Marco volunteers: Feb. 8, 2006

The Eagle welcomes announcements from organizations needing volunteers. Send your request to: Volunteers, c/o Marco Island Eagle, P.O. Box 579, Marco Island, FL 34146; fax to 213-5382; or e-mail to mail@marcoeagle.com. Electronic submissions are preferred. Announcements must be received one week before publication.

• After School with the YMCA program is looking for a few energetic and enthusiastic people to join the after-school team. If you like the idea of working with children in an enriching and fun environment, please call 394-3144.

• American Cancer Society: The Marco Island Unit of the American Cancer Society is looking for office volunteers and volunteers for fund raising, educational programs and driving patients to treatment centers. Volunteers will be trained and assisted by office staff to help with office work, literature distribution, and scheduling and setting up for programs and special events. The office is located at 917 N.

Collier Blvd. Call 642-8800.

• American Red Cross, Collier County chapter, needs new disaster volunteers to help provide relief to victims and help local residents prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies; and offers many classes, including first aid, CPR and pet first aid.

Volunteers assist in disaster response, clerical work, fund raising, Armed Forces Emergency Services, International Tracing and many other areas. For information on volunteer opportunities or classes, visit the chapter office in the Northbrooke Plaza at 2610 Northbrooke Plaza Drive, or call the chapter office at 596-6868.

• Arthritis Foundation seeks volunteers for a variety of tasks at its office in Merrill Gardens of Naples, 1710 S.W. Health Parkway (off Immokalee Road). The office, open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., supplies free arthritis literature and information and also hosts lectures and group meetings. Volunteers are needed a few hours a day or a few days a week. Duties include distributing literature and phone work (not telemarketing). They also may include leading a support group or helping with special events. For more information, call (800) 741-4008, ext. 227.

• Bargain Basket Thrift Shop seeks volunteers to help sort, price and display items that are donated for resale, and to work as cashiers. Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Volunteers also may work when the store is closed. Scheduling is very flexible.

The Bargain Basket is operated by United Church of Marco Island and donates proceeds to support both local and global ministries. The store is located at 828 Bald Eagle Drive. For information, call Cheryl at 394-6640.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Florida seeks adult volunteers to serve as positive role models for children ages 6 to 14. Volunteers are needed for future school-site mentoring opportunities.

Call the Collier County office of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Florida at 403-0815.

• Bingo at the YMCA is held each Tuesday, and volunteers are needed from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers' jobs include helping to set up the program, checking people in and checking the winners sheet. Call Dottie Weiner at 394-3144, ext. 204.

• Collier County Health Department offers breast-feeding classes free to pregnant women at 12:30 p.m. each Monday at the Collier County Health Department and at noon each Tuesday at the Golden Gate WIC office.

The following volunteer positions are available at the Collier County Health Department:

• Mothers or grandmothers with breast-feeding experience to help new mothers. Training and education offered.

• Immunization Services needs retired nurse volunteers with a Florida license to help administer vaccines at outreach clinics.

• Family and Personal Health seeks bilingual Spanish-speaking volunteers to translate for clients during medical care visits (i.e., to meet clients at appointments to assist).

• Retired bookkeepers or accountants to assist with the WIC program.

• Environmental Health, TB clinic and WIC urgently need clerical volunteers.

• Volunteers for vision and hearing and referral follow-up.

• Adult Health Clinic needs retired nurse volunteers to assist physicians with physicals.

• Several other Health Department offices also need clerical volunteers.

Contact Jane Costa at 774-8204 for volunteer opportunities.

• Collier County Public Library has a program committed to improving the literacy skills of adults, families and older youths in the community by providing free tutoring in reading, writing, speaking, listening and numeracy. The objective is to help residents, permanent and temporary, integrate more fully into the community by offering classes in English as a second language and/or basic literacy. Tutoring is available one-on-one, in small groups or in the workplace. All classes take place on Marco Island or in East Naples. Call Roberta Reiss, program coordinator, at 774-6514.

• The Conservancy needs volunteers to provide valuable assistance by working in all areas of the Naples Nature Center, the Nature Store, the Museum of Natural History, education, environmental policy, wildlife rehabilitation and The Conservancy Upscale Resale Shoppes in Naples and Bonita Springs. Critter carriers are needed on Marco Island to bring injured animals to the Naples center. Call Sally at 403-4212.

• Everglades Golden Retriever Rescue is a nonprofit organization based in Sunrise that recently expanded service to Collier and Lee counties to provide placement assistance for golden retrievers throughout South Florida. Dogs in the EGRR rescue program receive examinations by a licensed veterinarian, medical treatment as needed and spay/neuter surgery before placement. Always in need of volunteers, EGRR encourages all who have an interest in the breed to apply. The group particularly needs foster homes throughout Collier and Lee counties. Volunteer tasks include transport, intake and adoption, home visits, public relations, rehabilitation and more. Especially welcome are discounts on veterinary services, pet foods and supplies. Contact EGRR by calling Mary-Ellen Metro at 591-0250 (November through May) or Virginia Walker at 390-0715. The rescue hot line is (954) 748-3507.

