VOLUNTEER CONNECTION

Transcription

1 Serving the City of Las Cruces for over 40 years! VOLUNTEER CONNECTION THE NETWORK VOLUNTEER CENTER MONTHLY NEWSLETTER September2018 Bill Kolbin Volunteer Musician at Munson Center If you have been in the Munson Center to eat lunch any time in the last couple years, chances are you have heard some amazing piano playing in the background. Jazz pianist extraordinaire, Bill Kolbin, a volunteer with the Network Volunteer Center is the source of that music. Bill came to the border region 27 years ago from Connecticut to start a new adventure (and to escape the cold Northeastern winters!). He first lived in El Paso and then came to Las Cruces. Bill is a lover of music, specifically jazz, and has incorporated music into his life for almost its entirety. He first started playing the clarinet, saxophone, and trumpet, but gave it up. Music kept calling me back, though, said Kolbin. Bill began playing the piano thirty years ago no formal instruction. Just self-taught! In This Issue Volunteer Spotlight: Bill Kolbin Que Pasa? Save the Date!! Dance and Ice Cream Social Volunteer Opportunities Food Distributions Music in the Air Bill has played numerous gigs around town such as at various restaurants, the Doña Ana Arts Council, Memorial Hospital, Mesilla Valley Hospice, and Hotel Encanto. Bill also volunteers with Film Las Cruces and the Las Esperanzas Neighborhood Association. Volunteer Musician, Bill Kolbin When asked what keeps him coming back to play for people during the lunch time, he stated, The people are great and friendly and the lunches are great too, so it s a win win! And there s also another reason why he loves playing at Munson. I really love the piano there; it s a great instrument! If you would like to hear Mr. Kolbin play the piano, come to the Munson Center during lunchtime. It s a real treat. And if you can t make it to Munson, see if you can catch him Clint Eastwood s upcoming movie The Mule shot right here in Las Cruces where Mr. Kolbin was an extra as a driver. I was five feet away from Clint Eastwood, the movie star, said Bill. We re lucky to have our own star right here with Bill Kolbin, volunteer musician for Munson Center. If you are interested in serving as a volunteer musician, contact Ryan Steinmetz at or via at rtsteinm@yahoo.com. 1

2 Volunteer Happenings Volunteer Ice Cream Social & Dance Qué pasa? What s Happening? Due to a last-minute emergency, our Que Pasa for August was cancelled and rescheduled for September. Our next presenter will be Ryan Steinmetz, City of Las Cruces Volunteer Coordinator, presenting on the Network Volunteer Center volunteer opportunities and the importance of volunteering on our health and wellness as we age. Please join us on Tuesday, Sept. 18th at 10:00 am at the Munson Center for ways you can get involved in your community. Music in the Air! Nicole Osborn will be performing at the Munson Center on Thursday, September20th from 12 to 2pm. Come join us as she plays old standards and Spanish music for your listening pleasure as you await the September dance. 2

3 The Network Volunteer Center VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES We have lots of places who have been waiting for a volunteer like you! Contact Ryan Steinmetz at rsteinmetz@las-cruces.org or to schedule a time to discuss volunteer possibilities and to sign up for a volunteer orientation. Codes Enforcement Senior Programs is developing a partnership with Codes Enforcement and is looking for groups of volunteers interested in helping with the Golden Shield Yard Assistance program helping seniors in need. Tuesdays and Fridays are available. There are a lot of seniors waiting on this list. Juvenile Citation Program Office Volunteers and tutors/mentors are needed for this important program working with youth in our community. Museums Help with surveys for museum services! Also, Spanish Translators and Tour Guides needed for upcoming Prado exhibit! Railroad Museum Volunteers are needed to cover front desk duties on Thursday mornings, and Saturdays (both AM and PM Shifts). Museum of Nature and Science Looking for new volunteers, especially on Saturdays Museum of Art Volunteer models needed. Volunteers are needed to sit for portraits for art classes (Don t worry, you can keep your clothes on!) Rio Grande Theater: Front Desk Volunteers Volunteers are needed every day to help with coving shifts at the information desk at the theater. Parks and Recreation Front Desk Volunteers Parks and Recreation Department is looking for some great volunteers to help with the front desk at the Papen Center! Senior Programs: General Quilting and Crochet Volunteer Groups Want to learn how to quilt or crochet and help the community with the items you make? These groups are for you! Gardeners The Munson Center Community Garden is in need of new volunteers! We meet once a month for meetings and of course spend a lot of time in the garden. Don t know much about gardens? That s ok, we ll teach ya! Mosaics Instructor Needed for the Munson Center Senior Programs: Nutrition and Meals Dining Room Aides Munson, Benavidez, and Eastside Centers Volunteers are needed to help at the centers serving meals and helping with clean-up of tables, especially Thursday and Friday. Kitchen Aide Needed one day a week at Sage Café. Also needed at Munson and Benavidez Centers Bulletin Board Decorators Volunteers are needed to help with decorating the bulletin board each month at the Senior Centers. The bulletin board usually displays important information and acknowledges those celebrating birthdays for that month. Volunteers can be responsible for one or multiple centers. Thomas Branigan Memorial Library Shelf-cleaning Crew Volunteers are needed for cleaning books and shelves at the library on a continuous basis. 3

