Agency: Just Food

Contact: Aundrea Shafer at programs@justfoodks.org or at 785-856-7030

Just Food and its partners fight hunger in our community by increasing the availability of a variety of foods while reducing waste from discarded food. Just Food is looking for volunteers to assist with the Just Grow Garden program. Volunteers play a crucial role in building and maintaining the Just Food garden that is on-site as well as a garden in North Lawrence. This project includes a wide variety of tasks associated with creating the infrastructure of the garden like digging, building, painting, planting and getting your hands dirty. This is a great opportunity for individuals and groups interested in volunteering outside and inside, helping to bring the food bank’s Just Grow garden to life! Please contact Aundrea Shafer at programs@justfoodks.org or at 785-856-7030 for more information.

Help the hospital

Lawrence Memorial Hospital is looking for energetic and customer service-oriented people who are willing to be a part of the caring team of health care providers. Lend a helpful hand to patients, visitors, fellow volunteers and staff members by volunteering at the following opportunities. Clerical volunteers are needed in several departments to assist with filing, faxing, scanning, reminder phone calls, and computer work. The Main Hospital, at 325 Maine St., needs volunteers in a variety of opportunities: greeting visitors and patients, walking visitors to their hospital destination, transporting patients by wheelchair, helping in the Gift Shop and Mario’s Closet, assisting with the Admissions Desks, unpacking and stocking supplies, assisting patients receiving care in the oncology unit, and helping in the surgery waiting area. Training is provided. Openings are at various times and days of the week. For a detailed listing, please go to lmh.org/volunteer-services/opportunities, or contact the Volunteer Office at 505-3141 or at Allyson.Leland@LMH.org.

Distribute food

Harvesters, the community food bank, provides a mobile food pantry that allows Harvesters to distribute nutritious, perishable food in a timely manner to feed insecure families. Harvesters needs volunteers at their Eudora mobile food pantry. Volunteers will be outside helping with traffic flow, sign-in sheets, loading people’s cars (must be able to lift 5-20 pounds repetitively), and a bit of cleanup. Volunteers are needed from 9 to 11 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the Eudora United Methodist Church, 2084 North 1300 Road, Eudora. Volunteers ages 12-15 are welcome with adult supervision. If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity, contact Dean Manwaring at 785-542-3200.

Help advocates

Independence Inc. provides advocacy, services and education for people with disabilities and for our community. Independence Inc. is looking for reliable and friendly volunteers to help out at their front desk during the lunch hour on Mondays and Wednesdays. The front desk volunteers will help guests sign in and get to their appointment or meet with the appropriate staff person. Volunteers answer phones and transfer calls to the correct staff person. There is occasionally down time at the desk, so volunteers are welcome to bring homework, projects that can be done at the desk, and/or reading materials to enjoy. This is a great way to build job skills for your resume and help people in the community with disabilities, and it is a fun place to meet new people. Please contact 785-841-0333 for more information.

Mentor students

The Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence provides before and after school programming to more than 1,500 children at 15 sites across Lawrence. The Boys & Girls Club is looking for volunteers to serve as academic enrichment volunteers at the Teen Center, 1520 Haskell Ave. Volunteer with elementary students on educational activities during Power Hour after school, 3:10 to 7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays; 1:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. The ideal Academic Enrichment Volunteer will enjoy spending time with small groups of students. The focus of your time together will be to build lasting mentor relationships with students and to encourage academic excellence. You will be able to help the students with their daily homework and play educational games. Please contact volunteer@bgclk.org or 785-243-8781 for more information.

— 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.