Category: Kent County

Job Instructor/Consultant

Be a Career Mystery Guest

Read Me a Story!

Short-term, Work-From-Home Opportunity

The Delaware Association of Nonprofit Agencies (DANA) is seeking two volunteers to assist with the updating of the Directory of Grantmakers in Delaware last published in 2006. The duration of the project is 3 months. Volunteers may work at DANA or from their own homes (after instruction at office). Hours and days are flexible. Functions to include mailing information to foundations, updating electronic forms, making calls to foundations and preparing data spreadsheets.

For more information, contact Mary Cella at nycella@verizon.net.

Foster Grandparent Program

 "I'm retired, but I just decided that I wanted to do something more with my life - to give back to the community."

Sound like you? Foster Grandparents serve up to 40 hours a week offering emotional support, tutoring, mentoring and more to disadvantaged and disabled youth. Some volunteers may qualify to earn a tax-free, hourly stipend of $3.45 per hour. Foster Grandparents will also recieve transportation reimbursement, a free annual physical and supplemental accident and liability insurance while on duy. The income eligibility for the program has just been raised. For more information, call 857-5016 or email robin.fisher@state.de.us. 

Teach Inmates Decision-Making Skills

Going to prison is not the most popular volunteer endeavor. Yet, this is exactly what a special group of people do in the Thresholds Decision Making program. For an eight week period volunteers go into correctional institutions in the state to teach inmates how to make better decisions in their lives. Volunteers must take one day of training, fill out security clearance forms, attend a security meeting and recieve a volunteer badge before they can enter the prison classroom.

Each student inmate is assigned their own teacher. The inmate and teacher sit at a table across from each other in a prison classroom, each with a Thresholds workbook and together discuss and complete the exercises. The format of the program is one of the reasons it is so successful. Because it is not conducted in a traditional classroom style, it eliminates the usual tension, and peer pressure to not look dumb, stupid, or even too smart. It takes into consideration the reading levels of inmates, many of whom have dropped out of school in the 9th grader or earlier. Individual attention is the key to the success of this program. Since 1999 Thresholds has graduated 345 inmate students in 43 eight-week cycles.

To learn more about volunteering with Thresholds contact RSVP.

Contributed by Lynn Kroesen.

Habitat for Humanity Volunteer

Now that you have time what will you do with it? Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County loves retirees! Can you help lend a hand on one of our construction sites? If you can, you'll be joining our talented pool of "regulars" who volunteer on a regular basis. Come help Habitat build new homes and rehabilitate some of the foreclosed houses in and around New Castle County. Our regulars come for the mission, but stay to learn new skills and make new friends. To sign up or learn more information contact Susan Fox of RSVP, New Castle County at susan.fox@state.de.us or call 302-255-9690.

Editor's Note: For information about volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in Kent and Sussex Counties contact:

• Kent County: Contact Carol Lettieri, Director, RSVP, Kent County at rsvp.director@modernmaturity.org or call 302-734-1200, x129
• Sussex County: Contact April Willey, RSVP, Sussex County at april.willey@state.de.us or call 302-856-5815.

Be BIG at the Biggs Museum of American Art!

Learn About Life from the Dying

Delaware Hospice is looking for compassionate and energetic volunteers with daytime availability to volunteer in all areas of our organization. Our volunteers care for and support those at the end of life in many ways and may visit with hospice patients and families, deliver supplies to patients, support our adult and youth bereavement programs, or attend health fairs and community events, just to name a few! Extensive training and on-going support provided. We'd love to have you on our team!

For more information, contact Judith Whitehead, the New Castle County Volunteer Coordinator at 302-479-2577, x1105 or e-mail jwhitehead@delawarehospice.org.

Share Your Love of Nature

Enjoy working with People? Like the Outdoors? Want to share your knowledge of nature? That's what this position is all about. As a Nature Center Docent, you will provide visitor service at the brand new, state of the art Nature Center at Killens Pond State Park. This is an up-front position: greeting guests who come to the nature center, answering questions, providing casual tours and assisting with school and other groups. You may also help develop nature center programming. Scheduling is flexible and benefits include great training, volunteer uniform, free admission to the park and park events along with on-going volunteer recognition. For more information call Carol Lettieri, Director, RSVP Kent County at 734-1200, ext. 129 or email her at RSVP.Director@Modern-Maturity.com .