Calendar of Events

Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?

Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.

ABCCM Crisis Ministry is an organization providing supports and resources to individuals and families in Buncombe County who are living with low incomes, are facing financial emergencies, or are struggling to meet their basic needs. The Crisis Ministry is a division of Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM), a nonprofit organization working in Buncombe County to address poverty, hunger, homelessness, and health care access. ABCCM is a family of Christian congregations in the Asheville-Buncombe County area organized to respond to emergency assistance needs in the community.

We are currently looking for compassionate volunteers to assist with supporting clients via phone and in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers will be working on site.

We are currently seeking volunteers to assist in the ABCCM Crisis Ministry office on Cumberland Ave. Shifts will run M-F from 8:30 am-4:30 pm and 12:30pm-4:30pm. Current urgent need is for Tuesday mornings 8:30 am-12:30 pm and Wednesday afternoons 12:30 pm-4:30 pm.

Volunteer Opportunity Includes:

• Communicate with clients over the phone and outside in person.
• Showing compassion to clients
• Listening to clients needs
• Communicating with ABCCM Crisis Ministry staff what the needs of the client are
• Assisting in writing food and clothing vouchers for clients
• Referring clients to NC 2-1-1 and other agencies for needs that ABCCM cannot meet

Volunteer Requirements:

• Excellent listening and communication skills
• Maintain professional boundaries with clients
• Ability to speak clearly and take notes of needs
• Maintain client confidentiality
• Comfortable being on the phone for shift duration (breaks between clients)
• Ability to remain calm during crisis situations
• Participate in training prior to beginning your volunteer shift

Health and Safety:

• We are asking volunteers to wear/bring their own face covering, one of the below:
  • Bandanna covering nose and mouth
  • Cloth covering nose and mouth
  • Fabric or disposable face mask
• Asking volunteers to maintain physical distance of 6 feet or more when possible
  • Note: there are times when the volunteer task requires volunteers to engage closer than 6 feet. Please do not sign up if you feel uncomfortable.

Do you need help preparing your taxes? If so, Buncombe County Public Libraries can help. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in cooperation with the IRS, NC Department of Revenue, Buncombe County Library System, and Council on Aging, Inc. will offer free tax preparations for taxpayers of low and moderate-income, with special attention to those age 60 and older from Feb. 1-April 15.

You will need an appointment to speak with a tax help aide. At your appointment, you can drop off your tax documents and you’ll be given another appointment in about two weeks to pick up your paperwork and completed tax form.

How it works

1. Pick up a tax record envelope and instructions at Black Mountain, West Asheville, Weaverville or Pack Library during library hours.

2. Complete the Intake/Interview Booklet in your envelope by answering all questions. Then sign and date the last 3 pages. Place all your tax forms and any information relating to your tax return in your envelope.

3. Make an appointment to drop off your Tax Record Envelope and meet with a Tax-Aide volunteer.

West Asheville Library
Tuesdays, appointments available between 9am-12:30pm
To make an appointment at the West Asheville Library email [email protected] with your name and telephone number. An AARP volunteer will contact you to set up your appointment. If you don’t have access to email, someone at the library can email AARP for you. At your appointment, a tax volunteer will check all documents and give you a follow-up appointment to pick up your completed tax return and documents in 1 or 2 weeks.

RiverRATS: Spring Season Get your students in the water this spring with our free RiverRATS lessons. We’ll give your students all the tools they need to act as stream ecologists and build a deeper connection with our local water resources.

Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?

Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.

 Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) is a comprehensive two-year college and one of 58 colleges in the North Carolina Community College System, serving students in five locations in Buncombe and Madison Counties.  A-B Tech, through its dedication to student success, strives toward its mission to deliver quality education to enhance academic, workforce, and personal development. A-B Tech envisions changing lives and strengthening communities. 

We are currently seeking registered Therapy Dog Teams to have regular routes on campus, visiting public areas, classrooms and staff offices. Our A-B Tech Therapy Dog program aims to spread compassion, empathy, and, most importantly, “pawsitivity” across our campus.  A-B Tech Community College recognizes the positive influence that therapy dogs can have on student and staff.

