Don't Just Sit There…Volunteer Opportunities in the Pioneer Valley 

Amherst Family Center: Provide childcare and activities for children birth through age 5 at the drop-in center located in the North Congregational Church Parish Hall in North Amherst, Tuesday through Thursday mornings. (413) 549-4969

Amherst Survival Center — Volunteers are needed Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during the day to cook and/or help out in the kitchen; sort through clothing donations; help keep the store tidy; drive to pick up food and other donations; input data; and serve on the finance and investment committees. Volunteers are also needed for the Trash to Treasures recycled furniture sale on May 26th. Call Ben at 413-549-3968, ext. 205, for more information or to schedule a volunteer orientation.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters: Seeking help for children in the area. (413) 253-2591

The Botanic Garden of Smith College: Volunteers needed for leading tours, staffing our reception and exhibition areas,  providing hospitality for the Spring Bulb Show and other events, and assisting with exhibitions. (Please note: volunteers are NOT involved in any hands-on horticulture work.) January 2007 training session. Application and more info: www.smith.edu/garden , 413-585-2743, or garden@smith.edu .

More Details
The Botanic Garden is offering a training program this coming January for those interested in volunteering. The training sessions consist of three full days: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, January 24, 25, & 26, 9 am - 4:00 pm. The training includes a history of the Botanic Garden; tours of conservatories; some basic botany and horticulture; commercial, medicinal and food plants of the Lyman Plant House; and how to guide visitors and school groups. These sessions will be followed by additional monthly meetings and training tours. In exchange for the training, volunteers are required to volunteer at the Botanic Garden for at least one full year, including leading tours for school groups as well as other groups and attending the monthly meetings. You may request a volunteer application by phone: (413) 585-2742 or email: garden@smith.edu, or download one from our website: www.smith.edu/garden .

Chicopee Visiting Nurse Association: Participate in Companion, Alzheimer's and Palliative Care weekly in-home programs; assist with registration at health fairs and clinics; provide transportation. Call Marilyn Duval, (413) 533-6733

Community Outreach Team: Assist people with serious mental illnesses to live fulfilling lives in their community. Opportunities include assisting with the Massachusetts Anti-Stigma Campaign or providing activities for group participants. (413) 536-8588, ext. 34

Connecticut River Watershed Council: Seeking volunteers to do general office work, mail preparation, filing, data entry and reception duties in friendly atmosphere in Easthampton. (413) 529-9500

Cooley Dickinson Hospital: Work in all areas of main hospital. Many shifts available. No previous volunteer experience needed. Call Phyllis Maggiolino, (413) 582-2251.

COVE: Be trained to facilitate bi-weekly groups of grieving children and teens meeting at the Northampton YMCA. (413) 584-3796

Dakin Animal Shelter: Help with shelter cleaning, dog walking, feeding and overall TLC at the Leverett center, especially on Sunday and Monday mornings. Afternoon help is also needed Tuesday through Saturday. (413) 548-9898

Everywoman's Center: Peer counselors needed to provide free and confidential support services for survivors of sexual assault and battering. Counselor/Advocates staff a 24-hour hotline, provide short-term counseling and legal/medical advocacy. (413) 545-0883

First Call For Help: This information and referral agency, 557 Easthampton Road in Northampton, serves as a link between people who need help and the service agencies in Hampshire County. Assist with phone inquiries, help update database, provide clerical help and work on special projects. Training is provided. Call Karen, 582-4200 ext. 178 or by email to khakala@hcac.org

Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has many ongoing volunteer needs, including:

Fresh Food Project: Volunteer drivers are needed to pick up prepared and perishable food from restaurants, institutional dining services, grocery stores, and farms throughout western Massachusetts.

Special Events: Help us plan or carry out fundraising events; Staff a Food Bank table at a festival; Help sell our holiday cards. Individuals and groups are welcome!

Brown Bag: Volunteers are needed in several communities to help with Brown Bag, which provides low-income elders with a monthly bag of groceries; Volunteers help one weekday morning a month to unload the truck, bag the food, and/or deliver bags to homebound seniors.

Food Bank Farm: For those looking to get close to the earth, The Food Bank Farm has volunteer opportunities from May through November; Weekday and weekend shifts are available. Groups are welcome. To learn more, please call the farm at 413 582-0013 or send e-mail csaworks@aol.com

Office: Volunteers are always needed in the office to help with mailings, phone calls, computer projects and the other behind-the-scenes work that keeps the organization on track.

Salvage Room: "Salvage" is food that that is perfectly good to eat but can’t be sold, often because the can or box is dented. Stop & Shop and other grocery store chains donate more than a million pounds of salvage to The Food Bank each year. All of it must be inspected and sorted in our warehouse. Weekday and Tuesday evening shifts are available.

To give your time in the effort to end hunger in our region, please call the Volunteer Coordinator at 413-247-9738 or email volunteer@foodbankwma.org

For information on how to volunteer for Franklin County Home Care corporation, call 413-773-5555 and ask for the contact person listed below. Most of these programs provide training and mileage reimbursement. Volunteer opportunities are available in these areas:

Money Management - Help elders who need assistance with writing checks, balancing their checkbooks, sorting bills, etc. Flexible hours. Contact Lorraine York.

Nursing Home Ombudsman - Advocate for residents rights and help them resolve problems they have with their care. Contact Rachel Lively (x241).

Senior Companion - Visit frail, isolated elders. Take them shopping, to MD appointments, be a friend. Contact Rachel Lively (x241).

