Agency: United Way of Douglas County

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

Do your plans for 2018 include becoming more involved with the community and finding a way to give back? The United Way of Douglas County is a great place to find opportunities. Based on your interests, the United Way and its community partners offer many ways to become involved and give back.

Literacy activities

The United Way needs volunteers for a project to prepare supplies for literacy kits that will be provided to families attending Kindergarten Roundup at Lawrence public schools. Volunteers will be cutting materials with scissors, coloring, and organizing materials. This is a great group or family volunteer opportunity.

Volunteers are also needed to spend 30 minutes a week reading to small groups of children at child care centers. A two-hour literacy training will be provided. To ensure continuity for the children in the program, volunteers are asked to make at least a three-month commitment.

For more information on either of these opportunities, contact the United Way at volunteer@unitedwaydgco.org or at 865-5030, ext. 301.

Be a Big

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Douglas County, which provides one-to-one relationships for children facing adversity, is seeking mentors to spend time with young boys and girls on its waiting list. If you have a few hours a week to be a volunteer, this is your opportunity to make a difference in the life of a youngster. For more information, contact Mark Gordy at 785-843-7359.

Advocate for a child

Douglas County CASA is seeking volunteers to serve as court-appointed special advocates for children in foster care. CASA volunteers provide comprehensive advocacy for abused and neglected children in need of care and under the protection of the court system. Trained volunteers investigate, facilitate, monitor and mentor.

Duties include regular monthly visits with the child; maintaining contact with parents, foster parents, caseworkers and all other professionals or individuals involved in the child’s case; attending meetings and court hearings for the case; submitting court reports; advocating for permanency for the child as soon as possible; assessing whether appropriate services are being provided to the child and family; and monitoring compliance with court orders.

Volunteers must submit an application, participate in an interview, complete 30 hours of training and pass a comprehensive background check. Training classes are held three times a year. The next class begins Feb. 13.

For more information and application materials, go to dccasa.org, call 785-832-5172 or email casaadmin@douglascountyks.org.

Hospice help

Visiting Nurses Association provides hospice care, home health care, rehabilitation care and private duty care. Volunteers are needed to work directly with patients and families by providing companionship for patients and respite for primary caregivers in home settings or care facilities.

Volunteers are needed for a variety of commitments, from once a month to once a week, depending on availability. Mandatory hospice training will be provided. No medical knowledge is required.

For more information, contact Sarah Rooney at sarahro@kansasvna.org or 785-843-3738.

Deliver meals

Lawrence Meals on Wheels provides hot, nutritious meals to the homebound elderly and disabled residents of Lawrence. Lawrence Meals on Wheels needs volunteers to deliver meals to the homebound from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Volunteers can sign up to deliver on a specific day each week. Routes generally take less than an hour to deliver to six to eight homes.

This is a great opportunity for families with young children and also works well for businesspeople who want to take a break during the lunch hour to do something meaningful for others.

Please contact Kim Culliss at 785-830-8844 or at 4mealsonwheels@sbcglobal.net, for more information.

Stock shelves

Heartland Community Health Center’s Food Pantry needs extra help stocking shelves and serving Lawrence and Douglas County. Each month, Heartland serves, on average, around 140 individuals or families living in our community. Help Heartland continue to provide essential nutrition by signing up to become a pantry volunteer. Volunteer by emailing Brandy Ordiway at bordiway@heartlandhealth.org or by calling 785-841-7297.

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