The following information was provided by the Community Service Center.
Highlighted Volunteer Opportunities for Tuesday, May 24:
1.URGENT NEED: Volunteers for Spirit of Tuscaloosa Candlelight Vigil: The City of Tuscaloosa is hosting a Candlelight Vigil on Wednesday, June 1 at 8:00 pm to honor the victims that were killed or injured in the storm, and acknowledge the selfless service of the heroes that responded in the time of need. We need 50 volunteers who can help from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm (to assist with set up) and 100 volunteers who can help from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm (to serve as greeters and to give out and light candles during the event). If you can volunteer at one or both timeslots, please email Barbara Grimes at [email protected] or call 205-348-2865 to let us know which time slot(s) you can help with. Each volunteer will receive a t-shirt on the night of the event.
2. Sign up to assist with Dressing Up! Tuscaloosa Event: New York-based apparel manufacturer Alfred Dunner is donating thousands of new women’s garments to be distributed in Tuscaloosa to tornado survivors June 9-14 at Central High School. Volunteers are needed the days before (May 31-June 8) to help get ready for the event and then to help individuals with their clothing needs during the event. To sign up to volunteer, contact Isa Dorskey at [email protected] or visit the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150223981713297#!/event.php?eid=150223981713297.
3. URGENT NEED FOR THIS WEEK: Holt Community Partnership: The Holt Community Partnership needs assistance this week at their distribution center at Holt Baptist Church (3101 Alabama Avenue Northeast) on Tuesday from 1-7 pm, Wednesday from 9 am – 5 pm, and Thursday from 1-7 pm. If you can assist, please contact Tonya Appling at 205-826-0262 to sign up for a shift. The hotline number for the partnership is 205-523-3817.
4. Disaster Relief Assistance Internships Opportunities Available: Are you interested in receiving course credit for your work in the tornado relief effort? UA students have the option to conduct internships with various agencies involved in the recovery effort for up to six hours of course credit. We will work to match students to internships with the City of Tuscaloosa and relief agencies. For more information or to sign up, contact William McCracken, the Disaster Relief Internship Coordinator, at [email protected]. Please include your name, telephone number, major, minor, and CWID in your e-mail. Please also mention the type of work you would like to do in an internship and any relevant skills or experience you have. Please be aware that we may not be able to place all students in internships depending on how much interest is expressed, but that we will do our best to find something for everyone.
5. URGENT NEED: Office Assistance Needed at Tuscaloosa’s One Place: Because of the increased workload and some staff being personally affected by the tornado at Tuscaloosa’s One Place, they need volunteers who can help with answering phones, data entry, and other odd jobs. Please contact Emerald Autrey at 462-1000 or [email protected] if you would like to help.
6. Help Needed with “Summer Food & Fun” Program: The Community Action Team of the Region Two State Perinatal Association is starting a new program this summer to plan activities for children ages 3-18 at the McDonald Hughes Community Building. The program will take place June 7 – July 28 from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays. Activities will be broken down into three areas: Healthy Living & Wellness, Arts/Crafts/Music/Dance, & Enrichment. Volunteers can be group leaders or assist group leaders working with different age groups. Volunteers must fill out an application by May 24 in order to participate. Individuals do not have to commit to every day, but volunteers should plan to stay the entire 2 hours on days they volunteer. Groups can also commit to days to serve and have their members sign up for those days. Please email Wahnee Sherman at [email protected] to receive more information about how to apply to assist with this program.
7. Tuscaloosa City Schools – Help Prepare Summer Reading Care Packages: Volunteers are needed at the Tuscaloosa City Schools Main Office to assist with assembling summer reading care packages. Help is needed weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm until Wednesday, May 25. Go by the Central Office at 1210 21st Avenue or call 205-759-8300 to sign up for a time slot.
8. Tuscaloosa City Schools Supply Donation Center: The Tuscaloosa City Schools has opened a School Supply Donation Center at the Central Office to house donated supplies. The supplies are being used to assist teachers and students who were affected by the April 27 tornado. The center is manned by volunteers during each school day. Supplies have been received from local individuals and groups as well as from across Alabama and other states. The donated supplies are available to teachers who make requests to principals. They also will be available for the 2011-2012 school year as teachers and students displaced by the tornado begin classes in temporary locations. Persons interested in making donations should contact the School Supply Center at 205-759-8300 or the Central Office at 205-759-3700. Rebecca Rothman and Frannie James are coordinating volunteers who assist in this endeavor.
9. Backpack Meal Preparation: Volunteers are meeting at Verner Elementary School each day to prepare meals (over 900 per day) to send home in the backpacks of all students who were impacted. Volunteers generally meet from 8 am to 10 am on weekdays to sort donations, assemble meal bags, and deliver them to the schools. For those interested in donating to this project, needed items include single serving, easy- open cans of ravioli, spaghettios, Vienna sausage, potted meat, beans and weenies, and similar items. Also needed are single serving, easy-open cans/cups of fruit and applesauce, cereal boxes, Pop Tarts, and plastic forks and spoons. Deliveries and volunteers should come to the Verner Elementary School gym.
10. URGENT NEED: 2 Temporary Emergency Services Warehouses: TES is in desperate need of individuals who can help to sort items at both of their warehouse locations. At the primary location (1705 15th Street), volunteers are need to sort donations. At the secondary location (5510 McFarland Blvd., Northport – Old Foodmax Building), volunteers are needed to unload trucks and sort donations. Their hours are Monday-Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Go by to volunteer or call 205-758-5535 to schedule a time to volunteer.
