Honors Student Experience

About half a million babies are born premature or with birth defects in the U.S. each year. Vital services for moms and babies, especially babies born sick or too soon, can put extra emotional and financial stress on a family.

March of Dimes fights for the health of all moms and babies. They advocate for policies to protect them and work to radically improve the healthcare they receive through research and empowering families with the knowledge and tools to have healthier pregnancies.

The March for Babies is a part of this cause, and one is coming to Kansas City on April 29th! March for Babies raises money to expand programs and educate medical professionals to make sure that moms and babies get the best possible care. And guess what, they need volunteers!

For more information, visit their signup genius. Happy volunteering!

Here’s a cool way to help out Ronald McDonald House: collecting pop tabs!  Advantage Metals buys the tabs at market rate and makes an additional charitable contribution. They generously donate their pick-up and handling services, so the income from pop tabs is pure profit. Last year, this program brought in $20,000. This makes a great group activity as well. Have your Girl Scout/Boy Scout troupe, sports team, neighbors, or family get in on the action!

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City keeps families with sick children close to each other and gives them the care and resources they need. Their three Houses adjacent to Children’s Mercy Hospital and Ronald McDonald Family Room create places of respite where families can rally around and support one another. While they are near Children’s Mercy downtown, they serve all pediatric hospitals in Kansas City.

If you’re interested in helping raise funds through collecting pop tabs, visit their website for more information. And make sure to click around to find volunteer opportunities as well!

Happy Monday!

Communities in Schools of Mid-America is offering a FutureNow: Finance program at Shawnee Mission West High School on April 27th, and they need your help!

What is FutureNow: Finance?

FutureNow:Finance, formerly known at Reality U$, is an exercise that helps students understand some of the “realities” involved in preparing for an employable future and adulthood. At FutureNow: Finance, students receive an adult scenario based on a survey they have completed prior to the event. The scenario includes: marital status, number of children, career field, and net monthly income (based on choice of career field and current GPA). At the FutureNow: Finance event, students will visit a variety of booths to “purchase” housing, transportation, communication services, child care, food, utilities, insurance, etc. They will also have the opportunity to save money, give to charity and learn about unexpected things that affect daily life (e.g. accidents, unexpected visitors, flat tires).

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Volunteers help the students make wise financial choices regarding the necessities and luxuries they imagine as part of their adult lifestyle. Volunteers are provided with detailed information and price sheets for their specific booth allowing them to help the students decide how best to spend their money. Volunteers need only bring their personal experiences! It is a fun and tangible way to aid students in preparing for their financial futures.

April 27:

8:35am—9:25am
9:35am—10:25am
10:30am—11:20am
11:25am—12:50pm
12:55pm—1:45pm
1:50pm—2:40pm

To volunteer for the event, contact: Becca Spielman, becca.spielman@cismidamerica.org,785.856.0718.

According to the United Community Services of Johnson County, in 2015, 30,400 Johnson County residents lived below the federal poverty line. And 9,610 of those were children, ages 0-17. The stress of living in poverty as a child can negatively affect such areas as academic achievement,  behavioral and socioemotional traits, physical health, and cause developmental delays. This is why it’s so important to make sure that children are getting the positive effects of a nurturing school environment. And there’s a need right in your own backyard!

Growing Futures Early Education Center offers childcare to these children and families. Enrolled families also have access to a variety of comprehensive support services that include health and nutrition services, mental health, dental health, family advocacy, and family engagement opportunities.

They need your help! Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities. Or check out their Crayon Box Tours to learn more about their programming and facilities.

Happy Volunteering!

Here’s a story of a life affected by Nourish KC:

“Before finding a job and renting her house, Lakendra, 38, was homeless and living out of a minivan with her youngest children. Using convenience stores to wash up, they survived on food  from pantries, often using park shelters to grill meat they stored in portable coolers. With school out during the summer, there was no breakfast or lunch for the kids, so Lakendra would bring them to the Kansas City Community Kitchen every day.

Catholic Charities opened up a new TurnStyles Thrift store at 11310 135th street and THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS! They’re looking for sorters, cashiers, drivers and do-it-yourselfers from all ages and walks of life to help. Not only do thrift stores help save shoppers money and eliminate waste, but the money earned at TurnStyles also helps fund other programs within Catholic Charities. For example, funds go to the Emergency Assistance Centers, Mobile Resources Busses, Hospice, Adoption, the Kids Summer Food Program, and more.

If you’re interested, contact Kristin Filardo, 913-433-2081 or kfilardo@catholiccharitiesks.org.

Happy Volunteering!

As the weather starts to get warmer (hopefully someday soon), more outdoor related volunteer opportunities arise, like Operation Wildlife (OWL) for example! Their busy season is from April to September. If you’re interested in learning more about wildlife then OWL is a great organization to look into. They have been providing rehabilitation and veterinary services to injured and orphaned wild animals in northeast Kansas for almost 20 years.

Here are some examples of different volunteer positions they offer:

Facility Center Staff
Provide rehab assistance at the Main Facility, located at 23375 Guthrie Road in Linwood. Volunteers are responsible for cage cleaning, diet preparation, physical therapy, medication administration, habitat setup and general housekeeping duties. Training is provided.
Minimum Time Requirement: 4-8 hours/week

Home Rehabilitation Staff
Provide rehab assistance at your home. Volunteers are responsible for rearing orphaned wild babies utilizing OWL principals and manuals. Babies are returned to the main facility when they are weaned for hack out and further training (hunting, foraging skills, etc.). Training is provided. Per state regulations: 2 year apprenticeship at our main facility.
Minimum Time Requirement: Daily in your home

Transport Staff
Responsible for transporting wildlife from the Receiving Center to the Main Facility the same day each week after the center closes (5:00 pm). At present the center is open Monday through Saturday. Emergency transport staff are responsible for transport of injured or orphaned wildlife to various locations, which might include veterinarians, other volunteers or release sites.
Minimum Time Requirement: 2-3 hours/week

Housekeeping Staff
This is a perfect position for those that want to help but don’t have the time to do the animal care duties. Housekeeping responsiblities are at the Main Facility the same day each week. General housekeeping duties may include laundry, dishes, food prep, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, etc. The peak months are May, June, July and August. Training is provided. Preferred hours for the position is after 10 am.
Minimum Time Requirement: 4 hours/week

Check out their website for more information!