CURRENT ISSUE
Volume 7 No. 4

November 2009

The Center for Service Learning is your resource for connecting with community service opportunities.

Every month we compile and distribute Of Service for the Rockhurst community to discover

opportunities for service. When calling to inquire about projects off campus, be sure to mention that

you’re from Rockhurst University. Also, don’t forget to complete and submit your service transcript

forms after completing projects. Thanks!

COMMUNITY SERVICE, ONE-DAY ONLY OPPORTUNITIES

CITY UNION MISSION needs help with its annual Stuff A Truck event.  Volunteers re needed Friday, November 13th (4pm-7pm), Saturday the 14th (10am-6pm) and on Sunday the 15th (noon to 6pm).  Shifts are three hours long, whenever volunteers are available to serve.  Contact Parks at 816-329-1487 or by email at parks.sims@cumission.org.

2009 Visitation Auction needs help with setting up for their auction on Thursday, November 12th (4pm-7pm). This would include unloading and setting up tables and chairs, and they need 10 or more people to help. They also need help on Friday, November 13th (9am-4pm) with running errands and setting up the silent auction. On Friday, November 13th (5:30pm-10pm) they need help serving food and beverages at the auction. Still on Friday, November 13th (11pm-2am) they need at least 10 volunteers to help clean up and tear down the auction. On Saturday, November 14th (9am-Noon), they need help with the final clean up that wasn’t done on Friday night. If interested in helping at any of these events, please contact Maria Pence via phone (816) 916-4551 or via email at mariatdugan@yahoo.com. Volunteer registration is no later than Friday, November 6th.

Operation Bread Basket needs volunteers to help distribute marked bags at area grocery stores and ask customers to support Harvesters by purchasing an extra canned good or two. The volunteers will work in two-hour shifts, which are available on Nov. 7-8th and Nov. 14-15th. The shifts are 9-11 am, 11-2 pm, and 1-3pm. If interested, please call 816-929-3090 OR email volunteer@harvesters.org.

Winter Chill Craft Team is looking for people to help make small gifts to give aware at the Winter Chill holiday party hosted by Associated Youth Services. Volunteers are also needed to wrap boxes to be filled with donated food to provide to their neediest families. The time commitment is two to three hours on day before Thanksgiving break, and the hours are flexible. If interested, please contact Karen Rohrer at 913-831-2820 or email KRohrer@aysusa.org

Pack Empowerment Project 2009, Is your group looking to get involved by donating items? If so Don Bosco High School Girls’ Basketball team is looking for new or used basketball shoes, women basketballs size 28.5 x 10, and motivational speakers. If interested, please contact Amos “Coach J” Johnson III at 816-691-2900 option 2 ext. 2103 OR AJohnson@donbosco.org

Westside Can Center is looking for donations of toilette paper, men’s winter coats, winter gloves, winter hats, boots, used blankets or sleeping bag, and rice, beans, cooking oil, canned tomatoes, and garlic. If your group is looking to service the community, this option may be yours. If interested, please contact Lynda Callon at westcan@crn.org

Tulips on Troost—Planting and Bake Sale Day! Volunteers are needed to help plant tulips along Troost and sell bake sale goods at Coffee Break on November 7 and 14th. The planting runs from 10am-Noon, and the bake sale runs from 10am-2pm. People will meet at 54th and Troost, across the street at Coffee Break. In you are interested, sign up at www.troostavenue.com or if you would like more information, please contact Maureen at Maureen@tulipsontroost.com.

COMMUNITY SERVICE, ON-GOING OPPORTUNITIES:

Girl Scout Troop Leaders Needed! Are you interested in helping to lead a Girl Scout troop? If so, there is a troop of 23 Latinas and 2 Africans that are desperately trying to find some leaders. They are in 5-7th grade, and they meet every other Friday from 4-5:30pm. Some Spanish would be helpful, but it is not mandatory. If you are interested, please contact Pauline E. Rios at (816)-358-8755 ext. 3113 OR by email at PaulineRios@girlscoutsksmo.org

St. Matthew’s Church offers English as a Second Language classes Monday and Wednesday’s from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. They are looking for volunteers to help teach English and to help with child care. For more information please contact Brenda Laney (816) 217-7823 or by email at brenda.laney@rockhurst.edu

The Ronald McDonald House Charities provides a home away from home for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.  RMHC needs volunteers to adopt a shift in one of two houses, twice  a month or once a week throughout the year.  If you would like more information about these opportunities please contact Megan Harding at (816) 842-8321. Ext. 101 or via email at mharding@rmhckc.org.

The Kansas City Urban Youth Center empowers youth with resources to develop faith, character, knowledge, and skills.  The Center could use volunteers/mentors to help with the following activities daily programming, basketball coaching, IT, health programming, and grading.  For more information, contact Jared Willemin at (816) 221-1002 or via email at jared@kcurbanyouthcenter.org.

St. James Place is a food pantry and soup kitchen that services the community around Rockhurst University.  St. James can always use volunteers to help clean, cook, and serve diner.  For more information, please contact Mike Mathews at (816) 561-8515 or via email at mmathews@bishopsullivan.org.

KC Wildlands/Bridging the Gap promotes conservation, protections and restoration of the natural communities of the Kansas City region.  Currently, Bridging the Gap is looking for people to help plant trees across the metro.  Everyone is invited to help plant 25-50 trees on public property. Training is provided prior to planting.  For more information, contact Angel Schreffler at (816) 561-1061, ext. 110 or via email at angela.schreffler@bridgingthegap.org.

