Three Great Ways To Get Involved In September

#1 Mentor A Student

With the arrival of the new school year, the City of Rockville needs volunteers for its Mentoring Program. Now entering its 16th year, this program gives adults and high school students a chance to work one-on-one with elementary and middle school students to help them develop their academic and social skills. Volunteers are placed at schools throughout Rockville. Businesses are encouraged to get involved by giving employees the flexibility to serve during the day.

From the City of Rockville’s Community Services:

Mentors are paired with students who share their general interests and strengths. The program is designed to improve the self-esteem and confidence of the students, to motivate them academically and in other avenues, assist them with problem solving, and teach life skills.

“Mentoring provides a wonderful experience for the volunteers and students,” said Cynthia Bangali. “Volunteers do not need any special skills; just a desire to listen and offer guidance, encouragement and friendship.”

The pair meets for one hour, one day each week after school from October through May. The mentors and mentees work in a group setting with other mentors and mentees.

High school students can earn Student Service Learning credit hours for their participation.

For more information, call Cynthia Bangali at 240-314-8317 or e-mail cbangali@rockvillemd.gov.

A an online application  and a video about the program are available.

#2 Volunteer on Patriot Day

President Obama amended the Patriot Day proclamation on September 10, 2009 to officially and permanently make 9/11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Visit the national site and search on Rockville to find participating groups. You can search by the type of organization such as civic, health, human services, or the arts. You can also sign up and share your good deed. “Reignite the spirit of unity and service that inspired Americans in the days after the September 11, 2001 tragedy.”

#3 Provide Ongoing Help To A Local Nonprofit

Community Ministries of Rockville
Community Ministries of Rockville (CMR) improves the quality of life for the most vulnerable residents by providing services to numerous community programs. Volunteers have been essential to providing these basic services. CMR seeks volunteers with many different skills such as for building repairs, computers, or administrative work. For more information please visit the Community Ministries of Rockville webiste or contact Lynn Arndt, the Director of Volunteer Services at (301) 637-0705 or lynnarndt@cmrocks.org

Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy
The Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy (MCAEL) is looking for a volunteer Professional Development Assistant. They need someone to assist with their Professional Development Institute, which provides training workshops and other support to program staff and instructors of the over fifty programs in Montgomery County that teach adult ESOL. The hours are flexible from home or in their office. The time demands will vary depending on when workshops are scheduled, but would generally be no more than 2-3 hours a week. Contact Rachel Glass at 301-881-1136 or rglass@mcael.org

Volunteers Honored For Their Service

Last night the City of Rockville thanked the volunteers who gave their time to all the many different boards, commissions, task forces, activities, events, and programs offered throughout the City. If you spent any time helping in any way, you received an invitation to the festivities on the lawn of Glenview Mansion.

All of the Mayor and Council were present. Many City staff, including City Manager Scott Ullery and Recreation and Parks Director Burt Hall, took the time to mingle and thank those who have helped. Although many of the efforts are ongoing, some are special one-time initiatives.

After posting yesterday’s Weekend to Weekend Pick, I had the pleasure of meeting the couple who are trying to get Rockville certified as a National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Habitat. What a coincidence and a treat!

About the same time she retired from the federal government, Anne Goodman attended the Legacy Leadership Institute which matched volunteers with a project and she worked with the Environmental Management Division. She and her husband, Jim Farrelly, discovered the National Wildlife Federation website and realized they could certify their backyard as a wildlife habitat. They decided to persuade people to work to clean up the water and raise plants through the program. Anne and Jim will be leading the backyard tour from Cryodon Creek Nature Center on September 11th and their yard will be on the tour. Register here by 9/4.

In order for a backyard to be certified it must have (3) sources of food, (1) source of water, (2) places to raise young, and (2) places to shelter. (The shelter and raising young places can be the same.) It’s that simple. The program encourages sustainable gardening with mulch, compost, and native plants.

This is only one example of how residents are volunteering. There are hundreds of different examples. Jim also sings in the Rockville Chorus, Rockville Singers, and the Men’s Chorus. Volunteers talked about helping at the Senior Center with bingo and the Young At Heart Club. Former City Councilmember Bob Dorsey serves on the Human Service Advisory Commission. Chas Hausheer works hard to bring information to the East Rockville Citizen’s Association. When you look out over the large crowd, the realization of how many volunteer hours have been contributed is always astounding.

As Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio said, “Thank you so much.”

Although the event is rain or shine, the evening’s weather was as pleasant as possible. Everyone was treated to a spectacular sunset on the way home. Did you see it?

Montgomery County Humane Society Seeks Board Members

Montgomery County Humane Society seeks board members

The Montgomery County Humane Society is looking for board members for the 2011-2013 term.

MCHS has served the community since 1958, working to create a community that supports animals and their value to human well-being, addresses animal mistreatment and overpopulation, and reduces reliance on institutional sheltering through responsible alternatives. MCHS handled more than 9,000 animals in 2009.

If you are interested in serving, you should submit a letter of application and resume to MCHS by Friday, September 24, 2010. Experience in strategic fundraising, capital campaigns, finance, law, and governance preferred. Plus, you need to be a MCHS member in good standing.

To apply or for more information, contact Stephanie Keyes, 14645 Rothgeb Drive, Rockville, MD 20850 or skeyes@mchumane.org or 240-773-5973.

Food Drive For Manna Food Center At Montgomery County Fair

Manna Food Center, Montgomery County's food bank

There’s a countywide food drive at the Montgomery County Fair in Gaitherburg Aug 13-21 for Manna Food Center.

Volunteers are collecting non-perishable food items at the entrance between the parking lot and the carnival area. Contributions will help re-stock the Manna Food Center, our local food bank, which fights hunger and feeds hope in Montgomery County. The need is greater than ever before.

If you forget to pick something up at the market, they’ll accept funds too!

“Please help us restock our shelves to prepare for what is predicted to be the most challenging winter yet for families in need of food assistance,” said Kim Damion, Manna’s executive director.

Fire and Rescue Volunteer Recruiting Station Is First In Country

Newly Opened MCVFRA Recruiting Station

Since 1922, the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association (MCVFRA) has been without a home. If you wanted to volunteer, you could call a hotline or a leader, but there was no central place to learn about the possibility of serving your community through one of the 19 separate, independent, fire and rescue corporations. When potential volunteers visited fire stations, career firefighters weren’t always able to direct them to the right source. All this has changed.

After looking for over two years for an appropriate space, MCVFRA opened a Recruiting Station in the heart of Rockville at 230 North Washington Street. Highly visible in the Town Center and centrally located in the County, the brand new Station acts as its own billboard to the community. In addition to the 1000 square foot Station on street level, the space includes 1500 square feet of offices on the 4th floor.

Executive Director Eric N. Bernard explained the Station is the first in the Country for recruiting volunteers and it’s working:

Our numbers are going up. They’re bucking a national trend. Since Memorial Day we have a couple of people a day stopping by. We’re receiving 10 to 12 applications a week.

The need for volunteers is never ending. Most serve for 3 to 5 years. Changing life situations create a revolving door. Volunteers get married or go to school. There’s always a need and this volunteer job takes a great deal of dedication.

Buddy Sutton and Eric Bernard

Board member Buddy Sutton from Laytonsville is an exception. He credit his 27 years of service to a “willingness to help people”. Many of the men in his family volunteered and he followed their lead. At first he only wanted to drive and serve on the fire truck but then he saw the opportunity to be a line officer. Volunteering can be fulfilling and help develop broader leadership skills:

If you want to be the best, you can do it.

The Cab Inside the Building

The Recruiting Station includes the front cab section of a real fire truck and soon the lights will be working. Two large screens show recruiting videos and fire scenes. Recruits can try on a full set of gear and attach a hose to a fire hydrant. The Station gives a recruit a feel for the job as well as the chance to speak with a volunteer about what it’s really like.

Young recruit

The office space on the upper floor allows for the storage of files and data on the number of volunteer hours logged, which can now be routinely collected. The space was necessary to provide an office for a new Recruitment and Retention Coordinator. MCVFRA received a four-year federal SAFER (Staffing Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant which enabled the Association to hire Jason Goldberg full-time.

Mr. Bernard summed up the meaning of volunteering with MCVFRA:

It’s all about tradition, service and honor.

Over 90% of the volunteer fire and rescue workers live in Montgomery County. These men and women are dedicated to our community because they live in our community. They spend their time helping neighbors when the worst happens.

