Agency: ARC of Douglas County

Address: 2518 Ridge Court

Contact person: Barb Bishop, 749-0121

Saturday Sibshops is a program designed by ARC to give siblings of children with disabilities a chance to meet other children who know what it is like to have a brother or sister with special needs. The program is for 6- to 14-year-old siblings of children with disabilities. One Saturday a month, participants will go bowling or do other activities.

ARC needs three or four volunteers willing to help with activities. Volunteers will help transport children and supervise them during the trip. The time commitment would be two to three hours one Saturday a month. ARC also welcomes calls from families interested in the program.

Last week’s results

The Partnership for Children and Youth has not received any calls for volunteers to work at Summit II, a community gathering to explore the future of youth in Douglas County. The organization still needs more than 100 volunteers to perform various tasks for the event The summit will be from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at Lawrence High School. Volunteers are encouraged to work in groups, and youth volunteers are especially needed. To volunteer, call the partnership at 842-5006.

Immediate volunteer needs

• Citizen Review Board is seeking caring adults for board volunteers. Volunteers meet once a month and provide community input by reviewing cases involving local children in foster care or the juvenile justice system. CRB volunteers make recommendations to the presiding judge regarding further actions on the cases. Training is provided. An oath of confidentiality is required. Volunteers are sworn in by a judge.

CRB also is seeking volunteers to provide staff support by greeting clients and board members and assisting with general clerical tasks a few hours per week. Contact Heather Krase-Minnick at 832-5219.

• Youth Employment Support Services is looking for volunteer mentors. Mentors help youth with homework or a sport, musical instrument or hobby once a week for one or two hours. To learn more, contact Ruby McDavis, 830-1799 or rmcdavis@bertnash.org.
• ICAN has several volunteer positions for helping elderly residents. Visitor volunteers visit homebound elders once a week for about an hour. Grocery shopper volunteers call clients once a week to see if they need any food or goods. Once a week or every other week, the volunteer will shop with or for the client. Caregiver respite volunteers sit with elderly clients once a week for two or three hours. Volunteers also are needed occasionally to transport elderly clients to and from doctor’s appointments. Contact ICAN at 749-2005.

For more volunteer opportunities, call the Roger Hill Volunteer Center, a service of the United Way of Douglas County, at 865-5030 or online at www.rhvc.org.