Volunteer

Used clothing home pick up, 914 963 4453.  We take:  Men`s, Women`s, Children`s Clothing, Shoes (all seasons), toys, books, towels, blankets, curtains, and sheets.  Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Family Services of Westchester distributes items to needy families throughout Westchester or sells them to benefit the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program.  In addition to home pick ups, you can drop off your clothing at any of these locations: Westchester Natural Cleaners, 405 Bedford Road, Armonk.  Manara Laundromat, 544 E. Main Street, Mount Kisco.  Mt. Kisco Mobil, 120 N. Bedford Rd., Mt. Kisco.  Collection Office, 9 Romaine Avenue, Yonkers.  Office hours 9am-6pm Monday through Friday, 914 963 4453.  Big Brothers, Big Sisters is the oldest mentoring program in the nation and the only one of its kind in Westchester.  Our unique service matches adult volunteers to children of single parent families.  Professional staff provide careful screening, training, and supervision to ensure that volunteers and children enjoy all of the rewards of the relationship.

The Blood Donor Center is open every weekday 8:45 am – 4:00 pm.  Saturday hours are available.  Donors must be 17 – 75 years of age, in good health and weight at least 110 lbs.  Appointments are recommended. Call 914-681-1056.  For more information on upcoming community blood drives, call 914-681-1056.  White Plains Hospital Center, 41 East Post Road, White Plains, NY.

Turn your celebration into funds for causes you care about!
Giving is always better than receiving. That’s the inspiration behind Charity Panda, a website you can use to raise funds for your favorite charities. Make giving part of your next celebration: a child’s birthday party, a holiday gathering, a dinner party, or any other memorable milestone event.  With Charity Panda, it’s easy:  You invite guests to your event and ask them to donate to your chosen charity in lieu of gifts. Their donations will be tax deductible, and Charity Panda takes care of everything electronically– from personalized invitations and reminders to thank you notes.  To learn more, visit www.charitypanda.com — and plan some FUNraising  today!

English and bilingual speaking volunteers can help prevent child abuse and neglect as a Parent Aide if they are over 21 years old, can give two hours a week and make a one year time commitment. Other volunteer opportunities include grant writers, community speakers, fundraisers, group leaders and administrative/office helpers. A one-hour orientation is a prelude to our 12-hour training. Call Linda Paver (914) 997-2642 for information.

United Way of Westchester and Putnam Seeks Foster Parents: United Way of Westchester and Putnam Seeks Foster Parents: Have you ever considered being a foster parent but aren’t sure where to start? There are hundreds of foster care children in Westchester County who are in need of a safe, temporary home. Learn more about foster care, eligibility or sign up for an orientation by calling United Way’s 2-1-1 helpline. Visit uwwp.org/ for more information.

Make a difference in the life of a Fresh Air Child this summer!  Volunteer to Host a New York City Child.  Sign up NOW to make a difference in a Fresh Air child’s life! Volunteer with The Fresh Air Fund to make the summer of 2012 memorable for an inner-city child and host family. Each summer, over 4,000 children visit volunteer host families in rural, suburban, and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada. Fresh Air Fund volunteers simply want to share their homes with city children and introduce them to the joys of suburban or country life. Families find hosting so rewarding that more than 65 percent of all Fresh Air children are reinvited to visit the same host families year after year. First-time Fresh Air visitors are six to 12 years old and Fresh Air hosts range from young families to grandparents. All it takes is the willingness to welcome a New York City child to your community.  Local Fresh Air Fund committee members recruit host families, reach out to the community and coordinate fun activities for families and children.  Fresh Air volunteers need your help to create another fun-filled summer for children from New York City’s low-income communities, such as eight-year-old Justin of Brooklyn. “We made hot dogs and s’mores over the fire. I’ve never cooked outside before!”   For more information on how you can join your local Fresh Air volunteer team or become a volunteer host this summer, call The Fresh Air Fund at (800) 367-0003 or LaShika Walker at ext. 8962. You can also learn more about the Volunteer Host Family Program by visiting The Fresh Air Fund online at www.freshair.org.

Friends of Karen needs gifts cards to A&P, ShopRite, Stop & Shop and Pathmark. Pantry items including paper towels, tissues, Purell, antiseptic hand wipes, baby wipes and diapers in sizes 4,5, and 6 are always needed. Gift cards to McDonald`s, Dunkin` Donuts and Starbucks are a treat for our children in the hospital and also a pick-me-up for their parents. If your children have “too many” toys, please consider hosting their next birthday party to benefit our toy pantry. We are always in need of brand new toys, including Lego sets and other building toys, baby dolls for 2-year-olds, board games for 12+, Klutz books, decorative items for bedrooms (pillows, lava lamps, digital clocks, novelty lamps) and scrapbooking sets. For more than 30 years, Friends of Karen has provided financial, emotional and advocacy support to families with children from birth to 21 years of age with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses living in the tri-state area. Call 914.277.4547.  Visit www.friendsofkaren.org.

