Montgomery County Volunteer News

Montgomery County

Volunteer News

volunteer@montgomerycountymd.gov

240.777.2600

www.montgomeryserves.org

March 2024

IN THIS ISSUE (scroll down to "read all about it")

► HEAR YE: Spotlight on...your favorite organization!

► MONTGOMERY SERVES AWARDS 2024

► SPOTLIGHT ON: AmeriCorps Seniors!

► GIVEAWAYS

► MAKE A DIFFERENCE: AARP Tax-Aide

PLUS

► QUICK TIPS

► FIND YOUR VOLUNTEER NICHE (or help someone else find theirs)

Spotlight on...!

We want to showcase your favorite organizations in the Volunteer News and have created the Spotlight series to do just that. This e-newsletter reaches tens of thousands of people in the County who like to volunteer. If your organization wants a bit of publicity and/or has an upcoming activity to promote, please pass this along to your group's leadership or staff. We would love to hear from them!

To request a spotlight article, authorized representatives should complete this brief form by the 5th of the month.

—From the Volunteer Center Staff

MONTGOMERY SERVES AWARDS 2024

Nominations for the Montgomery Serves Awards (MSAs) 2024 open on March 1. If you know of individuals, businesses or groups that have gone above and beyond to serve our community in 2023, as well as people 60 years and older who have performed a lifetime of volunteer service, please nominate them!

MSAs are the County's highest honors for volunteerism and are awarded annually. The awards are:

Volunteer of the Year: for an individual, in recognition of volunteer service performed in 2023.
Youth Volunteer of the Year: for a volunteer aged 18 or younger for service in 2023.
Volunteer Group of the Year: for a group or team of two or more people who volunteered together on the same project(s) in 2023.
Business Volunteer of the Year: for community service by a corporation in 2023.
Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award: presented to two residents, aged 60 and up, in honor of their lifetime of volunteer service.

Here is the link for details and guidelines to prepare and submit MSA nominations. A panel will review the nominations submitted and select the honorees, who will be honored at an awards ceremony on June 25. Click here to check out the honorees from 2023!

The deadline for nominations is March 29. Questions? Email serviceawards@montgomerycountymd.gov or call the Montgomery County Volunteer Center at 240-777-2600.

SPOTLIGHT ON: AmeriCorps Seniors

The Volunteer Center is proud to host AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers through our RSVP program. Dedicated AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers now serve:

With our partners at AARP Tax-Aide . (See the Make a Difference story below!)
As B one B u ilders leaders.
And at the Montgomery County Volunteer Center.*

Volunteers use their talents and life experiences to become part of a network of volunteers aged 55+ who are helping in our community. In addition to helping others, they get assistance finding ideal volunteer opportunities, complimentary liability and injury insurance while volunteering and volunteer recognition.

Contact Lindsay Niemoller at Lindsay.Niemoller@MontgomeryCountyMD.gov for more information about these opportunities.

* The Volunteer Center has various and evolving support needs. Check out this page on the MontgomeryServes website for current ones.

AmeriCorps Week: March 10-16

Montgomery County is happy to be part of the national AmeriCorps program, which is celebrating 30 years of service this year. AmeriCorps Week, an annual salute to the more than 1.2 million Americans who have served their country through AmeriCorps, will be observed from March 10-16 this year. Check out the AmeriCorps Week web page for ideas about how to recognize, promote and engage with AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers.

AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps provides opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to serve their country, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, and improve lives and communities.

GIVEAWAYS

AaaaaaCHOOO! One of our partners is looking to rehome 17 plexiglass tabletop sneeze guards to organizations in need. These guards have been used very little and have removable feet and a transaction window. Each sneeze guard is 24x30 inches and stores flat. Please reach out to Lindsay.Niemoller@MontgomeryCountyMD.gov with questions or to arrange for pick-up.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE: AARP Tax-Aide

It's Tax Season Again!

Sandy Smith hosts Make A Difference - the show about how volunteers are making a difference every day in Montgomery County. In the February episode, Sandy talks with Mark Willen, a volunteer from the AARP Tax-Aide program, about how they provide free assistance to people with filing their taxes. The program has sites in 14 locations around the county. The basics are in the box below. For more information, go to the Tax-Aide page on MontgomeryServes or call 240-777-2577.

You can view the interview here. The full Make a Difference series is available on Montgomery County Cable TV.

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.

FIND YOUR VOLUNTEER NICHE

New opportunities are posted often on the Volunteer Center website—MontgomeryServes—and there are many ways to search. You can try different combinations of filters to find the best volunteer fit for you. And share exciting links and opportunities with others.

Here is a set of quick links for more information:

Search for Volunteer Opportunities

Student Service Learning - SSL

50+ Volunteer Network

Volunteer Opportunities for Groups

Search by Organization

Court - Ordered Service

Days of Service (including MLK Day and much more)

Montgomery County Volunteer Center

volunteer@montgomerycountymd.gov

240-777-2600

www.montgomeryserves.org

Montgomery County Volunteer Center Staff

Faith McNeill, Volunteer Center Manager

Lindsay Niemoller, AmeriCorps Seniors/RSVP Manager

Sandy Smith, Outreach Manager & "Make a Difference" Host