Anne Arundel County Volunteer Center Announces Volunteer Opportunities

From the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Center:

Many volunteer positions are available through the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Center. If you do not see an opportunity below that fits your needs, contact the center at info@aacvc.org or (410) 897-9207. Additional information is available through the center's website. A few current volunteer opportunities are listed as follows.

City of Annapolis Emergency Preparedness Exercise

The City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management is conducting its 7th annual City Wide Emergency Preparedness Exercise on Aug. 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pip Moyer Recreation Center, located at 273 Hilltop Lane in Annapolis. They need 100 volunteers to act as disaster victims in a shelter. If you are under age 18, you must come with a legal guardian. Don’t worry about lunch. Grilled burgers and hot dogs with chips will be available to volunteers. Have fun and help your city with this important planning exercise! Interested in volunteering? Contact Lauren Miller at LPMiller@annapolis.gov or by calling (410) 216-9167.

American Red Cross Blood Drive

The American Red Cross has a significant blood shortage and is issuing an emergency request for eligible blood and platelet donors of all blood types to donate now and help save lives. The Red Cross now has less than a five-day blood supply on hand. We strive to keep a five-day supply on hand at all times to meet the needs of patients and be prepared for emergencies that would require significant volumes of donated blood products.

There will be a blood drive Saturday, July 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can help make a difference in our community by supporting our upcoming blood drive at Texas Roadhouse, located at 4465 Mountain Rd. in Pasadena. The Bloodmobile will be in the parking lot. Contact Meghan Hewitt at troadhouse19@gmail.com or 800-RED CROSS.

Anne Arundel County Dept. of Social Services – Back-To-School Program

This program in partnership with Anne Arundel County Public Schools matches donors to children from low-income families in local elementary schools by providing backpacks and school supplies. Donors (individuals, groups and businesses) are sent information on the children and a list of needed supplies for the grade they are entering. School supplies are placed inside backpacks and need to be delivered to elementary schools during August each year. Contact (410) 269-4462 or community.programs@maryland.gov for details about donating money, supplies or otherwise assisting in providing backpacks to schools.

Volunteers are needed Aug. 8-12 to help deliver backpacks and school supplies to schools.

Anne Arundel County Food & Resource Bank

The Anne Arundel County Food and Resource Bank, located in Crownsville, distributes food, nutritional supplements, medical equipment, furniture, vehicles, appliances, clothing and other necessities to Anne Arundel County residents in need. It is looking for volunteers to help with general office work (data entry, inventory, donations management, answering phones and other, similar tasks). If you can support them once or twice per week, it would allow them to do so much more in support of our community. The offices are open from 9 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. Monday through Friday, with an hour lunch that they provide. Can you help this critical non-profit? Contact Susan at (410) 923-4255 or e-mail her at Susan@aafoodbank.org.

Arts Education In Maryland Schools Alliance (AEMS)

Arts Empowered Minds Initiative is a new initiative in Northern Anne Arundel County with AA County Public Schools, Chesapeake Arts Center, University of MD Baltimore Campus, the National Endowment for the Arts and Young Audiences. The schools in this initiative are: Brooklyn Park Middle, Belle Grove Elementary, Brooklyn Park Elementary, Park Elementary and Ferndale Early Education Center. We are looking for volunteers to serve on an Advisory Board. Volunteers will identify grant/funding and do community outreach and marketing for the program. For more information contact J’aime Drayton at (410) 783-2367 or jdrayton@aems-edu.org.

Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County

Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) is accepting nominations for Anne Arundel County's 2016 Philanthropist, Corporate Philanthropist, Foundation, Volunteer and Young Volunteer of the Year. The Anne Arundel County Volunteer Center is proud to partner with CFAAC in recognizing this year’s recipients of the Volunteer and Young Volunteer of the Year awards. The winners will receive their awards at the annual Celebration of Philanthropy in Anne Arundel County luncheon, which will take place this year on Friday, Nov. 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Loews Annapolis Hotel. Nomination deadline is Monday, Aug. 5. All nominations must be submitted by one or more nonprofits on behalf of the individual, family or company. Forms may be downloaded from the Internet and submitted with supporting documents by fax to (410) 280-1104 or by mail to Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, 914 Bay Ridge Rd., Suite 220 in Annapolis, 21403. For more information, including Internet download links, contact amy@cfaac.org or (410) 280-1102.

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary

Volunteers of all ages can help in four categories: ecological research, environmental education, stewardship and behind-the-scenes. Participate for a day or for years, work on a group or solo project, collect water samples, clear trails, guide visitors on nature walks, lead canoe trips, be a box turtle caretaker, welcome visitors and much more. Further information is available through the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary website. Call (410) 741-9330, or email Melinda Fegler, volunteer coordinator, at rpfegl00@aacounty.org.

Field work volunteers are needed starting July 18. Join the sanctuary superintendent, Pati Delgado, on a boat on the Patuxent to assist with marsh emergent vegetation sampling. Half or full-day help is needed. If interested, email Pati Delgado at rpdelg88@aacounty.org.

Patuxent Research Refuge and National Wildlife Visitors Center

There are opportunities for volunteers to become more personally involved in accomplishing the mission of Patuxent Research Refuge by assisting with public educational programs, helping with wildlife surveys and a variety of other tasks. To take part in most of these activities, the volunteer must complete required training, sign a volunteer agreement to be kept on file and commit to volunteering at the refuge a minimum of eight hours per month for six months. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age for most positions, although younger volunteers can be considered if they are volunteering with their parent/guardian. Further information is available online. You may also contact Diana Ogilvie, volunteer coordinator, at (301)497-5565 or Diana_Ogilvie@fws.gov for more information.

RISE for Autism

Our mission is to provide community and professional awareness, family support and resources, financial assistance and a lifetime continuum of therapeutic services to promote confident, competent individuals with Autism spectrum and related disorders. We host several events for families, fundraising and educational/related service providers throughout the year for which volunteers are needed. For more information and to volunteer, contact Shannon Majoros at smajoros@riseforautism.com or (410) 375-5581. Additional information is available through the RISE for Autism website.

Volunteers are needed Friday, July 29 for the Bike to the Beach 2016 fundraiser. Participants and volunteers are being sought for this 100-mile ride from Baltimore to Dewey Beach.