Volunteer Responsibilities:

• Therapy dog teams (owner and dog) will visit public areas on campus, classrooms, and staff offices
• Therapy dog teams will also assist with special requests such as visiting classrooms before exams, counseling sessions or special events on campus.

Time Commitment:

• 1 hour once a week
• Therapy Dog teams are scheduled to ensure they are not in the same building or area at the same time as other teams.

Requirements:

• Must be 21 years old
• Complete volunteer application with A-B Tech
• Complete FERPA & HIPAA forms
• Submit to a criminal background screening
• Attend an in-person interview and orientation with A-B Tech Campus Volunteer Coordinator
• Provide copies of Therapy Dog Certification (Dog Teams must be certified by an accredited Therapy Dog Agency before starting).

*As of 2021, the Volunteer Program accepts Therapy Dog certification from the following agencies, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Therapy Dogs International, Pet Partners (previously Delta Society).

Health & Safety:

• A-B Tech is following all CDC guidelines for higher educational institutions

Old Kentucky Home -The Thomas Wolfe Memorial

American Novelist Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938)

Considered by many to be one of the giants of 20th-century American literature, Thomas Wolfe immortalized his childhood home in his epic autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel. Wolfe’s colorful portrayal of his family, his hometown of “Altamont” Asheville, North Carolina, and “Dixieland” the Old Kentucky Home boardinghouse, earned the Victorian period house a place as one of American literature’s most famous landmarks.

House tours are offered daily at half past each hour. Last tour leaves at 4:30 pm.
Group tours by reservation.

Adult – $5.00
Student (ages 7-17) – $2.00
Adult Group (10+) – $2.50 each
Student Group – $2.00 each
6 & under – Free

Hours of Operation

New map of adoptable stormdrains in the Smith Mill Creek Watershed. The Adopt-A-Storm Drain pilot program in the Central Asheville Watershed was such a success in 2021, that we are expanding it! Citizens can now volunteer to adopt a storm drain in the Central Asheville Watershed AND the Smith Mill Creek Watershed. Smith Mill Creek watershed is situated between Haywood Road and Patton Avenue, where it flows to meet the French Broad River, and features 245 adoptable storm drains. If you live or work in West Asheville, consider checking out the Adopt-A-Storm Drain map and adopting a storm drain, or two!

Join us in the temperature-controlled Arena to walk on most Tuesdays and Thursdays! Admission is free, masks are required and social distancing will be practiced.

Each lap around the concourse is 1/4 mile and strollers are welcome. Representatives from St. Francis Sports Medicine will be on hand for each event and other health professionals- like dietitians- are frequently scheduled to attend. Free parking is available in the VIP lot off of Church Street.

Walk your way to wellness!

Join the Asheville Chamber, Dominion Energy and The Blood Connection for a community blood drive!

The Blood Connection is the sole blood provider for Mission Hospital, AdventHealth and Pardee UNC Health Care, along with many others across the region.

Blood donors will receive a $20 e-Gift card PLUS be entered to win a $500 Ingles gift card.

Make your appointment here.

Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins also welcome!

The community blood drive will take place on March 22 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce (36 Montford Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801).  As a thank you for donating, all blood donors will receive a $20 eGift card, a BONUS $25 eGift card and be entered to win a $500 gift card to Ingles.  Appointments are encouraged and can be made by clicking here, but walk-ins are also welcome.

The Blood Connection (TBC) is partnering with Dominion Energy and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce to host a community blood drive, with the intent of increasing blood donations in Western North Carolina.

All donors at drive will be entered to win $500 Ingles gift card

When TBC put out an urgent call for blood drive hosts in January amid a critical need for blood donations, Dominion Energy answered the call: quickly reaching out about how the company could help address the need.  The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has been a long-time partner of The Blood Connection – hosting blood drives and serving as a host location for past “WLOS Operation Blood Drives.”  With the help of both organizations, The Blood Connection is confident this partnership can boost blood donations in the greater-Asheville area and beyond.

“Our area is experiencing a critical need for life-saving blood, and Dominion Energy is proud to stand alongside The Blood Connection and our partner, the Asheville Chamber to do our part,” said Julie Roper, Dominion Energy’s Economic Development and Local Affairs Manager in the area. “Donating blood will help save lives right here in our backyard. It’s all about neighbors helping neighbors.”

