This column is a sample of volunteer opportunities available in Marquette County. Persons 55 or older can learn about these and other possibilities in their community by contacting Amy Mattson at the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program at 485-1782. Others should contact the agencies directly. Additional opportunities are also posted online at UPvolunteer.org.
Girl Scout Camp Pow Low in Gwinn seeks summer volunteers to help with Wet and Wild Wednesday programs. Email Jill Rady at jrady@gsnwgl.org. Reaching out Program Volunteers are needed to help with programs at Moosewood Nature Center and Marquette YMCA, email Emily Sprengelmeyer at esprengelmeyer@gsnwgl.org. Summer Resident camp staff volunteers are needed for July 8-14 and July 15-21 at Camp Nesbit. Applications are available at www.gsnwgl.org or by calling 888-747-6945.
international Experience (iE) seeks families to volunteer to host an international exchange student for the 2012-2013 school year, and are willing to share family traditions, American culture and a loving supportive environment with a boy or girl age 15-18 from abroad. Call local coordinator Cristina Anderson at 906-250-1500, email c.anderson@international-experience.net or visit www.iE-usa.com.
The Ishpeming Senior Center seeks volunteers who like to weed and plant flowers. Anyone interested in helping to maintain its garden is welcome. Call 485-5527.
Marquette Conservation District seeks volunteers to help maintain Trestle Corridor, the native plants garden behind Little Caesars (between Fourth and Fifth Streets) in the city of Marquette. We will be tending the garden from 9 to 11 a.m. every Wednesday, through August. No skills necessary. Wear gloves and dress accordingly. Cancelled if raining. Volunteers are also needed for garlic mustard pulls around Marquette County in May and June; dates, times and locations vary and volunteers will be trained. Call the conservation district at 226-2461, ext. 102.
Marquette Scandinavian Midsummer Committee seeks new members and help for the June 23 festival at Presque Isle Park: collecting flowers and greens, decorating the Midsummer Pole, strong arms to set up the dance floor, and helpers on the day of the festival. Call 228-9453 or 227-6544.
Marquette General Hospital gift shop seeks volunteers to sell items to MGH staff and visitors. Information desk volunteers needed to greet, direct and escort patients and visitors. Fast Track volunteers are needed to assist with discharging patients from the Post Anesthesia Care Unit to the hospital exit. Contact Karol Pokley at Karol.pokley@mghs.org or call 225-3280.
Bell Hospital seeks volunteers for Kids Corner, Gift Shop, and two coffee carts. Kids Corner is an adult-supervised play area at Bell Hospital where children are dropped off for one to two hours while parents attends doctor appointments in the building. There are no feeding or diaper changing responsibilities. Gift shop volunteers are needed to run a register and for customer service. Help also is needed at the Coffee Carts at the hospital and Teal Lake. Call 485-2750.
The Salvation Army of Marquette has volunteer opportunities in the food pantry, thrift store and working with youth at the Rec Center in Gwinn. Call Jane at 226-2241.
Teaching Family Homes seeks volunteers for ongoing efforts, including animal care, classroom tutor, computer technology, environmental, facility maintenance, fine arts, grant writer/research, group home tutor/mentor, office support, publicity and marketing, school librarian, special events volunteer and sports and exercise. Call Lisa Burtch, volunteer coordinator, at 249-5437.
American Cancer Society Resource Center seeks volunteers at its Peninsula Medical Center office to hand out literature and help patients organize information during treatment. All services are free, and the American Cancer Society Resource Center is volunteer staffed. Call 475-9897 or stop by the resource center, Suite 110 of the Peninsula Medical Center off the Fair Avenue entrance. Call 225-3507 prior to visiting.
The Hiawatha National Forest and Superior Watershed Partnership in Marquette seek volunteers to help out at the greenhouse at 1030 Wright St., Marquette. Email srborealis@peoplepc.com.
Girl Scouts seeks volunteer camp staff for Camp Nesbit, a resident camp July 8-14 and July 15-21. Openings include waterfront, kitchen, program and unit staff. Other camp staff opportunities are available throughout the Northern Wisconsin/Upper Michigan area. Applications for one or two weeks are available at www.gsnwgl.org. Call 888-747-6945 if application assistance is needed.
Grandparents Teach, Too seeks retired teacher volunteers to help provide hands-on workshops for parents and grandparents. The workshops help adults prepare young children to succeed in school and a lifetime of learning. Workshops are held in schools, libraries, hospitals, churches, and bi-monthly at the Marquette County Community Detention Center. Volunteer commitment is flexible. Email Iris Katers at grandparentsteach@gmail.com, or call 228-9183.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Marquette and Alger counties seeks Big Brothers for its community program in Marquette, Munising, Gwinn/Sawyer and Ishpeming areas. Big Sisters are needed in the Gwinn/Sawyer and Ishpeming areas. BBBS also has a boy in Ishpeming and a girl in the Harvey area waiting for matches in the SWIM Program, which matches children with type 1 diabetes to a mentor who also has type 1 diabetes. Call Monika Toth at 475-7801.
Marquette Adult Day Services seeks volunteers to bring their special talents to its program for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Examples include playing music, singing, arts or crafts projects, massage or yoga. Call 226-2142.
The Lake Superior Village drop-in after school program seeks volunteers from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday to help staff coordinate games, activities and arts and crafts, and to offer homework help and mentoring for children ages 6-12. Call the YMCA at 227-9622.