Volunteer for April 29, 2012

Volunteer opportunities, provided by Volunteer! United (formerly Volunteer! Baton Rouge), are outlined in this column every Sunday. To learn more about these opportunities, contact the listed agency directly.

LOVE PLAYING BINGO? Affinity Nursing and Rehabilitation Center — Tonnisha Ellis, [phone] or [e-mail]: Volunteers are needed every weekend on Saturday and Sunday to call bingo with residents. The game usually lasts one hour. Times are flexible. If interested, call Ellis.

WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS? Hospice Compassus — Melissa Cothern, [phone] or [e-mail]: Hospice Compassus is seeking bereavement volunteers to support families and friends of deceased patients. This could include assisting with grief support groups and helping the bereavement coordinator with writing letters and making calls.

This is a great opportunity for students to get their service hours. All volunteers are required to have a background check, provide their own transportation, and attend a free orientation process. Contact Cothern for more information.

DO YOU LIKE CATS? Cat Haven — Candy Ray, [phone] or [e-mail]: Cat Haven is seeking volunteers for PetSmart Adoption Center caretakers.

Caretakers provide daily care for the cats at the group’s offsite adoption centers. This includes cleaning cages, providing food and water, monitoring the health of each cat, and providing socialization for individual cats.

Volunteers must be 18 or older. Contact Ray for more information.

LOOKING FOR A REWARDING VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE? GaitWay Therapeutic Horsemanship — Shelley Rose, [phone] or [e-mail]: GaitWay Therapeutic Horsemanship is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people of all ages with cognitive, physical or emotional disabilities through the benefits of therapeutic riding and hippotherapy. GaitWay is a faith-built volunteer-based center offering volunteer opportunities for those with and without horse experience. A comprehensive training program will be provided for all interested parties.

To find out more information on how to become a volunteer, contact Rose.

LIKE SPORTS? YMCA of the Capital Area — Kristen Hogan, [phone], ext. 1104, or at [e-mail]: The YMCA is looking for sports coaches to assist during its More Than A Game 10-week sports season. Sports include tackle football, flag football, soccer and basketball.

Coaches’ duties include one-hour coaches meetings, weekly practice and weekly games. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.

A background check will be completed by the YMCA.

If interested in this ongoing volunteer opportunity, contact Hogan.

LEMONADE STAND, Lemonade Day — Stacy Schliewe, [phone]: Are you looking for a fun, experiential way to educate youths in entrepreneurial and life lessons. Lemonade Day is a free, citywide community educational program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their own business ... a lemonade stand.

On Saturday, May 12, young entrepreneurs throughout Baton Rouge will set up their lemonade stands for their first day of business. Volunteers are needed to register youths, mentor and, more importantly, purchase lemonade.

For more information, contact Schliewe or visit http://southlouisiana.lemonadeday.org/.