Each month Hands on Charlotte receives information on a wide variety of volunteer opportunities in addition to our monthly volunteer projects. Many of these opportunities do not fit our guidelines for monthly projects or are only one-time events. If you are interested in volunteering, please call the contact person directly.

These projects are not managed by Hands On Charlotte and do not have a project coordinator in charge. To post a volunteer need, please send an email with your volunteer listing to Dougm@handsoncharlotte.org

SPECIAL EVENTS:

The Arc of Mecklenburg is proud to sponsor Safe Fest in our community. An event that will provide families of children with special needs an opportunity to learn how to stay safe. The event will teach parents and their children how to access community safety programs, and services, obtain information about various safety services and proper techniques for everyday safety. Community vendors, police and fire departments, along with community agencies and professionals will be present. This event takes place at Independence Park on Saturday, May 10 from 10 am until 2 pm. For more information please call 704 332-4535.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Senior Games are athletic contests for athletes 55 years of age and older, being held at various sites up through May 15. There is a need for volunteers on Saturday, May 10, at Nevin Community Park to help with the 5k run, bocce, horseshoes and shuffleboard. Several different shifts are available, and any volunteer under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, contact Lori Saylor at 704-336-5478 or Lori.Saylor@mecklenburgcountync.gov.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina is looking for volunteers to assist with the Letter Carriers Food Drive on Saturday, May 10. Volunteers can follow letter carriers and pick up food along their mail route or sort donations at one of the drop off sites. For more information contact Shay Merritt at 704 375-9639 ext. 29 or smerritt@secondharvest.org.

The Girl Scouts, Hornets¹ Nest Council is in need of volunteers for their first Thin Mint Sprint scheduled for May 10, 2008 at Carowinds. Volunteers will help at water stations, registration tables, cheer from the course sidelines, etc. Volunteers should arrive at Carowinds by 6:00am on May 10th and will finish by 9:00am. There is discounted admission to the park and lunch that day for any race volunteers. More info on the race is online here: http://www.hngirlscouts.org/news/detail.asp?news_id=36 or contact Taryn Rimland at 704-731-6556

KaBOOM: On Wednesday, May 14, Hands On Charlotte will be working with our friends from The Home Depot to build a new playground at Elon Homes for Children in south Charlotte. The playground‹as designed by the kids at Elon Homes‹has an auto racing theme, and it¹s very possible that a NASCAR celebrity or two will participate in the construction effort. The project begins at 8am and ends at 3pm, and you must be at least 18 years old to volunteer. If you¹d like to join in the effort, please contact Doug Macomb at DougM@handsoncharlotte.org for additional details.

Chantilly Montessori Elementary School is hosting Flutter Fest - Fall Festival on Saturday, May 31, 2008 from 12:30 unitl 5:30pm. Volunteer activities include helping the children prep in the races/games area, monitoring the moonbounces, petting zoo, pony rides, karaoke stage and mural painting, handling the refreshments, being a runner with supplies and set up and take down activities. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Cheryl Habrat via email dchabrat@bellsouth.net or by phone 704.344.9417.

The Historic Badin Triathlon takes place Saturday, June 7th. The race will benefit the free long term residential recovery programs for homeless or about to be homeless adult men and women of the Charlotte Rescue Mission. Badin is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is described as a "French-Flavored town at the foot of the Uwharries". The area includes nearby Morrow Mountain State Park and the Uwharrie National Forest and is known as the Central Park of North Carolina. The historic nature of the town and the beautiful surrounding area make it a great venue for a triathlon. To volunteer please contact Gary Kauffman at 704 334-4635 ext. 208 or garyk@charlotterescuemission.org.

Festival in the Park is organizing an inaugural Youth Talent Showcase to be held at Charlotte's Freedom Park on September 18-21, 2008. We need volunteers now and up until the festival to help plan the event, which will involve collaborating with school systems, local arts groups and others to help Charlotte see the talent our local kids have. If you are looking for a fun and creative volunteer opportunity, this is it! To learn more about Festival in the Park, which has been part of Charlotte's history for over 40 years, see . (http://www.festivalinthepark.org/)For more information about how to get involved, contact Anne Irwin Ward at 704.996.5649 or anneirwinward@gmail.com.

ONGOING PROJECTS:

2xSalt's Faith, Hope, and Love Afterschool Mentoring Program is looking for volunteers to come and mentor a child one hour a day once a week, Mondary through Thursday. Faith, Hope and Love is an after school program that serves CMS students K - 5 by providing free after school care in a safe and structured environment. The program uses Christ-centered leadership development lessons and activities as well as mentoring relationships with caring adults to positively impact youth in Charlotte. For more information contact FHL staff at 704 561-0705 or visit www.2xsalt.org.

Hospitality House: Hospitality House ‹ a home away from home for out-of-town family members with loved ones in Charlotte hospitals, needs volunteers to serve as hosts or hostesses). Hosts help greet guests, communicate between guests and hospitals, and serve as an information resource for guests. Shifts are available Monday through Friday, 9am ­ 1pm and 1pm ­ 5pm. They are also moving into their new house in February 2008 and would like new linens for their guests. To get more information, contact Anne Shoaf at 704-384-6058 or email hospitalityhouse@mindspring.com.

Citizens Schools at Eastway Middle School is looking for Math Tutors. Volunteers can help approximately one hour, twice a week from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Volunteers must be motivated to help students learn and have some experience in math education or tutoring. All volunteers must also pass a background check. For more information contact Lisa Carter at 704-780-5840.

Friendship Trays: This organization, which provides prepared meals for individuals who have difficulty providing for themselves, is in need of volunteer drivers to help deliver meals to its elderly, handicapped and convalescing clients. Meals are delivered Monday through Friday between 11:15am and 1:15pm. For further details and information, please contact Terry Taylor-Allen at 704-333-9229.

Metrolina Association for the Blind: The organization has several volunteer opportunities available for interested individuals. These include: Friendly Visiting ­ reading, talking, running errands for or just visiting with visually impaired individuals; Taping ­ reading letters, recipes, articles or novels into a recorder for use by people with visual impairments; or House Work ­ helping with small repairs or yard work for visually impaired residents. For more information, please contact Kelly Austin at 704-887-5129 or kaustin@mabnc.org.

Storytime Sharers: Energetic, entertaining volunteers over the age of 18 are needed Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 p.m. to read and tell stories to kindergarten through second-grade classes at The School at Thompson. The School is part of Thompson Child & Family Focus, which serves children with emotional and behavioral issues as a result of abuse and neglect. All you need to participate is the ability to share a story with expression and enthusiasm. For more information or to sign up, contact Rachel Eldridge, Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 704-536-0375 ext. 252, or reldridge@thompsoncff.org.

RAIN: The Regional AIDS Interfaith Network is seeking volunteers to join the organization's "CareTeam" program. Participants provide transportation and other types of assistance (cleaning, yard work, laundry, etc.), to people living with HIV/AIDS. Special training is provided by RAIN, and is required for all volunteers. For more information, contact Lauren Fayish, Program Coordinator, at 704-372-7246 (x117) or l.fayish@carolinarain.org.