Organizations seek volunteers

Ah, summer. A time when school is out — or at the very least, cut back. A time of sunshine and friends, days at the lake and hours upon hours of doing absolutely nothing.

This can get old for some.

However, Bloomington offers many opportunities to get outside and play while helping others.

Aside from doing something positive for the community, volunteering can boost one’s resume. Students constantly hear about the awful economy and dismal job prospects awaiting them after graduation. Volunteering for something related to a student’s major
is a great way to get job experience and training.

Elise Hoover, a junior in the School of Education, volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club to fill her required house volunteer hours.

“It’s really fun,” she said. “I’m working with kids every day, and that’s what I want to do in life. And it looks great on a resume.”

Whatever the motivation, there are plenty of reasons and ways to get involved in Bloomington. Listed below are just a few organizations looking for summer volunteers.

If nothing is of interest, visit the City of Bloomington’s volunteer website at http://bloomington.in.gov/volunteer for more opportunities.

Girls Inc.

Girls Inc. exists to “inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold,” according to its mission statement. Created in 1864, the organization serves girls and young women across the country, encouraging them to be active, creative thinkers.  

The Girls Inc. of Monroe County is currently seeking volunteer counselors for their Summer Sunshine Camp to help run programs, watch the kids and clean up.

Counselors need to be able to guarantee four hours per week on the same day.

“It’s really great,” said Michelle Watt, a volunteer at Girls Inc. and a junior in the School of Informatics and Computing. “This week we planted plants, went swimming, went to the park and learned about photosynthesis.”

Requirements for filling the position are simple.

“We need people who are ready to get down and dirty and play and have some fun,” said Lucy Berger, the director of Operations for Girls Inc. “We are looking for people who are active, fun, outgoing and easy to get along with.”

Berger emphasized that even though Girls Inc. caters to girls, women are not the only welcome volunteers.

“Men are just as able to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold,” Berger said. “In fact, our male volunteers are often the most popular since they don’t come in as often.”

To get involved, contact Erin Policinski at epolicinski@monroe.girls-inc.org or call 336-7313.

Hoosier Environmental Council

The Hoosier Environmental Council is a statewide environmental advocacy group that works with a wide range of environmental issues, including water and air quality, public transit, global warming and confined animal feeding, just to name a few.

“We approach it from a legislative position,” HEC marketing manager Megan Bennett said. “We like to influence lawmakers to make the right choices, whether it’s stricter legislation for coal or more money for public transportation.”

That doesn’t mean one needs to be a law student to volunteer.

“We work on small issues, too, like afternoon water cleanups,” Bennett said.
Volunteers are matched with their interests and abilities. Some are brought in to talk to schools about the environment; others are asked to write letters to the editors of local papers on the Council’s behalf. Still others can get involved with hands-on activities.

The ideal volunteer, Bennet said, would be anyone with a passion for the environment — though good writers and public speakers are a plus.

To get involved, contact Mary Brock at mbrock@hecweb.org or visit www.hecweb.org.

City of Bloomington Parks & Recreation and Monroe County: Identifying & Removing Invasive Species

Bloomington often depends on volunteers to keep its green spaces blooming and beautiful. Activities within the community range from park beautification and maintenance days to teaching classes or helping out with citywide events like Bloomington in Bloom.

Bloomington Parks and Recreation recently joined with the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, The Nature Conservancy, Eco Logic and the Sycamore Land Trust, among other groups and individuals, to create Monroe County-Identifying & Removing Invasive Species.

This group was formed just over a year ago from an invasive species seminar. It holds work days in Bloomington parks on the first Wednesday of each month to aid in the removal of plants that are harmful to the native ecosystem.

“We try to find opportunities for the entire family,” MC-IRIS volunteer Bob Flynn said. “The kids also help in the Community Kitchen. Bloomington gives so much to us that giving a little back is the least we can do. It’s a community worth contributing to.”

To get involved with Parks and Recreation or MC-IRIS, contact Kim Ecenbarger at ecenbark@bloomington.in.gov.

Monroe County Humane Association and Bloomington Animal Shelter

The Monroe County Humane Association and the Bloomington Animal Shelter are located in the same building, but they are two different entities. Though they both work for the benefit of animals, the MCHA works toward fundraising efforts for the shelter as well as education and even animal therapy.

“The MCHA always looks for additional VIPaws teams to become certified Delta Society Pet Partner teams providing pet therapy to those that need it most in the community,” said Sarah Hayes, the CEO of the Humane Association, in an e-mail. “We also need summer volunteers to man the table at the Farmer’s Market each week.”

For those looking to get hands-on with the animals, the Animal Shelter is the best bet.

“We really need more volunteers,” said Megan Ginley, a volunteer coordinator at the shelter. “We always start people doing dog-walking and cat care, and then after a month they can move up to being adoption counselors.”

The Bloomington Animal Shelter requires a commitment of two hours once a week for six months in order to volunteer, as well as beginning orientation training. After a month and some additional training, volunteers can become adoption counselors.

To get involved with the Humane Association, fill out an application at www.monroehumane.org. To get involved with the Animal Shelter, call 349-3492.