Agency: Douglas County Holiday Bureau

The Douglas County Holiday Bureau is in need of volunteers to provide intake support at agencies that offer holiday assistance to community members. ECKAN, Penn House and Salvation Army will be taking applications for holiday assistance from Nov. 5 to Nov. 15 this year. Volunteers are needed to welcome community members as they arrive to apply, verify photo identification and proof of income, and then complete an application for assistance. Volunteers with good communication and organizational skills, as well as legible handwriting, are encouraged to sign up; Spanish-speaking volunteers are also needed. To provide support to the Holiday Bureau this year, contact the agencies directly to find out what their volunteer shifts are: ECKAN, 785-841-3357; Penn House, 785-842-0440; or Salvation Army, 785-843-4188.

Immediate needs

• Depot Redux is campaigning to save the Santa Fe Station. Volunteers are needed once a month to help clean the depot, located at 413 E. Seventh St. Cleanings occur the first Sunday of the month from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and tasks include dusting, window washing, floor mopping and weeding the planters. The next scheduled cleaning day is Nov. 4. For more information, contact Carey Maynard-Moody at 785-842-6517 or careymm@sunflower.com.

• Lawrence Meals on Wheels is in need of several volunteers to deliver meals to homebound community members. Regular volunteers are sought to commit to at least one route per week, and substitute volunteers are also needed to be on call for uncovered routes on any given day. Volunteers pick up meals for their route at 11:15 a.m. on their assigned day and should count on delivering meals for about 45 minutes. To get signed up as a Meals on Wheels volunteer, call 785-830-8844 today.

• The city of Lawrence and Douglas County Senior Services are looking for volunteers to sign up for their annual Safe Winter Walkways program, which helps Lawrence residents who are unable to remove snow from their walkways, including public sidewalks in front of their homes. Volunteers get matched to someone in need and commit to visiting his or her residence after each significant snowfall (at least 2 inches) and shovel the walkways. If you’re interested in helping fellow community members ensure their walkways remain safe throughout the winter, call 785-832-3338 or register as a volunteer online at lawrenceks.org.

• AARP Tax-Aide, the nation’s largest free volunteer-run tax preparation and assistance service, is looking for volunteers to help low- and moderate-income families prepare and file their individual tax returns next season. AARP Tax-Aide volunteers will receive comprehensive tax training in January and are provided access to all required computer equipment and training materials. You do not need to be an AARP member or have previous tax-preparation skills, but you should have basic computer skills and a willingness to learn and become proficient with new tax preparation software provided by the IRS. Tax preparation is on weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings from Feb. 4 through April 15; flexible hours are available for volunteers. For more information, please contact the Lawrence district coordinator, Sarah Merriman, at 785-813-1136.

— 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.