Join us at the Great Start Pack event to package 40,000 meals for food insecure residents in our community. This is a fun event, perfect for teams, groups, clubs, or families to come and package meals together for an hour.  Young children under the age of 10 should be accompanied by an adult. Training will be provided. This year’s event scheduled for Oct. 6, at Prairie Park School, will feature demos from three local chefs showing different ways to prepare the packaged meal with budget, nutrition, and taste in mind.  Samples will be provided for tasting and picking your favorite!  Pre-registration is required at www.volunteerdouglascounty.org. One-hour time slots for a variety of tasks are available from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sign up soon to assure the time slot you want!   For more information, please contact Lori Johns or Shelly Hornbaker at 785-865-5030 or at volunteer@rhvc.org.

Immediate needs

• The Lawrence Humane Society has several volunteer opportunities. Volunteers are needed to fill the positions of development assistant, volunteer coordinator, animal foster care coordinator and facility project coordinator. Training is provided. All positions are part time with flexible schedules. Please contact Dori Villalon at dvillalon@lawrencehumane.org for more information.

• Pioneer Ridge Assisted Living Center is an apartment community for senior citizens seeking assisted living arrangements. Pioneer Ridge is looking for volunteers to serve as Bingo callers on Mondays from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Assisted Living Center, at 4851 Harvard Road. To volunteer, please contact Cindy Gustafson at cgustafson@pioneer-ridge.com or at 344-1113.

• Operation Wildlife Inc. provides rehabilitation services for injured and orphaned wild animals, and wildlife education for the citizens of northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri. Operation Wildlife is hosting its annual open house on Oct 6. In preparation for the open house, volunteers are needed to help spruce up the grounds of the facility on Sept. 28. Tasks include raking, pulling weeds and general cleanup. Time for the work day is 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. To volunteer, please contact Jo Domann at jodm@aol.com.

• The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is looking for volunteers for its Northeast Kansas Great Strides Walk on Saturday, Sept. 28. The walk will start and end at Sunflower School. Volunteers are needed to help out as crossing guards, to hand out bottled water and to assist the photographer. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to noon. Please contact Amy Nyberg at 913-384-8997 or at anyberg@cff.org to volunteer.

• Black Hills Energy, the local natural gas provider for the city of Lawrence, will hold a park cleanup event at Peterson Park, located at the intersection of Peterson Road and North Iowa.  The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., with a rain date of Oct. 12.  Lunch and beverages will be provided for all volunteers.  Please join us and help beautify this corner of our community.  For more information, contact Canan Aker at canan.aker@blackhillscorp.com or 785-832-3937.

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