Agency: Prairie Park Nature Center

Contact: Alisa at akozlowski@lawrenceks.org

Prairie Park Nature Center is a city-run nature center that strives to provide unique learning experiences and inspire appreciation, understanding and stewardship of our natural environment. The Prairie Park Nature Center is looking for help with its annual Halloween Fundraiser Event on Oct. 29. Volunteers are needed for a variety of things: dressing up, selling tickets, giving out refreshments, running games and painting faces. The event last from 1-4 p.m. Volunteers are asked to commit to five and a half hours from 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Arriving at 11 a.m. gives everyone time to dress up and get in position. Assistance with morning setup is also needed. We will take helpers as early as 10 a.m. Volunteers are asked to attend a pre-event meeting at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27 at Prairie Park Nature Center. If you are interested, please email Alisa at akozlowski@lawrenceks.org.

Help with a 5K

Health Care Access, a health home for the uninsured in Douglas County, needs volunteers to help with the Kansas Half Marathon/5K event on Sunday, Nov. 5. Please check the Sign-Up Genius at signupgenius.com/go/5080d4eafaa23a1fc1-kansas for various volunteer opportunities. Opportunities such as preparing goody bags are available starting on Oct. 26, with various tasks occurring until race day on Nov. 5. If you have additional questions, please email Jennifer Stucker, director of development and communications, at stuckerj@healthcareaccess.org.

Help seniors with tech

The Lawrence Douglas County Housing Authority works to provide affordable housing and self-sufficiency services for low-income residents of Douglas County. LDCHA is seeking tech/computer savvy volunteers to assist low-income seniors in the new Well Tech Computer Lab at Babcock Place. Typical questions from tenants will include social media, tablets, photos, and attaching documents to email. Sign up for a shift or a day. Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact Haleigh Koca at 785 832-1692 for more information.

Help Heartland’s food pantry

Heartland Community Health Center’s Food Pantry needs extra help restocking shelves and serving the communities of Lawrence, Douglas County, and surrounding areas. 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. Training is easy and volunteer hours are very manageable. Volunteer by emailing Brandy Ordiway at bordiway@heartlandhealth.org or by calling 785-841-7297.

Serve hot lunches

Senior Resource Center for Douglas County provides resources, information, opportunities, and advocacy that enhance the quality of the second half of life. Volunteers are needed to deliver lunchtime meals to homebound seniors in Lawrence and surrounding communities in Douglas County. This is a fantastic opportunity to deliver a hot meal and a smile while making a big difference in the lives of local seniors. Most delivery routes take less than an hour so it is possible to complete a route during your lunch hour. This is a fun and easy way to accrue volunteer hours and get better acquainted with members of your community. Delivery drivers pick up meals between 10:30-11:15 a.m. and deliver them to residents before 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Drivers may choose a specific one-day-a-week assignment or may opt for a more flexible schedule. It is also possible to volunteer as a substitute meal delivery driver. Volunteers drive their own vehicles. To help defray gas expenses, reimbursement of $0.45 per mile is offered for miles driven while delivering meals in personal vehicles. For more information and to obtain an application, please contact Jerry Guffey at 785-727-7879 or Johnetta Brown at 785-727-7881.

— For more volunteer opportunities, please contact Shelly Hornbaker at the United Way Roger Hill Volunteer Center at 843-6626, ext. 301; at volunteer@unitedwaydgco.org; or go to volunteerdouglascounty.org.