“We are pleased to partner with The Blood Connection to help meet the needs for blood donation in our community,” said Leeanne Briggs, Vice President of Member Services for the Asheville Chamber. “We encourage businesses and individuals who are willing and able to sign up for the blood drive.”

As the sole blood provider for most of the Western North Carolina hospitals, including Mission Health, Advent Health, and Pardee Health, blood donations made with TBC stay local.  The Blood Connection needs to collect 800 units of blood each day to ensure there are enough blood products to meet hospital partners’ needs.

The Garden Helpline is open March 2 through October 27 in 2022.

Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteers will be staffing the Helpline as indicated in the schedule below. You may send an email or leave a voicemail at any time and an Extension Master Gardener volunteer will respond during Garden Helpline hours. When emailing, please include a photo if it helps describe your garden question. Soil test kits can be picked up at the Extension office, 24/7, located in a box outside the front door.

Two ways to contact the Garden Helpline
Call 828-255-5522
Email questions and photos to [email protected]

Garden Helpline Hours
March:  Monday 12:00 – 2:00; Wednesday 10:00 – 12:00
April – September:  Monday and Wednesday 10:00- 2:00; Tuesday 10:00-12:00;
Thursday 12:00-2:00
October:  Tuesday 10:00-12:00; Thursday 12:00-2:00

We are here to help and support you! Please contact us; we look forward to answering your gardening questions.

Our first exhibition of the year, Of Body & Mind, explores the connection between form and soul. Both functional and sculptural glass work is displayed. Artists are encouraged to expand the concept beyond static objects. The show exhibits work of glass artists living in Western North Carolina or who have a connection to the area. The exhibit is open during our regular gallery hours in D Space. Closed Tuesdays. Masks required. A reception will be announced at a later date. Featured artwork: ‘Be Here Now’ by Ben Greene-Colonnese.

Y-Splash

What: Teach water safety skills, prepare children for drowning emergencies, decrease the number of deaths due to drowning in children and youth. Volunteer in the water or on land.

When: Shifts available from February 23 – April 22, Tuesday thru Friday from 10 AM – 12:30 PM.

The world is 70% water. Children are 100% curious. In an area with so many natural bodies of water, drowning prevention isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.

Y Splash is a volunteer-led program that challenges the startling childhood drowning statistics. Between the months of February and April, every public school second grader comes through the Y to participate in critical drowning prevention skills. We are searching for volunteers with a passion for water safety,

working with youth, and serving our local community.

Cook teams of 4-6 individuals are invited to bring ingredients and prepare meals onsite or bring meals that have been prepared elsewhere.  To meet our dietary standards, we ask that each meal provides a meat, vegetable and starch.

Requirements:

• Background Check
• Brief orientation prior to service
• Ability to Multi-Task
• Friendly Demeanor

Health & Safety:

• We are asking volunteers to wear/bring their own face mask if you have not been fully vaccinated
• Temperatures will be checked and a COVID-19 disclosure will be signed at the volunteer entrance

• Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?

  Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.

  ---

  ABCCM Transformation Village provides up to 100 beds of transitional housing and will provide emergency shelter beds, post Covid-19.  Transforming lives is through four developmental phases called Steps to Success including stabilization, life skills, education and reintegration.  We are honored to report that 8 out of 10 leave us with a living wage job and permanent housing.

  Transformation Village gives hope, healing, health and a home to single women, mothers with children, and female Veterans experiencing homelessness.  We provide residents a fresh start and a place to heal surrounded and supported by Christian love, trust, education and companionship.

  We are seeking energetic volunteers to prepare and serve meals for our residents for lunch and dinner. This opportunity provides you with the chance to prepare meals in our commercial kitchen alongside our trained staff while serving the women and children of Transformation Village. 

