Agency: United Way Roger Hill Volunteer Center

Contact: Shannon Reid, 785-865-5030 or volunteer@rhvc.org

The United Way Roger Hill Volunteer Center is gearing up for Make a Difference Day on Saturday, Oct. 27. The volunteer center is coordinating projects throughout Lawrence and Douglas County at a variety of agencies and schools, with more than 200 volunteer spots to fill. Make a Difference Day was created by USA Weekend in 1992 and soon grew into the largest community service effort in the nation, rallying corporations, government leaders, charitable organizations and everyday Americans into action on one day. This is a great opportunity to gather your family, friends, co-workers, congregants and civic groups and go volunteer for a few hours at one of the many projects available. Volunteers are needed to spruce up local school grounds, pamper pets at the Lawrence Humane Society and much more. To see a full list of projects, visit volunteerdouglascounty.org, click “Find a Volunteer Opportunity” and scroll down until you see the Make a Difference Day logo. Contact Shannon Reid at 785-865-5030 or volunteer@rhvc.org with questions.

Immediate needs

• Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence is in need of academic enrichment volunteers at all 11 of its after-school sites. Volunteers will work with elementary school students on education activities during “Power Hour,” which is 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at each site. Volunteers are asked to commit to one day a week — Monday, Tuesday or Thursday — for an entire semester. Retired teachers, college students and high school students are encouraged to apply; training will be provided. Contact Kenton Holder at 785-218-8770 or kholder@bgclk.org

• The Douglas County Girl Scouts are in need of lots of volunteers to help with the annual cookie sale by sorting cookie orders. Two semitrailer trucks will be bringing cookies to the arena at the Douglas County Fairgrounds on Thursday, Nov. 1. Volunteers are needed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to help sort all those cookies into 75 different orders. Troop leaders will arrive throughout the day to pick up their orders, and then the volunteers will help the leaders load their cars; dollies will be available for moving boxes. If you’re interested in helping out, send an email to Lisa Vanderbilt at dccookies@sbcglobal.net that includes your full name, contact phone number, the time that you can arrive and how long you can stay.

• Project LIVELY, a program of Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, is in need of volunteers to help a senior client who lives in the Pinckney neighborhood with trimming her shrubs. Project LIVELY often needs volunteers to help senior clients with home projects they aren’t able to do themselves and cannot afford to pay someone for. If you’re able to help this current senior client or are interested in helping on an as-needed basis, contact Project LIVELY case manager, Sarah Norman, at 785-843-3060 or snorman@ldchealth.org.

• Independence Inc. is in need of a couple volunteers who can help a client on disability and a fixed income to remove a tree in her front yard that is in danger of falling on her house. Volunteer must have their own tree-cutting tools. If you have the tools and experience cutting down a tree safely, contact Daniel Brown, program specialist at Independence Inc., at 785-841-0333, ext. 147, or dbrown@independenceinc.org.