The “boot camp for volunteers” is a nine-week basic training course with a full graduation ceremony. Held on Friday nights from 6:30 until 11:30 PM, the training covers EMT, driving, trucks, officers … everything.

If you’re interested in volunteering, stop by the Recruitment Station or call the hotline at 301-942-0100. As it says on the banner in the window “Heroes Needed”.

Nominate Someone to be a ‘Good Neighbor’

Nominations due Aug. 30

One of my favorite programs in Rockville is the annual Good Neighbor Award. This recognition is conferred each year to a group of Rockville residents who — well, who are good neighbors.

Citizens are nominated by their peers and chosen from that pool by a committee. The ceremony, typically held at Glenview Mansion, is wonderfully uplifting.

Nominations are now open for the Good Neighbor Award! You have until August 30. Just go here to nominate a friend or neighbor.

Here’s the official stuff from the City:

The Good Neighbor awards recognize the ongoing efforts of Rockville residents who are making exceptional contributions to their neighborhoods. The program is designed to honor those who make a difference in the community without seeking or receiving recognition for their efforts.

Nominees are sought in two divisions: adult and youth. The nominee must:

• Be a resident of the City of Rockville;
• Have made significant contributions to their neighborhoods or to Rockville during the 2009-2010 calendar year;
• Have demonstrated their efforts beyond the scope of citizen responsibilities;
• Have demonstrated concern for their neighborhood’s well-being or overall quality of life for the City of Rockville; and
• Not be employed by the City of Rockville.

A three-person panel will select winners from the pool of candidates. All nominees will be honored at a special ceremony in September.

Help Collect Supplies For Students In Need

Donate backpack supplies this weekend

It’s that time again. As August begins it really is time to begin thinking about the school year. For some students and their families, it’s an annual hardship as they think about all the supplies that must be purchased just to get through the year.

Montgomery County Public Schools is taking collections this weekend for school supplies to fill backpacks for students who are in need. They will be distributed at a back-to-school fair on August 28. For now, though. please consider donating supplies at one of these two locations:

SATURDAY, AUGUST 7: WHITE FLINT MALL: Backpacks and school supplies can be dropped off at an “Ask MCPS” event at White Flint Mall, 11301 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Staff will be located in the center court on the first floor to collect supplies, as well as answer any parent questions and provide information about the upcoming school year.

SATURDAY-MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 8 & 9: WHOLE FOODS: Backpacks and school supplies can be dropped in collection boxes at one of five Whole Foods locations across Montgomery County:

• 5269 River Road, Bethesda
• 4420 Willard Avenue, Chevy Chase
• 316 Kentlands Blvd., Gaithersburg
• 1649 Rockville Pike, Rockville
• 833 Wayne Ave., Silver Spring

Here are the main needs: backpacks, pencils, pens, highlighters, pencil boxes, pencil pouches, rulers, large pink erasers, 3-ring binders, dividers, filler paper, pocket folders, and notebooks.

Get Out And Volunteer In August

Summer’s here but the need for volunteers never goes on vacation.

Collect Food
The Manna Food Center needs volunteers to help for 2 hour shifts starting at 10 AM through 8 PM at the entrance gates at the 2010 Montgomery County Agricultural Fair from August 13 -21, 2010. Volunteers will collect nonperishable food donations from visitors when they enter the fair grounds. High school students may receive SSL hours for the activity, but if they are under 18 they must attend a volunteer training meeting. Volunteers under 16 must volunteer with an adult. If interested, please email which date and time of day to Kim, kim@mannafood.org.

Pianist Needed
Hebrew Home is looking for an accomplished pianist to perform for residents at Ring House in Rockville, from 4-5 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and/or Sundays. For more information, contact Hedy Peyser, Director of Volunteers at 301-770-8332, or by e-mail at volunteers@hebrew-home.org

Donate School Supplies
If you have extra supplies or can afford to buy some extra when you purchase them for your kids, local organizations need school supplies for their clients. The Volunteer Center tells us that Montgomery County Public Schools has already collected, sorted, and distributed the 24,968 lbs. of school supplies donated by their students at the end of the last school year but more are still needed. Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless and Interfaith Works are looking for new backpacks, and supplies to put in them such as calculators and binders. Help a child start off the school year prepared. It could make a big difference.