Asheville Gallery of Art March 2022 Exhibit, New Members Show“Color Dance” will feature works by four new gallery members: Anne Marie Brown, Raquel Egosi, JoAnn Pippin, and Cindy Shaw. The show will run March 1-31 during gallery hours, 11am-6pm. An event to meet the artists will be held at the gallery on First Friday, March 4, from 5-8pm at 82 Patton Avenue. These four exciting artists have selected “Color Dance” as the theme for their show. Paintings are generally static and are confined within a frame. The combined creative energy of these artists has seemingly moved beyond these limits, to create beautiful expressions of dynamic, moving shapes, captured within a spatial environment. They wish their works to evoke thoughts, emotions, and awareness to celebrate the sentient meaning of life. Please join us for “Color Dance” to revel in the paintings presented by these new gallery artists. They will deliver dynamic color, vibrancy, and hue into scenes that will dance their way into your heart. Anne Marie Brown began painting when, as a florist, she would paint small watercolors of her floral designs. She has exhibited in outdoor shows for over ten years and has had exhibitions in numerous galleries. Now settled in the mountains, she is inspired to paint the sweeping vistas and flora and fauna within. Anne Marie works in watercolor, gouache, oil, and acrylic, and hopes the images that touch her heart and canvas will touch yours as well. Color is music to my eyes. The song that is created on the canvas makes my heart dance. Raquel EgosiRaquel’s art career began in 1996 in Brazil. Studying with acclaimed artists and attending a variety of painting classes, she was active in her local art community, collaborating and setting up art shows. She currently participates regularly in gallery shows and museum exhibitions. Her art sells internationally, and she leads workshops for mixed media techniques in both the United States and overseas. Constructed using a variety of mixed media, my compositions are exceedingly rich in color and texture, with partial or fully figurative and abstract elements. JoAnn Pippin, her passion is to explore different watercolor techniques, with her subjects. Her paintings have been exhibited in juried art shows throughout the US, and her focus is on color, composition, and texture, to create light and mood through technique. The theme “Color Dance” is especially meaningful to watercolorists, because we literally watch color dance and blend when we add wet paint to wet paper. It is not simply mixing colors on the palette and placing them in our work, but the excitement of observing the action as they blend and mingle to create wonderful new hues. Cindy Shaw originally trained as an Architect and worked for many years on projects as well as teaching. However, when her husband’s career took her to rural Italy, she purchased art supplies and began to paint. While there, she enjoyed exploring the Italian countryside and capturing “le viste belle!”. Returning home to the USA, she has continued to grow and develop as an impressionist artist over the past decade. “Color adds depth and meaning, not only to our paintings, but also to our outlook on life. Color can be joyful, dramatic, and exciting.”

Black Mountain College: Idea + Place Lower Level Gallery with Companion Digital Exhibition How can an idea inform a place? How can a place inform an idea? Would Black Mountain College have had the same identity and lifespan if it had been located in the urban Northeast, the desert Southwest, or coastal California? How did BMC’s rather isolated, rural, and mountainous setting during the era of the Great Depression and the Jim Crow South influence the college community’s decision-making and the evolution of ideas upon which it was based? This exhibition seeks to delve into these questions and others by exploring the places of Black Mountain College: its two very different campuses, its influential predecessor the Bauhaus in Germany, and the post-BMC diaspora. Curated by Alice Sebrell, Director of Preservation

adVANCE! Modernism, Black Liberation + Black Mountain College Upper Level Gallery with Companion Digital Exhibition Featuring the work of contemporary sculptor Larry Paul King in conversation with Black Mountain College modernist masters including Jacob Lawrence, Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence, Josef Albers, Leo Krikorian, and Sewell Sillman. Premiering three Jacob Lawrence lithographs new to the BMCM+AC permanent collection. adVANCE! celebrates Black Mountain College’s role in early civil rights and the ongoing role of Black, modernist artists in the pursuit of liberation and justice. Curated by Marie T. Cochran, Founder of the Affrilachian Artist Project

$5 Highland pints

$5 Kids taco with chips and salsa Peace Love Tacos
$5 Kids nuggets & fries Buxton Chicken Palace
$5 Grassfed all beef hot dog with chips Farm Dogs
$5 Chicken & rice with veggies Bun Intended

$3.50 for a kiddie scoop or under $5 for a single scoop from The Hop!

