Honors Student Experience

Communities in Schools is a nonprofit that sets up offices in schools in order to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Through school-based coordination, Communities in Schools connects students and their families to critical community resources, tailored to their local needs. 

Right now, the Communities in Schools Coordinator at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School is in need of several volunteers to help with their tutoring program on a weekly basis.

The hours for the tutoring program are: Mondays, from 2:45 pm to 4 pm; Wednesdays, from 2:45 pm to 4 pm; and Thursdays, from 7:30  am to 8:30 am.

If you’re interested, you can contact Ramsha Akhtar at ramsha.akhtar@cismidamerica.org.

Happy Volunteering!

A JCCC economics adjunct, Sarahgrace Ashworth, is not only teaching economics this semester – her students are also learning about food insecurity and the importance of community involvement. Her and her students are working together to host a meal packing event at the Johnson County Adult Rehab Center that’s designed to raise awareness about food insecurity and end world hunger!

They need your help! They are hoping to raise the cost of the nutritious meals, $5,067, by November 1st. They also need volunteers! The event is on Monday, November 19th from 6:30-8:30pm. You can donate and sign up to volunteer here. 

This is a great opportunity to not only raise awareness about food insecurity, but also to help students learn through community involvement! 

Happy volunteering!

This came across my desk today:

Check out their Facebook event page for November 3rd and you can register here.

Happy volunteering!

Nature Abounds is a national non-profit that encourages people to  “Unplug from the societal ‘norms’, Wake Up to the natural world around you, and to Take Action for a healthier environment.” They do so through education, awareness, and engaging people in creating healthier communities and a healthier planet. 

One of the ways you can get engaged is by participating in the  
Watch the Wild™ program. As a Watch the Wild™ volunteer, you observe and report the “wild” in your community – this could include reporting on local trees, plants, lakes, streams, weather and/or wildlife activity. Your observations help them to understand how our eco-systems are changing and to better prepare for adapting for the future.

If you’re interested, here’s how to get involved.

• sign-up to be a volunteer with Nature Abounds 
• choose a location to observe, whether it be your backyard, a local park, your favorite beach spot, or an area that you visit or hike in regularly
• record your observations and
• report your observations to them online. 

Your observations will then be entered into a database and shared with interested scientists.  

Happy volunteering!

A study published in the Journal Pediatrics found that talking with children conversationally can positively affect their IQ as well as their language development! Even more reason to read to children and chat with them while you’re at it! This is why Reach Out and Read was especially excited about these findings. The study supports their mission of giving young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together.

You can have a positive impact on a child’s IQ as well by volunteering with Reach Out and Read! Reach Out and Read supplies books to doctors’ waiting rooms and volunteers can read to children in these waiting rooms as well.  Reach Out and Read volunteers read aloud to children and model book sharing activities to parents. They show parents just how much fun reading with children can be, and provide helpful tips for getting children excited about books.

If you’re interested, check out their volunteer page to learn more!

Happy volunteering! And happy reading too 🙂 

Hillcrest Transitional Housing offers homeless families, singles and youth a disciplined educational program within a caring, supportive environment. Unlike many organizations whose focus is one-time or emergency care, Hillcrest’s primary objective is to move clients from homelessness to self-sufficiency by addressing the total life situation of the homeless families they serve.

One of the ways Hillcrest supports this mission financially is through their thrift stores. Utilizing thousands of volunteers each year helps them to keep operating costs down so they can fund their housing program.

They are always looking for volunteers for donation processing and customer service! Here are the addresses for their two locations:

Lenexa

7824 Quivira Road
Lenexa, KS 66216
913-808-5360
Open Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm and Saturday, 10am-5pm
Donations accepted until 1 hour before close.

Lee’s Summit

936 SE 3^rd Street
Lee’s Summit, MO 64063
(816) 272-1976
Open Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm
Donations accepted 10am-5pm.

If you’re interested, contact Mark Carr at mcarr@hillcrestkc.org.

Happy volunteering!

KidsTLC has been ranked in the top 1% of non-profits in the entire U.S., they’re located right down the road in Olathe, and they need special individuals like you to volunteer!

Their mission is to transform lives of children and family in the community. The children they serve include: homeless teens, those with behavioral health needs, and those on the autism spectrum. They continue to evolve for the greater good of the community by adding needed services to lessen wait-lists for families in need. And Kids TLC will be there for them the whole way! From inpatient care, outpatient care, family support groups, and even consultations with local health agencies to make all transitions as smooth as possible. Their vision is that these children, youth and their families will live fulfilled and enriched lives.

Come volunteer with me at KidsTLC’s BIGGEST FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR!

Saturday October 20^th, 5pm-12am; KidsTLC needs help from volunteers for their fundraiser that is expected to bring in more than $500,000 for these children. There will be an open bar, hand-crafted J.Rieger & Co. cocktails, live entertainment, an auction, venue transformation by ICON EVENT GROUP and the most epic after-party in town with Dj Ashton Martin. Proceeds raised will directly impact children and families receiving life-changing help at KidsTLC. Purchase reservations here and DON’T MISS THIS PARTY!

My name is Megan and I am currently a volunteer at KidsTLC and have volunteered at organizations like it in the past. My time at these organizations has changed my life and started me on my career path now. You will never find anything more rewarding then the feeling of helping a child in need. Come join us!

Click here to register to volunteer!

-Written by Megan Conner, JCCC student and Community-Based Learning Work Study.

A new TurnStyles Thrift is opening up in Mission on October 15th and they need your help! They are looking for both episodic and more regular volunteers to sort and tag clothing, along with set up the sales floor.

If you’re looking to volunteer regularly, there is an open house on September 25, from 10am-1pm at the new store: 5304 Martway St, Mission, KS 66205.

 

They also can accommodate volunteer groups of up to 30 people!

TurnStyles Thrift is a part of Catholic Charities, whose mission is: “As a faith-based organization, we are inspired by God’s love and compassion to provide unconditional love and necessary help to people of all faiths by stabilizing and strengthening individuals and families in need across the 21 counties of Northeast Kansas.”

If you’re interested, contact Kristin Filardo. Happy volunteering!

This came across my desk recently – so many fun opportunities coming up at Champions Special Ministries!

Happy Volunteering!