VOLUNTEER

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.

EMPOWER LOUISIANA’S SENIORS TO PREVENT MEDICARE FRAUD, Louisiana Senior Medicare Patrol — Sunny Lawless, [phone]: Bilingual volunteers are needed to help share important Medicare fraud prevention information with seniors of the Hispanic communities. Contact Lawless for more information on the opportunity.

DO YOU ENJOY SEWING? Threads of Love Foundation — Sissy Davis, [phone] or [e-mail]: Threads of Love, a sewing ministry that provides clothes to premature babies and to babies lost through miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death, is seeking volunteers 18 years or older for sewing. Volunteers are required to bring a basic sewing kit, sewing machine and bag lunch. Sessions are held the first Thursday of each month at Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, 19421 Greenwell Springs Road. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact Davis.

MAKEUP/MANICURE PARTY, Volunteers of America — Greta Patterson, [phone], ext. 102, or [e-mail]: VOA is seeking help with makeup/manicure parties at its community home for adults with developmental disabilities. Help the women celebrate a day of leisure by hosting a makeup/manicure day each month. Teach them how to apply makeup or simply polish their nails. Extend the party by providing party items/refreshments such as cake, cookies, ice cream and beverages. Volunteers are needed to provide supplies. Dates and times are flexible. Volunteer individually or with a group. Minimum age requirement in a group situation is 15. If interested, contact Patterson.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge — Lindsay Wilson, [phone] or [e-mail]: Cancer Services is looking for help in its Resource Center with greeting clients, checking books and videos in/out, and with small office tasks. Assistance is also needed with answering phones and at the Mary Bird Perkins Outreach location. Duties include registration, resource cart and talking to patients about services. Two- to three-hour shifts are available. If interested in one of these opportunities, contact Wilson.

WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS? Hospice Compassus — Melissa Cothern, [phone] or [e-mail]: Hospice Compassus is seeking activity volunteers to help with events hosted in numerous nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas. Activities may include such things as bingo, crafts, manicures, birthday parties, scrapbooking, etc. This is a great opportunity for students to get their service hours. Volunteers are required to have background checks, provide their own transportation, and to go through a free orientation process. Contact Cothern for more information.

OUR FATHER’S GARDEN, Church of the Holy Spirit — Rev. Ernie Saik, [phone] or [e-mail]: Our Father’s Garden is the principal mission of the Church of the Holy Spirit. Located on 4 acres are the church office, the Mission and Ministry Center, and the garden, where parishioners and local volunteers raise vegetables and fruits, which are given to Southeast Ministries to help feed the hungry.

Work in the garden is an ongoing daily event where members and volunteers from the local community gather to work and provide fellowship. Helping hands are always needed to assist with planting plants, weeding beds and harvesting produce. Age requirement to volunteer is junior high age or older. For more information, contact Saik.