[Volunteers] OVP Weekly Volunteer Opportunity E-mail (11/5/02):

[Sascha Meinrath]

Afternoon all!

Table of Contents:
1. Holiday Toy Drive
2. BOOKS!!!
3. Child Safety Seat Inspection Station
4. Learning in Community (LINC)
5. Coalition for Community Kids in Care
6. Lincoln's Challenge
7. Neighborhood Wellness Plan

***

1. The winter holiday season is right around the corner and you know what
that means...Gifts Galore!  This is a time of year when we not only relish
receiving gifts but also giving gifts.  We want your help to make sure
that a child's holiday wish can come true.  There are three local
organizations with over 200 children whose holiday wishes we can help come
true by purchasing a gift of no more than $15.  If you would like to
become a part of this Holiday Toy Drive please reply by November 15th
through email to verstrat at uiuc.edu or by calling the Office of Volunteer
Programs at 333-7424.

2. Books. Books! BOOKS!!!  The Urbana Rotary Club, along with the Reading
Group, need help sorting through hundreds of books they've collected.
Volunteers are needed to help get the books ready for dissemination.
Please contact Marilyn Kaye (333-2092) or Nathaniel Banks (367-0914) if
you'd like to help out.

3. The Child Safety Seat Inspection Station (CSSIS) is a place where
parents of children ages 0-8 (approximately) can come to make sure their
car seats and booster seats are safe and appropriately secured in their
vehicle. However, there are some volunteer opportunities such as playing
with and keeping an eye on children.  Also there is a need of assistance
of traffic flow and they also need people for file clerk/check-in person.
For times the CSSIS is open on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons at
Pro Ambulance, 408 S. Neil in Champaign. Possible time slots are Tuesdays
from 8:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - 1:15 p.m and also Thursdays
from 1:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.  Times are flexible
so please call Allison Albrecht at 398-8080 extention 136.

4. Already volunteering?  Looking to work on community projects AND earn
academic credit?  Learning in Community (LINC) is a two-hour, campus-wide
course emphasizing project management, teamwork, leadership, and community
engagement.  Students work with community partners such as Habitat for
Humanity, the Swann School for severely disabled students, and even North
South University in Bangladesh (there are 11 different partners to choose
from this spring.  Examples of current LINC projects include helping
Habitat for Humanity create a resale store. Also establishing an enduring
partnership with the people of Bangladesh to work on environmental
projects. Lastly, designing and testing switches, adaptive equipment and
activity kits for children and young adults with severe disabilities, and
designing an outdoor classroom for local elementary children.  To learn
about more about all LINC projects, and how to register for Spring 03,
please visit the LINC web site: www.linc.uiuc.edu.

5. The Coalition for Community Kids in Care is a collaboration of public
and private child welfare agencies whose role is to recruit and license
foster and adoptive homes for children in Champaign, Ford and Iroquois
Counties.  They are currently in the process of a campaign to recruit
foster homes for teens. They have 3,000 doorknob hangers with our teen
recruitment message that we would like to disburse to residences in the
Champaign-Urbana area.  They've identified specific neighborhoods in which
we would like to place this information and need lots of people-power to
accomplish this enormous task. Contact Barb Bressner by pager
1-800-802-3538 (include your phone number) or by cell phone (217)390-3501.

6. Lincoln's Challenge an academy for at-risk youth between the ages of 16
and 18 provide the development of the whole person.  They need
administrative help, a few hours a week, it is very flexible. Look at this
link below for more detailed information about the agency and the contact
information would be Becky Hanner at 892-1309.
http://www.cuvolunteer.org/find/agency_profile.phtml?aid=236.

7. Neighborhood Wellness Plan Update for the City of Champaign campus
meeting is being held this November 6th on Wednesday at 3:00pm in the
Illini Union Colonial Room.  This is YOUR opportunity to tell City Staff
about your largest issues and concerns in the neighborhood.  For
information contact City of Champaign Neighborhood Services Department at
351-4427.

Thirsting for other volunteer opportunities? Check out www.cuvolunteer.org
for 250+ others.

Tell them the Office of Volunteer Programs sent you,

--Sascha & Sara
Office of Volunteer Programs

Phone#:  333-7424
E-mail:  ovp at uiuc.edu
Office:  277 Illini Union (in the RSO complex)
Website: www.union.uiuc.edu/ovp