The following information was provided by the Community Service Center
Highlighted Volunteer Opportunities for Friday, May 27-Monday, May 30:
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 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. URGENT NEED: Assistance with Volunteer Reception Center & Volunteer Hotline Call Center. The City is in need of volunteers to help check in volunteers at the Volunteer Reception Center at the McAbee Center and to help answer the City’s volunteer hotline. 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 volunteer, please go directly to the McAbee Center 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.) The group of Americorps volunteers who have been working with this for the last few weeks will no longer be available in the near future to assist each day. The VRC & Call Center would love some volunteers who could come on a consistent basis.
3. URGENT NEED: Help Needed at American Red Cross Building Relocation on Saturday, May 28. The American Red Cross will be moving into their temporary location from their damaged building on Saturday. They need 10 volunteers at 9 am to help load supplies onto trucks and unload at the new site. They need 1 pm to help load computer equipment to take to the new location. If you would like to volunteer, please email Rachel Edington at [email protected] and let her know which times you would like to work.
4. URGENT NEED: Volunteers to assist Temporary Emergency Services with client services: TES needs volunteers to assist with client services. Volunteers would work with individuals who have been impacted by the tornado to help them get clothing and other items they need through TES. They would like 10-15 students who could work consistently with client services. If you are interested in volunteering at least 5 hours a week, please contact Sharon at 205-758-5535.
5. 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 athttp://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150223981713297#!/event.php?eid=150223981713297.
6. 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.
Other Volunteer Opportunities:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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).
5. 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