Furniture Sharehouse collects your gently-used furniture and makes sure it gets directly to needy Westchester families who are moving out of homeless shelters, escaping domestic violence, reuniting after foster care or recovering from personal or natural disasters. Since 2007, they have distributed over 21,000 items free of charge to over 4,200 individuals, half of them children, helping them fill their empty apartments and stabilize their lives.  The need is great, and the waiting list for an appointment is six-weeks long, so please consider donating your furniture and/or making a monetary donation to help us “make a house a home” for Westchester families.  www.furnituresharehouse.org

Hospice Care in Westchester and Putnam has volunteer opportunities available in Patient/Family Care, The Caring Circle: working with grieving children and their families in a support group, office support, Nursing Home visits and also Community Outreach and Fundraising. For more information please contact Allison LaRose at (914) 666-4228 ext 211.

Meals on Wheels needs volunteer drivers for the mid-day delivery of meals to elderly homebound residents. The greatest need is for drivers for Thursdays and Fridays. For more information, please call the Bedford Recreation Office at 914.666.7004.

Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic is the leading provider of reproductive health services for over 75 years. Our mission is to empower individuals to determine their own sexual health and reproductive futures. Volunteer opportunities are available in all departments and our 12 health centers in Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, and Suffolk counties. Make a difference and join our volunteers to further our mission. For information about opportunities please contact Ellen Blonstein, Volunteer Manager, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, Inc., 175 Tarrytown Road, White Plains, NY 10607, Phone: 914.220.1025, Email ellen.blonstein@pphp.org. Visit Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic at www.pphp.org.

We welcome volunteers of all ages for help with office tasks, special events, and community outreach. Our office is located in Yorktown Heights, while events and community outreach can occur in other communities in Westchester, Putnam and nearby counties. To learn more about our organization, visit our website www.supportconnection.org. To learn about volunteer opportunities or to obtain a volunteer form, click on the “volunteer” link on our home page, or call us at 914-962-6402.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service. With more than two million volunteers nationwide, the American Cancer Society is one of the oldest and largest voluntary health agencies in the United States.  More than two million volunteers carry out the Society`s mission of eliminating cancer and improving quality of life for those individuals facing the disease. These dedicated volunteers donate their time and talents to further cancer research; educate the public about early detection and prevention; advocate for responsible cancer legislation in the local, state, and federal governments; and serve cancer patients and their families as they manage their cancer experience. American Cancer Society, 2 Lyon Place, White Plains, NY 10601; To locate an American Cancer Society office in your area or for cancer information call 1.800.ACS.2345 or visit   www.cancer.org

The Community Center of Northern Westchester needs food, volunteers, seasonal clothing, maternity clothes, and financial support. Adult volunteers are needed to receive donations of food and clothing, and to staff the Food Market and Clothing Boutique. Shifts are 10-1 and 1-4 Tuesday through Friday and 10-1 on Saturday. Children between 10 and 13 may volunteer if accompanied by a responsible adult (parent, troop leader or teacher.) Teens may arrange for community service credits with the Assistant Director by calling 232-6572. Katonah Community Center, 84 Bedford Road, Katonah, NY 10536.

We have been your source for excellence in community theatre since local residents founded the group in 1987. Each season we present two main stage productions and our free SECOND SUNDAY PLAY READING series every other month. Our home is Conant Hall, 257 Westchester Ave., Pound Ridge, a charming former church, and seating is cabaret style. Here friends and families can eat together and watch one of our stellar performances! Visit our website for details about our current season: www.prtc01.org or email us with your suggestions and comments: prtc01@yahoo.com  WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS. If you have a few hours, days, talents to give, please contact us by email. Sherry Asch, President, PRTC

The Sharing Shelf is a nonprofit organization affiliated with Family Services of Westchester, which collects new and gently used children`s clothing and other basic children`s items, such as strollers, school supplies and car seats.  We distribute clothing to children in need at no cost to the children or their families.  Agencies, teachers, social workers, religious leaders, and others serving low income families may register with The Sharing Shelf to access our supplies for their clients.  The Sharing Shelf seeks donations of clothing and basic essentials for newborn through age 18.  We accept new or gently used clothing, pajamas, shoes, baby supplies, strollers, pack-n-plays, high chairs, unopened toys/diapers/wipes, bedding/linens, sheets, towels, blankets, new school or art supplies and backpacks, new or gently used children books, and coats, boots, hats and gloves in the winter.  Items donated should be gently used, please no rips, tears, holes, stains, etc.  To get involved or to make a donation, call 914.937.2320 x 148 or email thesharingshelf@gmail.com.