Nutrition Program Aides & Drivers - Help serve meals to elders in

local senior centers, Drive Meals-on-Wheels. Contact Richard Nault (x271).

Fundraiser - Assist with fundraising events such as a Walk-a-Thon. Some phone calling and clerical work. Contact Cindy Martowski (x278)

Board members - Advise area agency on aging about policy issues. Contact James Ewen (x270).

Fresh Air Fund — Make summer special for an inner-city child by volunteering to host for the Fresh Air Fund. Hosts are young families, single professionals, empty nesters and grandparents — all of whom want to share the simple pleasures of suburban or country life with an inner-city child. for more information, call 413-562-6225 or visit www.freshair.org.

Habitat for Humanity: Skilled and unskilled volunteers needed in all phases of construction to work in partnership with lower income families to build and rehabilitate simple decent homes. Volunteers also needed for committee work which makes building possible (selecting and nurturing families; organizing volunteers). 
(413) 586-5430
http://www.pioneervalleyhabitat.org

Highland Valley Elder Services Money Management Program: Assist low-income elders with their monthly financial matters for six to eight hours a month for a one-year period. Screening and training by staff. Call Joyce Schaubert at (413) 586-2000

Hilltown CDC: Help improve the quality of life in the hilltowns byaddressing the economic, environmental and social needs while preserving the rural integrity of the area. Serve on the Board of Directors, do routine office work and help out with special events. One time or regular office hours. Call Sherry Loomis (413) 296-5436

The Hitchcock Center: Community based environmental education and nature center located at the Larch Hill Conservation area in Amherst seeks reception/clerical assistance, library/reference assistance, physical maintenance and photography. Call Tom Alworth, (413) 256-6006

Holyoke Tutor/Mentor Program: Learn more about the community in which we live. Help people who are already taking steps to improve their command of the English language to achieve their educational goals. Be a tutor/mentor for an adult learner in Holyoke. No experience necessary. Full training and support provided. Call Tzivia Gover (413) 534-3376 or e-mail holyoketutor@hotmail.com

Hospice Life Care: Help provide quality support services to patients and families facing terminal illness, including visiting, reading and providing respite for family members. Supervision and ongoing training provided. Call Jane at (413) 533-3923, ext. 272

Jessie's House: Short-term emergency center providing housing, meals and advocacy to homeless people in Hampshire County needs volunteers. Training and supervision provided. Call NancyGonzalez, (413) 586-8212

Literacy Project: Classroom assistants needed to tutor in literacy, math, computers and GED classes in an adult-based education center. Volunteers attend a 15-hour training session. Call Margaret Anderson for information about next scheduled session — (413) 774-3934

Mass. Audubon at Hampshire Sanctuaries: Nature Center needs hosts to greet the public, answer telephones and do other light office work approximately twice a month on Saturdays at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton. (413) 584-3009

Mass. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children: Volunteers needed to do office work; to participate in on-site childcare; for special projects throughout the year; to participate in the Children's Champion Network, a statewide education and advocacy program; to help with fund raising, advocacy and program support. Also, materials needed, including new car seats, especially toddler-sized; arts and crafts supplies and playground equipment. Call Pam Meadows at (413) 734-4978

Northampton VNA and Hospice of Cooley Dickinson: Looking for volunteers to work with terminally ill patients doing direct-care visits, supporting families by doing errands or transporting loved ones to medical appointments, sitting with patients in the nursing home or at home. Requires 30 hour training (offered in April every year). Call Reenie Humpage at (413) 582-5354

Northampton Community Music Center: Seeking creative volunteers for flyer design and distribution, outreach coordination and general office work. (413) 585-0001

Northampton Survival Center: Pick up food and deliver it to the center. Also seeking Board of Directors members. (413) 586-6564

Parents Helping Parents: Seeking volunteer childcare providers and volunteers to lead support groups to help prevent child abuse. Training and support are provided. Call Maurine Albano (413) 731-5051

River Valley AIDS Project: Various opportunities including bilingual translator/interpreter, child/adult companions, drivers, resource library assistants, office support assistants, donations coordinator, education/outreach volunteers. Offices in Holyoke and Springfield. Call Cynthia Griffin (413) 737-2437

Tapestry Health: The Breast Health Project seeks volunteers willing to be trained as community health educators and provide outreach to women about breast and cervical cancer. (800) 696-7752, ext. 121

VA Medical Center: Volunteers needed for patient care areas. Volunteers will interact with veterans in the medical center units. Also needed, volunteers for to work in administration area and to be front lobby ambassadors. Call Peter Galante at (413) 582-3042

Veterans Community Care Center: Drivers needed to transport ambulatory veterans. Van provided. Call Lillian Struckus (413) 582-3079

WestMass Elder Care: Transport frail elders to medical appointments once or twice a month in Springfield and surrounding communities. Travel allowance and small stipend available. Call Neil Katz at (413) 538-9020

Womanshelter/Campaneras: Help families begin to live lives free of violence. Call Peggy Cichon at (413) 538-9717

YWCA: Work one-on-one on a weekly basis as a counselor or support person for a young mother or adolescent, providing emotional support, advocacy and informal counseling. Training sessions and weekly supervision/support group meetings. (413) 586-6807

YWCA Transitional Living Program: The Northampton branch seeks volunteers interested in designing and implementing creative programming for children whose lives have been impacted by domestic violence. Internships available. Two to four hours per week. (413) 586-6807

YWCA Visitation Center: Volunteers needed to operate the center and assist with monitoring court-ordered parent-child visitations in a safe and secure environment. No experience necessary; will provide full training and supervision. Call Brenda Douglas, 747-8417