While Catholic Charities relies on the generosity of so many individuals and organizations to fulfill its mission, there’s more to charity than just giving money. The agency has ongoing opportunities for volunteers to donate their time and talents in several service areas. (Criminal background checks are performed whenever appropriate.) Giving a few hours of your time here and there can not only make a world of difference in the lives of others, but it can also enhance your life beyond measure.

volunteer Opportunities

Professional childcare training
FAKT (Foster/Adoptive/Kinship Care Training) needs professionals to train foster and adoptive parents on topics related to children, caring for children, or working with children with special needs. Training sessions are usually held evenings and Saturdays; however, weekday sessions might be arranged to fit a volunteer’s schedule. Contact Robin Springstead at (260) 422-5625, ext. 223.

Foster liaison and childcare
Share your expertise with raising children by training foster parents one Thursday each month from 6 to 8 p.m. Or, provide childcare while those foster parents receive training. Contact Cathy Bosk at (260) 373-0966.

Mentor/Motivational Speaker
A young person who began parenting at an early age is needed to candidly share experiences with young women who are dealing with untimely pregnancies. Time of day needed: generally afternoons. Contact Linda McGahey at (260) 422-5625, ext. 253.

ECHO donation organizer
ECHO (Education Creates Hope and Opportunity) is a school- and home-based program that provides guidance and resources to pregnant and parenting teens. Volunteers are often needed to sort through donated baby items and organize informational packets for young mothers. Contact Kela Johnson-Guy at (260) 422-5625, ext. 286.

Classroom assistants (Fort Wayne)
Children’s Cottage in Fort Wayne often needs volunteers to serve as classroom assistants or in a variety of other capacities, with tasks including reading to children, leading arts-and-crafts projects, serving as a classroom assistant, or helping out with light cleaning or other chores weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Contact Rhonda Lewis , Director, at (260) 745-4929.

South Bend Food Pantry
Help out a couple of hours on week days, and one evening per week. Duties include filling orders, bagging items for patrons, and sorting new shipments. Contact Jo Fisher at (574) 234-3111, ext. 33.

Community Center of Caring Food Pantry (Auburn)
The Community Center of Caring Food Pantry needs volunteers on Mondays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Contact Patti Sheppard at (260) 925-0917.

Catholic Charities provides a wide range of services giving newcomers a boost as they strive to build better lives in this, their adopted homeland. Volunteers are always needed to lend a hand in several capacities, including:

• Transporting people to work and medical appointments
• Helping the children of refugees and immigrants with their homework
• Teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) to individuals and groups
• Sorting donations in the Crossborders warehouse
• Mentoring
• Providing the muscle and means (pick-up trucks work best) to transport donated items
• Setting up homes for new arrivals

For information on how you can get involved, please contact us:

Intern needed
A student volunteer is needed to intern on Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. Responsibilities will include scheduling appointments, filing, organizing files, research, and participating in meetings. For information on this opportunity, please contact Assistant Director Lisa Young at (260) 422-5625, ext. 287.

Paralegal needed
Refugee Resettlement Services and Immigration Services are in need of a paralegal or paralegal student who can help out with scheduling, filing, meetings, and some outreach on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4 to 8 p.m. For information on this opportunity, please contact Assistant Director Lisa Young at (260) 422-5625, ext. 287.

Donation organizers (Refugee Resettlement—Fort Wayne)
Volunteers are needed to help pick up furniture and other donations in and around Fort Wayne and to help refugees set up housekeeping when they arrive. Contact Paula Spall at (260) 422-5625, ext. 265.

Refugee Resettlement Department Tutors (Fort Wayne)

Tutor adults learning the English language and general life skills as they adjust to living in the United States. You can also help school-age children with their homework. Contact Paula Spall at (260) 422-5625, ext. 265.