Hip Hop for Health Fairs needs volunteers (age 18+) to help youth complete evaluation forms and assist staff nurses by conducting basic health screenings. All training is on site, and group scheduling is available.  The fairs are on Fridays (7:30am-3:00pm) at various Wyadotte County schools. For more information, contact Karen Rohrer, (913) 831-2820, or krohrer@aysusa.org.

Community Recycling Centers help reduce landfill trash and conserve resources.  The centers are open each week and are almost completely staffed by volunteers.  Scheduling is flexible and groups can be scheduled for Saturdays. To learn more, contact Amy Smith at (816) 561-1090 or by email at amy.smith@bridgingthegap.org.

Reach Out And Read, Kansas City needs volunteers to help encourage reading to youth, by reading to children in the waiting rooms of pediatric offices, helping prepare book-bags to kindergarteners, collection and processing book donations, as well as designing posters to advertise special events.  Most activities only require about an hour per week, with flexible scheduling.  Call 913-588-2793 or email reachoutandread@kumc.edu to learn more.

Catholic Community Hospice is looking for compassionate young people to assist with 11th Hour needs, to help provide a calm and peaceful environment for the elderly or terminally sick.  This is an on-call assignment and serves private residences and well as nursing homes in the Johnson, Wyandotte, and Jackson Counties.  Training provided, and prior experience with sick and elderly is preferred.  To become involved, call or email Carla Golden, 913-433-2020 or cgolden@ccsks.org.

Newhouse Women’s Shelter needs volunteers for several positions such as receptionist, assistant, skills trainer, and others such as special events volunteers.  All training provided.  Please call 816-474-6446 to learn more.

Gordon Parks Elementary School would like volunteers to mentor children and assist teachers in the classroom.  Must be consistent.  Call 816-753-6700 for more information about available positions.

Kansas City Rescue Mission needs individual or group volunteers for an array of jobs in the dining facilities, food pantry, laundry room and sorting, in the medical clinic, and in the ministry services, as well as in the educational facilities as tutors.  To become involved, call Carey Sheldon at 816-421-7643.

The Kansas City Symphony is looking for volunteers to help with several activities such as the Petting Zoo project which exposes young people to the world of music by explaining the different instruments of the orchestra, as well as ushers for various shows throughout the year to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the patrons that support the Symphony.  Call 816-471-1100 to learn more.

The Salvation Army, one of the most recognized charitable organizations in the nation, needs reading tutors to help promote literacy in the Kansas City youth. Call Betsy Baird at 816-756-1455.

On-Going Tutoring Opportunities

Associated Youth Services exists to advance the social, educational, health and overall success of youth and their families. AYS is seeking volunteer tutors to commit to weekly sessions through out the school year. For more information, please contact Lauren Eckhard, 913-831-2820 ext. 218.

Cristo Rey Kansas City High School is a private, Catholic college prep high school that provides an education to culturally diverse students with economic need. Volunteers are needed to tutor students and to help with various administrative tasks.  For more information, contact Diane Charity at (816) 457-6044 or via email at dcharity@cristoreykc.org and visit their website at http://www.cristoreykc.org/.

Operation Breakthrough strives to help children who are living in poverty develop to their fullest potential by providing them a safe, loving, and educational environment.  Volunteers are needed to read to preschoolers, tutor school-age children, mentor children who would benefit from spending time with a caring adult. To find out how you can help contact Debbie Skaggs (Debbie@operationbreakthrough.org) or David Jaeger (David@operationbreakthrough.org) at (816) 329-5233.

Genesis Middle School needs volunteers to help tutor students in grades 5-9 in Reading, Communication Arts, and Math as schedules allow. Tutors are needed Monday through Thursday between 9am-2pm, and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3pm-5pm. If interested, go to www.genesisschool.org to learn more about this school, and email Keith Brown at kbrown@genesisschool.org or 816-245-5107 or 816-564-0786.

Interested in helping adult learn better computer skills? Volunteer wanted to help teach computer skills. If you are interested, please contact Julia Vargas at julia.vargas@rockhurst.edu

Upper- Room—One to One Challenge is looking for volunteers to help children in the Kansas City community improve their reading scores. The group meets at various locations and usually from 4pm-5pm. If interested, please contact Colleen McEvoy via phone at 913-339-8332 or by email at mcevoy.colleen@gmail.com

Learn Science and Math Club is looking for mentors to help with robotics team. They meet at the Rockhurst Community Center on Fridays from 9:30 am – 12: 00 pm. If interested, please contact Linda Jurkiewicz at 816-756-0500 or by email at lizzer@sbcglobal.net

Donnelly College Writing Center is looking from tutors for Monday-Thursday from 12-3pm. If interested, please contact Kim Gianakon at 913-621-8700 ext. 264 or by email at kgianakon@donnelly.edu

There are many opportunities to serve. Please visit the Center for Service Learning to find out more information about these or other local organizations.

Center for Service Learning  -- your resource for community service

Julia Vargas, director                                     Location: 208/ 210 Van Ackeren Hall

Marisa Hamm, VISTA member                        Telephone:     816.501.4545                          

                                                                                             816.501.4642              

http://www.rockhurst.edu/services/service

Join the Center For Service Learning facebook group in the Rockhurst network.                   

ABOUT OF SERVICE AND BACK ISSUES                                      

Of Service is the bi-weekly service opportunity newsletter produced by the Center for Service Learning. It lists current and upcoming service opportunities for the Rockhurst Community. Missed the previous Of Service newsletters?  Click here to review previous issues online.

For information about community service projects, please contact Julia Vargas at 816.501.4545 or julia.vargas@rockhurst.edu .