VOLUNTEER CONNECTION

Transcription

1 Serving the City of Las Cruces for over 40 years! VOLUNTEER CONNECTION THE NETWORK VOLUNTEER CENTER MONTHLY NEWSLETTER March, 2018 Volunteer Spotlight Frank Lovato, Musician by Ryan Steinmetz Born in North Carolina and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Network Volunteer Frank Lovato has lived a lot of places. And music has always been an important part of his life. But when he returned to New Mexico to be closer to his mother after living 20 years in several other places including Florida, Las Cruces became a special place. I was reborn here as a musician. For 20 years, I was a professional plumber, not able to play music like I wanted to. Here, I had the opportunity to pick up what truly gave me joy. His mother s family is from north of Albuquerque, from generations of New Mexicans. When he moved to Las Cruces, he started singing in the Farmer s Market. Frank is self-trained classical guitarist, and has attended the Conservatory of Music in Puerto Rico. In This Issue Volunteer Spotlight Que Pasa?/What s Happening? LCFD Paul Ford Guest Speaker Volunteer Fair 2018 Volunteer Opportunities Food Distributions Frank describes his music in three acts: The Two of Us, his act with his partner Helene McMillan that plays 60s and 70s folk rock; Lovato, where he plays classical guitar music, and Frankie, which is a little mix of everything singing cowboy songs, songs in Spanish, funky songs, you name it! Last Dona Ana Reads Across America month, Frank started a project with fellow volunteer, Jennifer Thurston, trying to bring more music to the senior centers. They hope to bring more music opportunities in the future and are looking to provide music during the food distribution time each month. Frank also serves as a volunteer with the library and has provided music for Network Volunteer Center events. He is currently working on a community project starting a Las Cruces electric guitar ensemble where he is transposing a piece by Bach to a piece with six electric guitars and two electric bases! We are excited about this endeavor and hope to bring it to the area centers when it comes to fruition. Thank you, Frank, for sharing your gift of music with us! Left: Frank Lovato playing his classical guitar at the Network Volunteer Center holiday celebration in December. Frank is working with other volunteers and area musicians to bring more live music into the local senior centers. 1

2 Volunteer Happenings Qué pasa? What s Happening? a New Educational Series for Seniors Special thanks to Paul Ford, Mobile Integrated Healthcare Coordinator for the Las Cruces Fire Department and his task force of area health care providers who came to talk with our participants about fall prevention and staying safe within the home. Participants learned of new techniques, ideas and gadgets that can help them to feel safe in their homes longer. Also, special thanks to our Network Volunteers, Jennifer Thurston and Daniel Gonzales, who help to put these events together. We will continue to offer the Qué Pasa? Educational presentations on a monthly basis. Our next presentation will have Dr. Donna Wagner, Dean of the College of Health and Social Services at NMSU come to talk to us about Growing Older, Growing Better, on Tuesday, March 20th at 10:00 am at the Munson Center. Hope to see everyone there for this exciting presentation! City of Las Cruces Volunteer Fair 2018 Anyone needing volunteers?!? We all know the important role that volunteers have in our community and our respective organizations. Our Annual Volunteer Fair is a way to connect community organizations to the many volunteer opportunities these organizations have to offer! The 2018 Volunteer Fair will take place on Saturday, April 7th, from 9:00 am-1:00 pm at the Plaza de Las Cruces! Last year, over 500 people came out to connect with community organizations and our organizations were able to network with each other to make new connections and partnerships. Registrations are due by March 16 th (if later, check with us at to determine if space is still available!). We will need LOTS of volunteers to help the day of the event with registration, hospitality, table runners, set-up, teardown, and photography. Interested in helping out? Contact Ryan at rsteinmetz@las-cruces.org or

