June 16. There are various jobs available, including setup, vendor assistance, race marshaling, registration and more. A full list of specific jobs can be found by visiting kansaslymefighters.webs.com, where you can sign up as a nonparticipant (no fee), and move through the prompts to sign up as a volunteer. Volunteer trainings will be today, May 21 and June 4, all at 6 p.m. at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt. Feel free to call 785-248-3504 or email kansaslymefighters@yahoo.com with any questions.