Arguably the most talented of the three Lange brother artists, TL Lange was an actual rockstar in Atlanta before he was an art rockstar in Asheville. “He was going to participate in the Fall Studio Stroll (2001) but something came up. He dropped a couple of cardboard jericho cases with random unstretched canvases & paper pieces for me to sell. This work is from that batch. It has never been viewed by the public before; some are for sale & others are only being shown.” –Stephen Lange. Twenty of these TL Lange paintings will be included in this exhibition as well as prints of Anonymous Bathers, one of his most noteworthy creations.TL Lange was born and raised in Charleston before studying drawing and painting at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. After spending about five years in Atlanta, where he first made a name for himself in the art world, he moved to North Carolina where he maintained his home and atelier until his untimely death at the age of 36. Lange started his work with “concrete visions”, and actually began several paintings at one time. He tried to allow some form of synchronicity to determine his next decision. As the artist said, “I make marks for the sake of themselves. I create error that I find attractive in all of our everyday lives. However, I leave it hanging three marks shy of discernment. What I mean by that is that I choose that it not be understood or to be scrutinized by its detail or its adherence to reality—only to be seen for its sense and its nostalgic response without my personal sentiment.” A figurative and abstract artist, TL Lange had exhibited in numerous, prominent galleries in his young career. A condensed list includes Artworks Gallery (Salt Lake City, UT), Art Works (Atlanta, GA), Human Arts Gallery (Atlanta, GA), Landsdell Gallery (Atlanta, GA) and Art Dallas (Dallas, TX), Mary Bell Galleries (Chicago, IL) and Foster White Galleries (Seattle, WA). TL Lange’s remarkable artwork can be found in many private, corporate, and public collections including Wentworth Galleries, Larson Juhl Frames, and Saks Fifth Avenue Corporation and Microsoft Corporation.

Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 2:45-6pm
K-6th graders.
Does your child enjoy having fun and making new friends? Offering
arts, crafts, special events, homework assistance and more!
Families currently enrolled in the school system’s reduced or free
meal program, please contact your recreation center for discount
fee information.
Locations: Burton, Grant, Montford, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee

Hosted by: The Buddhist Studies Institute

FREE – ONLINE – 30 MINUTES – DAILY
🌺Guided meditation support and community🌺

🌸Stabilization and Liberation:
In order to liberate our minds– we need stable calm.

🌸Consistency & Commitment:
Stabilizing in calm clear presence takes consistent training.

🌸Support & Community:
Daily Meditation is a container and support for your meditation focus.

Expand your meditation circle- join us online any day or every day!

Formerly known as 100 Days of practice to support a Tibetan Yogis tradition to practice 100 days in the winter, this has now been expanded to continue daily. To learn more and register: https://buddhiststudiesinstitute.org/daily-meditation/

Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?

Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.

Creative Peacemakers is an after-school program sponsored by St.George’s Episcopal Church serving children from the Deaverview Apartment Community. The mission of Creative Peacemakers is to bring peace to communities by helping children practice peacemaking through cooperative play, loving relationships, and creative expression. We provide opportunities for nurture, healing, empowerment, and building resilience.

We are seeking volunteers to assist us in our small after school program for children in West Asheville in low-income housing.  We provide a safe and nourishing environment, healthy snacks, and creative activities.  Our program currently meets during the school year on most Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:00-5:00pm.   You may volunteer for one or two days a week. 

Volunteer Responsibilities:

• Assist with serving snacks
• Interact with children during activity time
• Supervise games and outdoor free time
• For people with background in education, there is also an opportunity to assist with curriculum development and program planning and administration

Requirements:

• Background check
• Orientation booklets will be provided
• Masks are required if unvaccinated

Location:

Deaverview Apartment Community Center
275 Deaverview Rd.
Asheville, NC 28806

Health & Safety:

• Hand washing stations are available
• Hand sanitizer is available

Montford Pre-Teen Afterschool Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021 – June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
5th-6th graders.
New program designed to meet the needs of your pre-teen.
Providing time dedicated to school assignments, life skills, arts,
communication, leadership, fitness, nutrition, and loads of fun.
Location: Montford

Teen Leadership Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
6th-9th graders.
Looking for a cool and enriching alternative for your Teen to attend
this school year? We offer creative activities, diverse projects,
field trips, and more.
Locations: Grant, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee

Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?

Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.

Literacy Together (formerly the Literacy Council of Buncombe County) is a nonprofit organization working with children, youth, and adults to increase comprehensive literacy and English language skills through access to literacy resources and specialized instruction by trained volunteer tutors. Literacy Together relies on volunteer tutors to offer students personal instruction and high-quality materials through various programs.

The Youth Literacy Program is seeking tutors to meet with students K-5 twice a week for 50 minutes, between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm. The Youth Literacy Program works with two after-school programs that primarily serve youth of color.  The two locations are in Asheville.

Youth Literacy tutors work with children from low-income families who read, write, and/or spell below their grade level. Tutors in this program complete an initial orientation and a 16-20 hours training, which includes some pre-course work and/or homework (short articles to read, short videos to watch). They then receive follow-up support and the option to attend in-service training throughout their tutoring commitment. Youth Literacy tutors commit to working with their students for at least one school year.

Time Commitment:

• Twice a week for 50-minute sessions between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm.
• Youth Literacy tutors commit to working with their students for at least one school year.

Requirements: 

• GED or High School diploma
• Excellent customer service skills
• Ability to work patiently with various levels of literacy skills
• Access to reliable internet
• Ability to navigate virtual meetings with minimal distractions
• Complete a background check

Training:

• Tutors must complete 16-20 hours of training prior to being assigned a student

Intro to Guitar with Melissa McKinney – Students will receive a solid foundation in beginner rhythm guitar for vocalists. Chords, Rhythm patterns, and basic theory will be introduced while learning songs with an uplifting message. Students will also learn to play the song that the Songwriting Class will be writing and will record it in the One Mic Studio.

Tuesdays from 4pm-5pm at LEAF Global Experience (19 Eagle St, Asheville, NC, 28801)

*Dates/times subject to change – interested in attending this class but unsure if it works with your schedule, or if it suits your student’s skill level? Reach out to us at [email protected]! We are always looking to adapt and expand our class schedules to accommodate new students!

Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?

Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.

Getting Back to the Basics/Project Lighten Up is a unique summer and afterschool educational opportunity for low-income and minority youth that supports students’ recreational and educational learning. We provide meaningful educational support and develop self-esteem in a positive environment through mentoring and enriching activities.

Project Lighten Up is seeking in-person volunteers to assist students attending the afterschool program during the school year with spelling and reading 1-2 times a week for 1 hour.  

Time Commitment:

• Commitment to a 5-week session
• Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of 1 shift per week
• Volunteers choose from one, 1-hour session per week OR two, 30-minute sessions per week
• Volunteer shifts are Tuesdays & Thursdays between 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Please arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start for health screening and transition time

Requirements/Training:

• Respond above to the opportunity
• Answer all health/safety and opportunity related questions prior to submitting your response
• Phone interview with the program director
• Volunteer application
• Complete a background check
• Attend training by program staff
• Adheres to all CDC guidelines and safety protocols

Skillset: 

• Enjoys working with youth in different grade levels
• Enjoys working in a learning environment
• Remains patient and calm with students experiencing technical or learning challenges
• Demonstrates a positive attitude and empathy for students and Lighten Up team
• Non-judgmental, fair, firm, and friendly
• Models excellent verbal and non-verbal communication

Health/Safety:

• Health and safety screening prior to every shift start:
  • List of health and safety questions asked
  • Temperatures taken
• We are asking volunteers to wear/bring their own face covering (masks available upon request)
  • Fabric or disposable face mask
• Asking volunteers to maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or more when possible
  • Note: there are times when the volunteer task requires volunteers to engage with students closer than 6 feet. Please do not sign up if you feel uncomfortable.
• Volunteers will be asked to adhere to proper hand hygiene

Taught by Janice Schreiber
Ages 5-7
Feb 8-Mar 29, 2022 | Tuesdays 

Join us on our way to imaginationland! Students will learn the basics of performance technique, explore exciting characterizations, and use their bodies, voices, and imaginations to bring stories and characters to life. Some of our favorite cartoon and real life characters just might make an appearance! Tuition will be $125.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.