Check out past opportunities to help in our Volunteer Section and make our community a better place.

A New Scoop On Volunteer Opportunities

The >Montgomery County Volunteer Center has excellent news about volunteering in America:

The number of Americans who volunteer grew last year at the fastest rate in six years, according to a new report, defying the popular notion that hard economic times suppress civic participation. The recent report released by the Corporation for National and Community Service, says that 63.4 million adult Americans­-nearly 27 percent of the population-volunteered to help charitable causes last year. That’s an increase from 2008 of roughly 1.6 million volunteers, the largest single-year jump since 2003. In total, 2009′s volunteers donated about 8.1 billion hours of service, valued at nearly $169-billion.

One of our main goals for Rockville Central has always been to create a place where people can become more active in our community. During the past few years we’ve tagged some of our posts “What You Can Do” or “volunteer”. We’ve decided to formalize the category, so if you click on the pull down menu for News in the black band above, you’ll now find Volunteer in addition to Business, City issues, Events in Rockville, and Politics.

If you have a community project and need volunteers, email the information to rockvillecentral@gmail.com. We’ll do our best to post your needs. We hope to highlight the ongoing opportunities to help in our community. Also, please let us know if you volunteer!

Here are a couple of immediate needs from the Volunteer Center for students:

Montgomery County Board of Elections:

Needs 2000 (!) school-age students, grades 6-12, to serve as Election Day student aides during the 2010 Gubernatorial Elections.

Students and their guardians must attend mandatory training for students to serve on an Election Day and, if applicable, to receive Student Service Learning (SSL) credits. Students are placed in neighboring precincts according to their home addresses. This initiative combines civic participation and the opportunity to observe democracy in action.

This program is available to all students within a public, private, independent, religious or home-school setting located in MontgomeryCounty. U.S. citizenship is not a pre-requisite to participate. Students with bilingual and American Sign Language skills are encouraged to apply.

Interested parents/guardians can register their student(s) online before the August 6 deadline by visiting the Montgomery County Board of Elections website at www.777vote.org. You can click on Future Vote Program under Student Election Aide Information.

Drive For Supplies

Can you help sort supplies this summer? Middle and high school student volunteers are needed to sort and organize donated school supplies for distribution to local, national, and international programs for children. This is a pre-approved student service learning activity. Sorting will take place in the cafeteria of Richard Montgomery High School Monday and Tuesday, July 19-20, 2010, from 10:00am-2:00pm. (If needed, sorting will continue on Wednesday-Friday, July 21-23 from 10:00am-2:00pm.) The celebration/press conference is on Monday, July 26, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. We need student help on July 26th from 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. loading supplies into cars, then helping to pack up “left over” supplies. No pre-registration or sign-up is necessary. Just show up and sign-in. For students working the full 10am-2pm, bring a bag lunch, including your beverage! If you have questions, contact Karen Crawford, 301-670-1419, Karen_L_Crawford@mcpsmd.org.

Please spread the word about our volunteer initiative!

Rockville Express Urgently Needs Three Host Families

>We received this request from our friend Tina Campbell. Our own home town baseball team, the Rockville Express, urgently needs three more host families for the summer to provide living arrangements for its players. See below:

Urgent Request – 3 Host Families Needed for the Rockville Express Players

We are in urgent need of host families for 3 of our players this summer. If you are interested, or know of someone who may be interested, please contact us. More information on hosting is below.

Thank you!

Host Family Information

The Rockville Express Baseball team is currently searching for host families for the 2010 Season. This summertime wood bat league is a part of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate League and attracts some of the most talented college baseball players from across the nation. These players have been recommended by their college coaches and recruited to play by the Express, with many having the potential to succeed as professional baseball players.

A vital part of a successful season is to have host families provide housing for the players, giving them support and a family atmosphere for the summer.

When you host a player, you are not just taking on a guest for the summer. Your family will be embarking on an experience that will make you a part of an extended baseball family.

