Results tagged “volunteering” from Volunteer Now

The United Way of York is sponsoring a donation drive for the Salvation Army of York County. They are in need of art and gym supplies that are needed for the Community Center's after-school program. Children are our future; let's help them be creative!
Free pizza and subs will be offered to all who donate. Food will be provided by Domino's Pizza and Subway.

The donation drive will be held at the United Way of York, 800 E. King St, York, PA 17403, in the community room on April 4, 2009 from 11am-1pm. For more information or to participate, please call Amanda Seiffert at 717-858-2159 or email her at ams682@psu.edu.

Donations needed are listed below:

Art Supplies:

• Construction Paper
• Gymp
• Paint
• Clay
• Glitter
• Markers
• Crayons
• Pipe Cleaners
• Craft Magnets
• Beads for Stringing
• Perler Beads

Gym Supplies:

• Basketballs
• Pool Sticks for Gaming tables

The AARP Tax-Aide program, which is coordinated by The York $ in Your Pocket Coalition and the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program provides free tax preparation for low-income families (income less than $42,000) and senior citizens age 60 and over. In 2008, over 2000 federal tax returns were prepared and $1.7 million in federal refunds.

The success of these programs is a direct result of the dedication of the volunteers. All volunteers are required to take tax training and pass an IRS certification exam each year. Since 2007 tax season, the United Way of York County has provided leadership for the VITA program. AARP Tax-Aide members provide the tax training for the coalition. York College, with support from their SIFE organization, has provided a majority of the VITA volunteers as well as the training facilities for the coalition. Other volunteers are community members, including some students from Penn State-York and HACC.

There has been a significant increase in the number of taxpayers requesting appointments to have their taxes prepared this year and most of the AARP Tax-Aide sites are completely booked through April 15. Each year the number of taxpayers in York County requesting the free tax preparation services increases.

We are in need of additional volunteers to answer phones, schedule appointments, greet taxpayers when they arrive at the sites, provide assistance to non-English speaking taxpayers and prepare tax returns. To find out how you can help with the program contact the Financial Stability Partnership at Lutheran Social Services: (717) 854-3971, ext. 453. We will begin training for the 2010 tax season in November.

Information provided by Paul Brubaker, an instructor/volunteer for the AARP Tax-Aide group since 2002, and an instructor for the VITA program since 2006.

The York County Heritage Trust (YCHT) was founded in 1999 after a merger of the Historical Society of York County (HSYC) and the Agricultural and Industrial Museum of York County (AIM). Today, the York County Heritage Trust maintains eight sites that preserve and present 300 years of York County's rich and diverse history.

The York County Heritage Trust offers two youth volunteer opportunities, Junior Curators and Junior Docents, which support the Trust's educational mission. While limited to 10 high school juniors and seniors, Junior Curators will enjoy an in-depth look at the life of a Museum Curator as they work with Trust staff to choose a topic relevant to York County history, research the topic, and follow the steps involved when installing an exhibit, including the excitement of an exhibit opening.

As a Junior Docent, teens ages 13-17 will come face-to-face with the history of York through the historic buildings of the Colonial Complex, which includes the Golden Plough Tavern, General Gates House, Barnett Bobb Log House, and the Colonial Court House. Junior Docents dress in period clothing provided by the York County Heritage Trust while providing tours to visitors of Colonial Complex and participating in Living History events. Junior Docents also help the Coordinator of Living History maintain the site.

For additional information on the Junior Curator Program, contact Jennifer Hall, director of collections and exhibits, at 717-848-1587 ext. 228 or jhall@yorkheritage.org . For additional information on the Junior Docent Program, contact Linda Neylon, coordinator of living history, at 717-846-6452 or lneylon@yorkheritage.org.

Attention Theatre Lovers!!!

York Little Theatre (YLT) exists to foster the creative art of live theatre through production, education, and outreach. These functions are fulfilled through the presentation of an annual season of public performances and educational programs. YLT has many wonderful opportunities for people interested in the arts. The opportunities can provide credible theatre experience as well as educational opportunities.

The following volunteer opportunities are available at YLT:

Audition Desk Assistants

Build, Paint & Design

Building Maintenance - Handyman

Costume - Altering, Sewing, Sorting and Organizing

Front of House - Usher, Concession Sales

Computer Techs

Musician

Office/Clerical - Grant Writing, General Office Help

Show Tech - Back Stage Work

Help with our touring Company - Traveling Theatre Company

Volunteer Coordinator - Contacting Volunteers, Scheduling

For more information or to sign up please call

Stacy Ryan, (717) 854-3894
27 S. Belmont Street
York, PA 17403

Web Site: http://www.ylt.org

In September 2008, I was unemployed and not feeling very satisfied with my life. Even with a published book to my name and other previous accomplishments, not being immersed in a career was starting to get to me. Formerly, I worked for the Government (1989-2005) and had quit when my son, who is autistic, started school and therapy sessions on a full-time basis. Working as a technical writer, I made a high-end salary and, to this day, I still get inquiries offering these types of positions. Yes, I know in these hard economic times, I should consider job offers such as these and am probably a "fool" to turn them down. However, to be quite honest, I did not find technical writing that exciting and did not care for the type of environment I previously worked in. For me, I wanted to have a job which I enjoyed and a job that allowed me to make a positive impact in the community.

One day while talking with a friend, I mentioned that I wanted to go into public speaking and mentoring to help people learn to empower themselves to reach their full potential. She suggested that I volunteer, since it was hard to "get a job" as a public speaker or mentor. She said, "If you really want to help people, start by volunteering." I thought, "That's a great idea!" So, later that day, I e-mailed the United Way of York County asking them about volunteer opportunities and attached my resume for background purposes.

To my surprise, on my birthday to be exact, I got more than an e-mail response to my inquiry; I actually got a job offer! I read the job description and could not believe what I was reading. They needed a Youth Volunteer Initiatives Coordinator (YVIC) for SecureCorps, an AmeriCorps program. The purpose of the position is to increase awareness to middle school and high schools students about the importance of volunteerism. I couldn't believe it! I thought "Wow! This job is perfect for me!" On October 1, 2008, I started my new position, and two months later, I had spoken to more than 1,000 students, conducted the National Family Volunteer Day service project, and had started planning for our MLK Day of Service event.

The purpose of this blog is to encourage volunteerism and show that the experience may lead you to learn something new about yourself and/or find a new career. Every day the local news reports about increases in layoffs for many local residents and throughout the United States. A job or the company you previously worked for should not define who you are or what you are; it is your skills and talents that should define you. The challenge is for you to find another employer who will pay you for your skills. No, volunteering may not lead you to another career as it did for me, but you never know what is possible until you try. Therefore, if you are one of the recently unemployed waiting in between interviews, filling out job applications and have some spare time, why not utilize the skills and talents you have to help others? The help you can give to others may help someone to lead a more productive life, for which they may forever be grateful. In the end, you too may also walk away feeling grateful.

Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is the largest annual celebration of young volunteers, where millions of young people in countries everywhere carry out thousands of community improvement projects. All organizations are encouraged to plan youth-led community service projects that involve the broader community in GYSD or showcase existing projects to the media and surrounding community.

The project for GYSD has changed, we are now seeking volunteers to help clean up John Rudy County Park, which is located near Central High School in York. Help us mulch, pull weeds and clean so that all members of the community can enjoy a clean, safe park.

Our event will take place on Saturday, April 18th from 10-2 pm at John Rudy County Park, located near Central High School in York, to sign-up contact Kim Goff, 717-771-3822 or email goffk@unitedway-york.org.