Montgomery County
Volunteer News
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IN THIS ISSUE (scroll down to "read all about it")
► HEAR YE: Thank you!
► BE A BONE BUILDER
► SPOTLIGHT ON: CaringMatters
► 2024 MLK DAY OF SERVICE
PLUS
► QUICK TIPS
► FIND YOUR VOLUNTEER NICHE (or help someone else find theirs)
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Thank you!
The 2024 MLK Day of Service was a huge success and a great way to kick off the year. Thank you to our volunteers, partners and event staff for braving the snow to honor Dr. King through service. As we move into February, there are many ways to keep serving! Read on for information about some of the many ways to get involved this month.
—From the Volunteer Center Staff
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Great opportunities are now available with the County's Bone Builders program providing free exercise classes to promote osteo health. This is a wonderful way for volunteers to help others (and themselves) maintain and increase bone mass, build strength and improve balance.
Be a Bone Builders volunteer leader! If you are a compassionate and physically active older adult, leading group exercise classes for seniors in a community center setting might be the volunteer gig for you! Never attended a Bone Builders class? Not a problem! You’ll be mentored by current leaders before you begin training. This is a fun way to volunteer, socialize and get some exercise, too!
Be a Bone Builders administrative volunteer! Contribute to this valuable program by helping with office tasks, including preparing and maintaining training manuals, assisting with new leader training sessions, preparing forms and handouts for each new class session, and tracking and organizing necessary program paperwork. Keep your computer skills limbered up and volunteer today! No set times/days of the week are required; the work can be done at your convenience and on a flexible schedule.
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SPOTLIGHT ON: CaringMatters | |
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Volunteers are the heart of CaringMatters. With a mission to provide social support and community education so that no one dies or grieves alone, CaringMatters helps volunteers serve the community through compassionate support for individuals and families facing serious illness or grieving the death of a loved one.
To be a part of someone’s journey, join the next training and volunteer with CaringMatters. To qualify, volunteers must be 21 years or older, attend the three-day volunteer training, and agree to a background check. Once trained, volunteers have the opportunity to volunteer with any or all of the following programs: Volunteer Helping Hands, JustRides, Children's Bereavement and/or Adult Bereavement. Volunteer hours are generally flexible.
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The next CaringMatters Volunteer Training will be:
Dates: February 27, 28 and 29 *
Time: From 9 a.m.-4 p.m. each day
Place: The CaringMatters Cottage, 518 South Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, MD 20877
* Attendance for all three days is required.
In this training, volunteers will join in interactive discussions and guided exercises that prepare volunteers to be one-on-one caregivers and bereavement facilitators. The CaringMatters team will present information and skill-building instruction on a broad range of topics such as serious illness, caregiving, hospice care, death and dying, grief, communication and more.
For more information, visit the CaringMatters page on the Montgomery Serves website. For questions or to register for training, contact Penny Gladhill at pennyg@caringmatters.org or 301-990-0852.
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The Spotlight Series: Montgomery County organizations can request a similar type of article in the Volunteer News. All you need to do is complete this brief form and place your request by the 5th of the month.
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A snowy day in Montgomery County did not keep over 3,000 volunteers from attending service events County-wide! This year, the Volunteer Center partnered with local non-profit organizations to host service activities at the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center, the Silver Spring Civic Building and six community recreation centers. There were so many excellent activities, such as:
- Personal item kits for men, women, families, and seniors.
- Meal kits for schools, homeless shelters and food banks.
- No-sew blankets for veterans.
- Self-care kits for first responders + kits for hero dogs.
- Blankets for children in the hospital.
- Art journals for cancer patients.
- Costumes for interactive theater performances for children in hospitals, foster care etc.
- And so much more!
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At the Bethesda North Marriott
Nearly 1,200 volunteers gathered to complete service projects hosted by 15 volunteer groups and visit the Volunteer Resource Fair, where 34 organizations hosted information tables to tell folks about their missions and share ways to serve year-round.
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Some volunteers working for Small Things Matter assembling Cups of Cheer, one of 15 service projects at the Marriott. | |
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Above: Volunteers at the Marriott.
Below: Snow and ice!
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Sankofa Empowering Women in Ghana, one of 34 groups at the Volunteer Resource Fair. | |
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Across the County
Hundreds more volunteers were engaged in MLK Day service projects conducted at various locations across the County, including:
- Silver Spring Civic Building
- Gwendolyn Coffield Community Recreation Center
- Mid-County Community Recreation Center
- Bauer Drive Community Recreation Center
- Germantown Community Recreation Center
- Damascus Community Recreation Center
- North Potomac Community Recreation Center
Remember this type of option for next year!
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Group pic of MLK Day volunteers at the Damascus Community Recreation Center, where NEST4US hosted multiple projects. | |
MD Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Woods and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Tanya Bradsher stopped by North Potomac and participated with Montgomery Hospice in making blankets for veterans in hospice care. | |
These event staff members earned SSL hours AND got to hang out with Warrior Canine Connection's "representative." | |
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QUICK TIPS
Perky Penguin is back to remind readers that hyperlinks for more information are provided in this newsletter in light blue italics. Many links take you to the Volunteer Center website, which contains hundreds of volunteer opportunities complete with search filters to help you find the ones that interest you the most. The calendar is a great way to make plans, too. Thoughts and suggestions are welcome, and our suggestion box is always open.
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FIND YOUR VOLUNTEER NICHE | |
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Montgomery County Volunteer Center Staff
Faith McNeill, Volunteer Center Manager
Lindsay Niemoller, AmeriCorps Seniors/RSVP Manager
Sandy Smith, Outreach Manager & "Make a Difference" Host
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