11. Project Blessings: Project Blessings located at Woodland Forest Baptist Church (6701 Hargrove Road East) needs volunteers to help sort items and help with other recovery efforts. Their hours of operation are M-F from 9 am to 4 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm. They would appreciate consistent volunteers who can be trained and continue to help. They also have a great need for plastic storage bins if you know anyone who would like to make a donation. The person in charge at the location is Chase Sprayberry. Please check out their website for more information about what they are doing at www.projectblessings.org.
12. City of Tuscaloosa Volunteer Hotline: We are staffing the City of Tuscaloosa volunteer hotline call center with UA students. We will be doing this Monday-Friday from 7 am to 7 pm, Saturday from 8 am to 7 pm, Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm. The shifts are 7 am to 11 am, 11 am to 3 pm, and 3 pm to 7 pm. If you want to volunteer for any of these shifts, please email Barbara Grimes at [email protected] or call at 205-348-2865 and let her know which day and which shifts you would like to volunteer for. The call center is located in the McAbee Center at 3801 Loop Road (take 15th Street/Veterans Memorial Parkway out passed Home Depot. There will be sign for Loop Road/Veteran’s Hospital/UA Arboretum. You will loop to the right and then take a left into the road for the McAbee Center. It is a large building with a blue roof. Please enter the door with the awning over it.) Please make sure to contact Barbara to sign up because space is limited at each shift.
13. Volunteers for Volunteer Registration Center: The City needs volunteers to help register volunteers at the Volunteer Registration Center at the McAbee Center each day. The hours are M-F from 7 am to 7 pm; Saturday from 8 am to 7 pm; and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm. If you would like to sign up for a shift, please Barbara Grimes at [email protected] or call at 205-348-2865 and let her know which day and which shifts you would like to volunteer for. The call center is located in the McAbee Center at 3801 Loop Road (take 15th Street/Veterans Memorial Parkway out passed Home Depot. There will be sign for Loop Road/Veteran’s Hospital/UA Arboretum. You will loop to the right and then take a left into the road for the McAbee Center. It is a large building with a blue roof. Please enter the door with the awning over it.) Please make sure to contact Barbara to sign up because space is limited at each shift. If you send us an email after 5:00 pm for a shift the next day, just show up the next day at the McAbee Center.
14. Office Help at Temporary Emergency Services: TES is looking for individuals who would want to come in and be consistent volunteers who could help answer the phones and help with other office projects. Their office staff is stretched thin because of so many individuals needing help. If you would like to volunteer to be a consistent volunteer a few hours a week, please contact Sharon at 205-758-5535 and let her know that you are a University of Alabama student who wants to volunteer in the office.
15. Tuscaloosa’s One Place (TOP): Volunteers are needed at Tuscaloosa’s One Place at 867 Redmont Drive, Tuscaloosa 35404 for 2 different programs. (1) Volunteers are needed to work with TOP in partnership with Hopewell Baptist Church (which is next door) to help sort and distribute donated items. Volunteers are needed from 10 am to 5 pm Tuesdays/Thursdays/Saturdays. Please go by the TOP office first and let them know you are there to volunteer. (2) Volunteers are needed to work with participants of their program to work on resumes and apply for jobs online. Students who help should be knowledgeable about computers. Volunteers are needed from 8 am to 4:30 pm on Mondays/Thursdays/Fridays. Please contact Emerald Autry at 205-462-1000, ext.33 to sign up for a time to volunteer. TOP is located about a half mile from the Winn Dixie in 5 Points (From the Winn Dixie traveling on University Blvd towards campus, Redmont Drive will be on your right immediately after Hopewell Baptist Church. TOP is a blue house).
16. Volunteering with the Red Cross: If you are interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer and helping out at the Red Cross Shelter, please go to the Red Cross table at the McAbee Center to let them know. They are taking the names of individuals who would like to be Red Cross volunteers.
On Going Volunteer Sign Up and Service Locations:
- Temporary Emergency Services on 15th Street needs volunteers to help sort and distribute donations. They are open from 8am – 6pm M-S and Sundays 10am – 6pm. They need your help to sort donations so they can be given to those who need the items.
- Samaritan’s Purse at First Baptist Church downtown is doing volunteer orientations each day at 8 am and 1 pm. You need to go to one of the orientations in order to be placed.
- Warehouse Assistance: The City of Tuscaloosa has opened a new warehouse to house donations that have been given. They need help each day from 8 am to 5 pm to help with deliveries. The warehouse is the Phifer Warehouse located at 2505 Greensboro Avenue. You MUST become a credentialed volunteer through the VRC at the McAbee Center in order to volunteer here.
Important Information:
- Everyone is invited to the City of Tuscaloosa Candlelight Vigil to honor those individuals that were killed or injured in the storm, and acknowledge the selfless service of the heroes that responded in the time of need. The Vigil will take place at Government Plaza at 8:00 pm on Wednesday, June 1.
- The UA Counseling Center is offering a tornado support group for students every Wednesday at 7 pm in the Counseling Center.
- Faculty, staff and students who suffered hardship following the April 27 tornado are encouraged to apply for financial assistance through the UA Acts of Kindness Fund, an emergency-assistance program for UA employees and students. Please go to http://financialaffairs.ua.edu/benfund/ to find the application.
- Individuals who have be impacted by the storm need to file with FEMA to receive aid. You can call 1-800-621-3362 to register.
- Check out the United Way homepage to find out more information about other services available: http://www.uwwa.org/news.html
MPORTANT NOTE: All volunteers working in the recovery areas can become credentialed through the Volunteer Reception Center (VRC). Credentialing will occur at the McAbee Center, 3801 Loop Road, Tuscaloosa. Hours are Monday through Friday: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. At some point, the City will ask all volunteers to become credentialed, so please go ahead and do this. You can fill out the form electronically at http://www.givetuscaloosa.com/wp-content/themes/premiumpixels/forms/Individual_App.pdf. For more information, please visit http://www.givetuscaloosa.com/.