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 yard maintenance projects to help seniors in need. Tuesdays and Fridays are available. There are a lot of seniors waiting on this list so this is a Priority Need! Juvenile Citation Program Office Volunteers and tutors/mentors are needed for this important program working with youth in our community. Museums All Museums There is a huge need for greeters, tour guides, docents, and receptionists for these museums, and on weekends in particular. Museum volunteers are also especially needed for the afternoon hours. Museum of Nature and Science Volunteers are needed to help take care of the animals in their collection feeding, cleaning aquariums, etc. Railroad Museum Volunteers are especially needed on Saturdays! Rio Grande Theater: Front Desk Volunteers Volunteers are needed every day to help with coving shifts at the information desk at the theater. Senior Programs: General Greeters Volunteers are needed to help welcome our guests at the Munson Center to various programming activities held in the building. Tasks include checking in on groups to see if they need anything, tracking participation in various activities, and garnering feedback for Senior Programs. 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 time in the garden. Don t know much about gardens; that s ok, we ll teach ya! Mosaics Instructor We re losing Pat Lawrence our long-time mosaics instructor as she is moving out of the area! We thank Pat for her service, and we hope to continue to provide this class. Any interest in serving as an instructor, please inquire with the Network or with the recreation program at Munson. Senior Programs: Nutrition and Meals Dining Room Aides Papen, 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. Dining Room/Kitchen Aide Needed one to two days a week at Sage Café. Food Distribution Sites The Network Volunteer Center still needs volunteers for the monthly food distributions. 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 just one center or multiple centers. Meals on Wheels/Food 4 Paws Respite Drivers Volunteers are needed for respite routes for both the Meals on 3 Wheels and Food 4 Paws programs. Volunteers must be willing to attend a defensive driver s training and shadow those who serve the meals prior to starting. In most cases, volunteers drive city vehicles.

4 Volunteer Opportunities for March 2018 Continued Thomas Branigan Memorial Library Shelf-cleaning Crew Volunteers are needed for cleaning books and shelves at the library on a continuous basis. A variety of shifts available. After-School Programs 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 Outreach Volunteers Volunteers are needed to help with outreach sessions at the Farmer s Market as well as other tablings throughout the city. Volunteer Fair The Network Volunteer Center needs lots of volunteers for the April 7th Volunteer Fair. Contact the Network for details! Other Community Opportunities AARP and Community Action Agency of Southern NM Looking for volunteer tax preparers to help with a service provided by the two agencies each year offering free tax services for people in need. Three levels of volunteers needed: Tax Preparers who help prepare federal and state income tax returns for residents in Las Cruces and Southern New Mexico; Intake/Interview Volunteers who gather basic information about clients and make sure they have all documents necessary to prepare their tax returns; and Greeters who welcome clients and establish the order in which clients will be assisted. Previous tax experience is welcome, but not necessary. Contact Paul Mach at machbelyan@gmail.com or if interested. 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. Water Festival and Earth Day Celebrations Many volunteers are needed for the Water Festival (taking place at Young Park on Thursday, April 19th and teaching kids about water conservation, recycling, and taking care of this valuable resource) and for the Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 21st at the downtown city plaza. Volunteers can help with registration, helping to direct and/or guide program participants, and help with various educational opportunities. Please contact Ryan Steinmetz at rsteinmetz@las-cruces.org or via phone at for details. These are GREAT opportunities for area volunteer groups looking for service projects! 4

5 Food Distributions for March 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 March. As always, we thank our partners Casa de Peregrinos and Roadrunner Food Bank for making this program possible. Mar. 1st Papen Center 301 W. Bell Ave. 1st Thursday Mar. 2nd Benavidez Center 1045 McClure Rd. 1st Friday Mar. 5th Sage Café 6121 Reynolds Dr. 1st Monday Mar. 26th Eastside Center 310 N. Tornillo St. 4th Monday Mar. 28th Munson Center 975 S. Mesquite St. 4th Wednesday March 1, 2018 Doña Ana Reads Across America On March 1st, Network Volunteers read to over threehundred area students to help celebrate the joy of reading and Dr. Seuss s birthday. Each year, Network Volunteers enjoy this meaningful way to share their own love for reading with area 3rd Grade students. Thank you to the Network Volunteers and volunteers from NMSU and Burrell College, as well as readers from the Las Cruces Police and Fire Departments who help to make this important program happen year after year. Thank you also to Doña Ana County for organizing this annual event! Right: Volunteers from the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine read to area children. Far Right: Network Volunteer Sarah Cutler reads The Cat in the Hat to area 3rd Graders. 5

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