RSVP
Catholic Charities sponsors RSVP (Retired & Senior Volunteer Program), a project of the Corporation for National and Community Service. RSVP mobilizes people 55 and older to help meet a wide variety of community needs. RSVP will help you find the right fit for your talents, interests, and schedule. Volunteers are placed with local social service agencies, schools, libraries, hospitals, parks, and other nonprofit agencies. Volunteers are covered by insurance while volunteering and are recognized for their efforts at annual recognition events. RSVP is offered in DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble, St. Joseph, Elkhart, and Steuben counties.

A special arm of RSVP in St. Joseph County is Busy Hands, a group whose members volunteer to knit, crochet, and sew nearly 15,000 items a year for distribution to needy people. RSVP also operates the Community Center of Caring Food Pantry in Auburn. The food pantry frequently needs volunteers to help stock shelves. RSVP has chapters in Auburn, South Bend, and Elkhart. To learn more about RSVP and what you can do to help others, contact the chapter in your area. Click here for contact information.

Community Center of Caring Food Pantry (Auburn)
Volunteers are needed to assist clients with shopping by filling shopping orders on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Contact Patti Sheppard at (260) 925-0917.

RSVP of DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble, and Steuben counties
A wide range of ongoing opportunities to serve is available to people 55 and older in all four counties. Contact Patti Sheppard at (260) 925-0917.

RSVP of Elkhart County
RSVP of Elkhart County is accepting volunteers age 55 and over for a variety of volunteer positions throughout the county. IRIS volunteers of any age are needed to read The Goshen News for the blind. Contact (574) 293-5481.

RSVP of St. Joseph County
In addition to the many ongoing opportunities, volunteers are needed for these specific projects: Community service project supervisors—help instill a love of volunteerism in at-risk youths. Co-supervise collaborative service projects. The commitment is one hour, once per month. Training is provided for this unbelievably rewarding challenge.

Photographer—take pictures at RSVP events.

Access database engineer—use your Access experience to design a database and create reports to centralize information. This could be a portfolio project for a student.

Contact Jennifer Tindell at (574) 287-0500.

“From Old 2 Gold”
This collaborative project of the University of Notre Dame and the United Way of St. Joseph County is collecting and recycling items Notre Dame students discard at the end of the school year to reduce what is sent to landfills. Discarded items will be sorted, priced, and sold at a huge garage sale on the Notre Dame campus on May 27. This project will raise money for participating nonprofit agencies. RSVP of St. Joseph County is taking the lead in mobilizing volunteers. Volunteer work begins in April with item collection. If you would like to help, call Jennifer Tindell at RSVP, (574) 287-0500.

Youth mentoring

Be a youth mentor Mentors are desperately needed to work with young people soon to be released into the South Bend area by the Indiana Department of Corrections. These youths have indicated that they really want to turn their lives around by choosing to participate in Aftercare for Indiana through Mentoring (AIM).

The focus of AIM is to teach a wide variety of life skills ranging from successful employment search skills to preparing for exams (GED, SAT, driver’s license, etc.) to obtaining documents (birth certificates, Social Security cards). Mentors also serve as positive role models as these young people strive to make better behavioral choices. Helping these young people may seem like a daunting task, but meetings are conducted in safe and secure locations. Be a part of someone’s future by being a part of his or her life now.

Currently, the RSVP Mentoring Program is seeking volunteers to mentor youth with AIM (Aftercare for Indiana through Mentoring) at the South Bend Juvenile Correctional Facility one hour per week. Volunteers are needed to work with youth who will return to St. Joseph county. Mentoring will take place any weekday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., or Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m.

To get involved or learn more, contact Jennifer Tindell, project coordinator (South Bend), at (574) 287-0500.

Villa of the Woods

Recreational activity leader
Villa of the Woods, a residential facility for older adults in Fort Wayne, is seeking a volunteer to play piano and/or hold card parties on monthly basis for the senior residents. The commitment would be Monday through Friday anytime during the hours of 9 to 4p.m. To get involved or learn more, contact Cheryl A. Smith, administrator, at (260) 745-7039 or (866) 646-2400 (toll-free).

Volunteer Electrician
A volunteer electrician is needed to do odd jobs around the building on an as-needed basis. Contact Cheryl Smith at (260) 745-7039.