On any given day of the year, somewhere in our own community, a family goes hungry, a child struggles to succeed in the classroom, a woman tries to flee an abusive relationship, an older adult suffers alone, a displaced worker requires a fresh skills set. Your donation ensures a volunteer match can be made every day, 365 days a year. Your support of The Volunteer Center makes it possible for a volunteer to respond to those in need, even as the needs grow stronger. Contributions from individuals – such as yourself – help The Volunteer Center to make meaningful volunteer connections. We identify the needs in the community and match them with dedicated individuals eager to serve. Last year, The Volunteer Center engaged more than 18,000 volunteers who helped over 500 local nonprofits fulfill their missions to improve the quality of life for residents in Westchester and Putnam Counties.  Every dollar you donate generates seven dollars in services to your community. Visit www.volunteer-center.org

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) involves kids in community service.  Community service projects WJCS sponsors that are a good fit for young people include:  Have-a-Heart for the Holidays Gift Drive to fulfill the wishes of children who come from disadvantaged circumstances.  Waiting to Read — collecting new or gently-used children`s books that are distributed to WJCS Mental Health Clinics throughout the county. Children in the waiting rooms are invited to read a book and take it home.  Mitzvah Baskets — event centerpieces made of baskets filled with items that can be used by our consumers such as school supplies, toiletries, non-perishable food and Do Us a Favor — a contribution made to WJCS in lieu of providing favors.   Anyone interested in participating in any of these projects, can contact Meryl Lewis, WJCS Volunteer Resource Coordinator at 761-0600 X222.  We also sponsor Operation Mitzvah, which provides pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah children with a community service/mitzvot project and Tikkun Olam which involves teens in projects aimed at “repairing the world.” Susan Kronish coordinates Operation Mitzvah and Tikkun Olam and can be reached at 949-7699 X319.

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) is issuing a “Clothes Call” for Pass It On Kid’s Kloset, a WJCS program that provides new and gently-used children’s clothes and essentials to local families in need. An all-volunteer effort, Kid’s Kloset relies on donations of children’s clothes, diapers and strollers to pass on to families who cannot afford them.  Kid’s Kloset is located at 170 East Post Road (White Plains) in a space donated by WJCS Board member Roy Stillman of Stillman Management. Clothing donations can be dropped off by appointment by contacting 914-831-7616 or kidskloset@wjcs.com.  For more information about Pass It On Kid’s Kloset, go to www.wjcs.com/KidsKloset.

The WJCS Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) is currently recruiting part-time visitors, who receive a stipend, for the new program year (October – May).  This meaningful and exciting work requires a minimum commitment of nine hours per week. Although Home Visitors’ hours are flexible, attendance is required at weekly staff/training meetings held on Wednesday mornings at WJCS, 141 North Central Avenue, Hartsdale. Staff Training will be held the first week of October.  For 40 years the Parent-Child Home Program has been serving low-income families in White Plains, Port Chester, New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, Greenburgh and Mt. Vernon. Visitors call on parents and children in their homes for a half hour, twice weekly, beginning when the child is about two years old. Each week, the Home Visitor brings a book or toy and in the comfort of the family’s home, parent, child and home visitor participate in fun and stimulating activities using the book or toy. The Home Visitor models verbal interaction – reading, conversation, and play – designed to develop language and literacy skills.  Home Visitors need no special educational background but must have a personality suited to home visiting and working with parents and toddler-aged children. Prior to beginning home visits, Home Visitors participate in 16 hours of training.  For further information, contact PCHP Director Patrice Cuddy at 914-949-7699 ext. 324 or pcuddy@wjcs.com.

Come join the WPHC Volunteers Services team!  Call 914-681-1225 for details. White Plains Hospital Center (WPHC) is a 292-bed voluntary, not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of offering high quality, acute health care and preventive medical care to all people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas.  Centers of Excellence include the Dickstein Cancer Treatment Center, The William & Sylvia Silberstein Neonatal & Maternity Center, The Ruth and Jerome A. Siegel Stroke Center and The Westchester Orthopaedic Institute.  The Hospital has the busiest Emergency Department in Westchester County, treating more than 45,000 patients a year.  White Plains Hospital Center is a six-time winner of the Consumer Choice Award, an honor given to the nation’s top hospitals by the National Research Corporation. WPHC is a member of the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System and the Stellaris Health Network, Inc.  For additional information, visit www.wphospital.org.