4 Volunteer Opportunities for September 2018 Continued After-School Programs, Juvenile Citation Program, and Weed and Seed Tutor/Activity Support Working on tutoring and other programming with area youth through Weed and Seed, especially needed for summer hours. Mentor Working one-on-one with a youth matched with you through the Weed and Seed program Network Volunteer Center Social Media Outreach Volunteers Volunteers are needed to help with social media presence for the Network and Senior Programs. Volunteer Center Bulletin Board A creative volunteer is needed to help us update our bulletin board outside the Volunteer Center office each month! Food Distributions Volunteers are needed to help with the food distributions at all five centers. See following for monthly schedule: 1st Monday Sage Café 1st Thursday Papen Center 4th Monday Eastside Center 4th Wednesday Munson Center 1st Friday Benavidez Center Other Community Opportunities Community of Hope is looking for some much needed volunteers to help cover the reception desk, serve in the donation room, and help with general needs around the facility. Are you interested? Community of Hope serves the homeless population here in Las Cruces by connecting clients with case management and housing and helping people to get back on their feet. If you re interested in this kind of work, contact Ryan Steinmetz at rsteinmetz@las-cruces.org. CARE, Inc. CARE, Inc. supports local cancer patients by providing funds to help with bills, transportation costs, and other hardships that are experienced when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. Volunteers are needed to help with clerical/office tasks. If interested, contact Yoli Diaz at yoli@carelascruces.org or YOLIDIAZ6@msn.com, or call Crisis Intervention Response Team The Victims Assistance Unit is looking for CIRT Team members who are called to crises that happen around the area. These are specially trained volunteers who are on-call to New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department Volunteers are needed to help at the NM Aging & Long-Term Services office during the day in order to answer phones, assist clients, take messages, refer to outside services, and general clerical needs. Contact Stephanie Lazarin at

5 Food Distributions for July Food Distribution Our monthly Food Distributions are going great at all five of our centers! Thank you to all the volunteers who have helped make this program a success. We can always use more volunteers! Here are the upcoming dates in July. As always, we thank our partners Casa de Peregrinos and Roadrunner Food Bank for making this program possible. Sept. 6th Papen Center 301 W. Bell Ave. 1st Thursday Sept. 7th Benavidez Center 1045 McClure Rd. 1st Friday Sept. 10th Sage Café 6121 Reynolds Dr. 1st Monday*** Sept. 24th Munson Center 975 S. Mesquite St. 4th Wednesday Sept. 26th Eastside Center 310 N. Tornillo St. 4th Monday *** This is changed from the usual 1st Monday of the month for Sage Café, due to the Labor Day holiday. Food 4 Paws Pet Food Drive Volunteers Needed! On October 27th, the Food 4 Paws Program will be conducting a city-wide pet food drive to help collect pet food items to help sustain the program. Volunteers (individuals or groups) are needed to be placed at the various stations around the community for this event. Also, volunteers are needed to help make posters and collection boxes for the event. If you are interested, contact Ryan Steinmetz, Volunteer Coordinator at rsteinmetz@las-cruces.org, , or Roger Bishop, Senior Program Nutrition Manager at rbishop@lascruces.org,

6 We Want YOU to be a Network Volunteer! The Network Volunteer Center is always in need of volunteers to serve their community in many different ways. The Network is open to people of all ages! How can you be a Network Volunteer? It s as easy as 1-2-3! 1. Fill out a Network Volunteer Application. You can find our application online through the City of Las Cruces website, or you can contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Ryan Steinmetz, at the contact information listed to the right. 2. Attend a Volunteer Orientation. This is a brief orientation that only lasts an hour-and-a-half; it gives you all the tools and basic training you ll need in order to be placed. 3. Get matched to a meaningful volunteer experience. Once placed, you will receive training specific to your placement. Contact Us Give us a call for more information about volunteering with the City of Las Cruces! The Network Volunteer Center 975 S. Mesquite St. Las Cruces, NM (575) rsteinmetz@las-cruces.org Note: The City of Las Cruces does may require criminal and driving background checks depending on the tasks of the position. Volunteers under 18 will need parental permission and may require parental presence to participate in volunteer service. Visit us on the Web! Ryan Steinmetz, Network Volunteer Center Coordinator 6