Help manage tech support for helpline, train other volunteers in using telephone/video apps, troubleshooting installation, and setting up conference registrations.
Many families are still struggling due to the COVID-19 shut down, with food assistance continually being one of the most requested needs. For the past seven years Lake Area United Way has held PackaPalooza, a volunteer project to pack thousands of nutritious meals for families in need, but due to the current pandemic the event had to be reconfigured in order to meet social distancing guidelines. This year the event will take place in the form of a community wide food drive to raise high-protein, shelf stable food.
From June 29th-July 31st you can donate shelf-stable, high-protein foods like peanut butter, other nut/seed butters, beans, canned meats like tuna and chicken, rice, and pasta. You can purchase and donate premade bags with these items for $5, $10, or $20 at your neighborhood Strack & Van Til grocery store. Individual items can also be dropped off at any Crossroads YMCA location, and the East Chicago, Cedar Lake, and Gary Boys & Girls Clubs. Donations to the Boys & Girls Club locations can be made between 7am-6pm, but you must call in advance of dropping off food. The Cedar Lake club number is 219-374-5306, the East Chicago club is 219-398-1344, and the Gary club’s number is 219-885-5501.
Training Corner
As things start to open up again, some organizations are considering reopening to volunteers which means more opportunities will be posted on volunteerlakecounty.org. When you sign up to volunteer for a project on the site, the volunteer coordinator receives an email with your contact information so they can reach out to you if they need to before the project. When you register for a project you will also receive an email with the contact information for your project coordinator. You'll receive a reminder email with the same information a day or two before your project.
Given the social distancing guidelines we all have to follow, it is more important than ever that project coordinators have accurate information about their volunteers.
Many projects will have strict capacity limits. This means it is vital that you register everyone that intends to participate in the project. Please do not bring any unregistered volunteers with you unless you have cleared it with the project coordinator.
If you are not able to participate in a project you have registered for, please be sure to let your project coordinator know ahead of time so they can make plans accordingly. You can do this in a number of ways. The first is to email them using the email included in your registration/reminder email to let them know. The second is to simply log into your account on the site and under your My Account tab there will be a button next to the project that allows you to remove yourself. This will automatically send your project coordinator an email and remove you from the project in the system.
If you have questions about the project, need to remove yourself from the project, or need to contact the project coordinator for any reason, please do not reply to the automatic registration email or event reminder email. That is auto generated from the site. Please respond to the project coordinator's email which can be found in the body of said email. This will ensure that your questions can be answered in a timely fashion by the person best able to answer them.
