Agency: United Way of Douglas County

Contact: Shelly Hornbaker at volunteer@unitedwaydgco.org or at 785-865-5030, ext. 301

Calling all youth, ages 12-18, who are looking for a fun way to spend the summer. The United Way has youth volunteer opportunities with a variety of local agencies — Lawrence Humane Society, Baker Wetlands, Theatre Lawrence, Operation Wildlife, Just Food, and many more — available through our Summer of Service Program, running June 1 through July 31. For more information and to register for a project or internship after April 1, please go to www.volunteerdouglascounty.org. Contact Shelly Hornbaker at 785-865-5030, ext. 301, or at volunteer@unitedwaydgco.org for more information.

The Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence provides before- and after-school programming to over 1,400 children at 14 sites across Lawrence, striving to give members the skills needed to become successful adults, focusing on academic enrichment, healthy lifestyles and good character and citizenship. The agency is looking for volunteers to serve as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) mentors. The job of a STEM mentor is to help plan, implement and promote STEM activities, events and programs after school for children and youth. The mentor will work with a small youth group once per week, creating a positive learning environment that allows for youths’ personal, social and intellectual development. For more information, please contact Hannah Odette at volunteer@bgclk.org or at 785-505-0801.

The Friends of Hidden Valley help maintain and preserve the Hidden Valley camp at 3420 Bob Billings Parkway. Thanks to the Merc Change Program, Hidden Valley Camp is embarking on a large pollinator initiative to greatly increase wildlife habitat for pollinators of all kinds, with a special emphasis on monarchs. The project will kick-off on Earth Day, April 22nd, with an all-day planting event. Garden groups and other volunteers are invited to help plant from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or later, with Girl Scout troops coming for late afternoon. Individuals and groups should RSVP to sign up for a specific time and will receive details then. Please contact Durand Reiber at durandi@sunflower.com for more information.

Visiting Nurses Association provides home health care and hospice care in Douglas County. Visiting Nurses Association is looking for volunteers to serve as patient companions. Work directly with patients and families by providing needed companionship for patient and/or respite for primary caregiver in home settings or care facilities. Volunteers must commit to one year of service and be available for regular once weekly assignments, preferably having some morning and/or early afternoon availability on the weekdays. Volunteers need to be caring, flexible and good listeners. Mandatory hospice training will be provided. No medical knowledge required. For more information, please contact Sarah Rooney at 785-843-3738 or at sarahro@kansasvna.org.

Ten Thousand Villages-Lawrence is a non-profit fair trade retailer of artisan products from about forty developing countries around the world. The all-volunteer staffed retailer needs a volunteer to support the social media manager in engaging people through social media via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, the company website, and email listing. Time commitment is at least four hours per week. For more information, please contact 785-856-7370 or at lawrence@tenthousandvillages.com.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Douglas County provides one-to-one relationships for children facing adversity. We are excited to have had more male volunteers step up to mentor the boys in our program! However, many young boys are still waiting to be matched with a male 18 or older. Big Brothers Big Sisters currently has 42 boys waiting to be paired with a male mentor. Are you wanting to make a difference in the life of a young boy and have time to spend with them 2-4 times a month for a few hours? If you would like to have more information about becoming a Big Brother, Big Couple or Big Family, join us for regular information session on Tuesdays at 5:15 pm or on Wednesdays at noon at 2518 Ridge Court in the United Way Building. For more information, please contact 785-843-7359.

For more volunteer opportunities, please contact Shelly Hornbaker at the United Way Roger Hill Volunteer Center at 785-865-5030, ext. 301 or at volunteer@unitedwaydgco.org or go to www.volunteerdouglascounty.org.