Host Family Responsibilities:

• Be available to host a player from June 1st – July 31st
• Provide a clean, safe, and pleasant environment for the player to stay
• Provide a private room or private area for the player to sleep
• Provide food and/or meals for the player
• Provide access to laundry equipment (players do their own laundry)
• Players provide their own transportation

Host Family Benefits:

• Free admittance to all home games
• You will become more involved with the community
• The player will be a positive role model for your children
• You have an opportunity to make a positive impact on a young man’s future
• You might be getting to know a future Major League star!

If you are interested in hosting a player, or would like more information, please contact Tina Campbell at 301-315-9008 or email: tinacampbell@comcast.net or Brad Botwin at 240-447-1884 or bb67chev@aol.com

Rockville Express home games are played on the Rockville campus of Montgomery College.

For more information about the Team, please see our website at www.rockvilleexpress.org

For information on the league, please visit: www.ripkensrcollegebaseball.org

Four Girls Give Their Birthdays To The Homeless

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As many of you know, one of the things I do is coordinate events for the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH). We have a wonderful story to share about four young girls who truly embody the concept of community spirit.

Four friends decided they would have their 12th birthday parties together and create one big celebration. Instead of accepting gifts from their guests, they decided to ask for donations to MCCH. By the time the celebration was over, they received $1,300 in monetary donations and gift cards to Giant, Safeway, Target, CVS and Toys ‘R Us. Their friends also donated spring sports equipment, pool toys, beach bags and towels, books and toiletries.

One of the girl’s moms, Gayle Strauss, explained how this wonderful project became a reality.

The girls, Sara Keller, Emma Strauss, Shelbie Fishman and Lindsey Capitelli, are all 6th grade students at Robert Frost Middle School in Rockville. They came up with the idea for the donations and supporting MCCH while thinking about mitzvah projects for the next year leading up to their bat mitzvahs. The girls decided this would be a great way to give back to the community and have some fun with their friends at the same time.

Last week the girls delivered the donations to MCCH’s offices on East Gude Drive, and our AmeriCorps volunteer, Amanda Lewis, gave the girls a tour of the Home Builders Care Assessment Center (the Men’s Emergency Shelter). Their desire to help continues since the girls plan to prepare and serve a meal to clients during the summer months.

MCCH always has a need for meal preparation (three a day!) as well as collections of all types of items and gift cards. Visit MCCH’s website for more information on how you can join these young, inspiring girls and help.

Join Me For ShelterWalk 'n Roll In Town Square

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As many readers might know, I work to coordinate the special events for the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless. On Sunday, May 2, 2010 MCCH will have a very special event to celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary and it’s in our Rockville Town Square.

Spend Saturday at Austin Grill’s Cinco de Mayo, then come back on Sunday to walk for the homeless. During ShelterWalk ‘n Roll 2010, you’ll be able to learn about the organization, help to raise awareness about homelessness and support MCCH’s programs.

We’ll have live acoustic rock music by the JDN Band featuring Jack Worthington, Denise D’Amico and Neal Herron. They play crowd-pleasing rock from the past few decades all around Montgomery County and we’re pleased they volunteer to headline our Walk each year! You can hear them at their MySpace page.

We’ll have face painting, crafts and games for the kids during this fun, energy-filled afternoon. Last year’s ShelterWalk ‘n Roll was a downpour all day! I am really hoping for a beautiful sunny time in our Square this year.

Event Schedule
1:00 p.m. – Registration, music and festivities begin
2:00 p.m. – 1 mile walkathon around Town Center commences, rain or shine
Music and festivities will continue after the walk.

Registration Fees
You can register at the event online, by mail or on the day of the event:
$25 for Adults (includes a T-shirt)
$15 for Children under 18 and students with college I.D. (includes a T-shirt)
Free for children under 5

Register online by clicking on the “Donate” tab and completing the donation form. Indicate “ShelterWalk” in the “Gift Designation” section and list the names and ages of the walkers you are registering.

Register by mail by sending a completed registration form and check to:
Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless
Attn: Cindy Cotte Griffiths
600-B East Gude Drive
Rockville, MD 20850

If you need any additional Information, you can contact me by email cindy@mcch.net or phone 301.217.0314 x118.

This year the t-shirts are going to be green because for the 20th anniversary, MCCH has adopted the symbol of a tree. From 1990 – 2010 MCCH has been:

Branching Out. Cultivating Change. Growing Community.

I hope you’ll be able to come by the Square and participate.