• For the Love of Cats: If you love cats and kittens, you will love volunteering with us! Play and give love and care to cats and kittens at our shelter. Help is needed with the rescue and trapping of kittens and un-neutered cats on the island. We are the Marco division of Friends of Gummi in Naples, the only nonprofit, all-volunteer, no-kill kitten and puppy rescue in Collier County. Call Jim or Jan Rich at 642-8674.

• Friends of Tigertail Beach is a nonprofit organization of dedicated volunteers who serve the community through educational programs and citizen support efforts while actively protecting the natural systems of Tigertail Beach. Volunteers are needed for quarterly beach cleanups, special programs and community events.

Contact the Friends of Tigertail at KMAMIFL@aol.com or 394-5416 to volunteer or arrange a guided visit.

• Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida needs volunteers to help deliver the Girl Scout program and help girls grow strong in mind, body and character. Various opportunities with flexible options and hands-on training are available. Girl Scout troop leaders are needed urgently; however, other volunteer positions are available. Girl Scouting is open to volunteers, both women and men, who are 18 or older, make the Girl Scout Promise, accept the Girl Scout Law and pay the $10 annual membership dues. Call 561-1800, ext. 26, or (800) 586-3186.

• Habitat for Humanity needs volunteers to help build decent, affordable housing for the working poor in Immokalee and Naples. Habitat for Humanity, an International Ecumenical Christian Ministry, is dedicated to the elimination of poverty housing. Call Sam Durso at 642-5750.

• IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program seeks help filing tax returns. Learn more about federal taxes and help others in your community. Volunteers also are needed to help in other ways.

VITA assistance is provided at schools, churches, libraries and other neighborhood locations for the convenience of taxpayers who cannot travel to an IRS office. If you or your organization would like to volunteer to assist in the VITA program, or would like more information, contact the IRS at (954) 423-7636.

• The Isles of Capri Fire and Rescue Department seeks qualified volunteers to offer their time and services to help support the department. The department also has opportunities for young volunteers in the Sea Scout program. Call Chief Emilio Rodriguez at 394-8770.

• The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida is looking for volunteers to help turn children's dreams into realities. Homemakers, professionals, grandmothers, uncles and kids are invited to join this growing group. Last year, Make-A-Wish granted wishes of 450 children with life-threatening illnesses. Call Judith at (239) 992-9474 or visit www.wish.org/southernfla.

• Marco Island Charter Middle School volunteers are needed as mentors, tutors, classroom helpers, lunch monitors and general office helpers. Call Cathy Vergo at 389-4818.

• Marco Island Hospital Auxiliary: If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at the Marco Healthcare Center, call Phil Egizio at 394-4929.

• Marco Island YMCA is launching a major effort to recruit volunteers. Many of the Y's programs and activities have been reorganized to create new opportunities for volunteer involvement. Volunteers lead programs, serve as role models for young people and more. Call 394-3144, ext.

206.

• Mothers Arms, a national nonprofit organization of safety-conscious women, seeks nominations for chapter moms. The chapter mom positions are open only to women, although men can participate in membership and fund raising. Chapters are recognized once they attain six members, including the chapter mom who starts the chapter. Requirements for the chapter mom position include membership in the organization, five people interested in joining Mothers Arms, a willingness to hold informal monthly meetings and a belief in the Mothers Arms mission. To nominate a woman for a chapter mom, notify the woman and contact Alicia Wadas at (800) 464-4840 with the e-mail address, phone number and mailing address of the prospective chapter mom.

• National Wildlife Federation seeks nature lovers and avid gardeners to help plan and plant Backyard Wildlife Habitat projects. Volunteers will receive intensive training and the opportunity to serve as habitat stewards. Call Jake Scott at 643-4111, ext. 13.

• NCH Naples Hospital and NCH North Collier Hospital seek individuals who are interested in becoming volunteers. Call the volunteer office at North Collier at 513-7703 or the NCH volunteer office at 436-5200.

• PAT's Kids Club, an after-school care program in eight Collier County schools, seeks volunteers to assist with clerical tasks, student tutoring and activity supervision. Contact Tanya Mustari at 436-3960. PAT's Kids Club is a program of the Youth Development Foundation.

• PAT's Tot Care, a child-care program for children of teenage mothers finishing school, needs help holding, reading to, and nurturing infants and toddlers in Naples and Immokalee. Contact Sharon Kirkpatrick at 403-9488. PAT's Tot Care is a program of the Youth Development Foundation.

• Project HELP Inc., a nonprofit crisis center, is in need of volunteers to assist on the 24-Hour Hotline and Referral or the Rape Crisis Team. Volunteering for the hot line may be done at the Project HELP office or from the comfort of your own home. Training provided. For information about these volunteer endeavors, contact the Project HELP Inc. office 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 649-1404 or 649-5660.

• Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve needs volunteers to assist staff biologists and visiting researchers with several projects, including oyster demographics, habitat restoration, invasive plant removal, red tide monitoring and reporting, fisheries inventory, water quality analysis and benthic analysis (identification of bottom-dwelling organisms). As a Rookery Bay volunteer, you will play a vital role in the preservation, restoration and management of this unique mangrove estuary.

Contact Nancy Olson, outreach specialist, at 417-6310.

• United Guardians is a local charity that helps families of troops. Money and volunteers are needed. Call 261-0300 or 645-8345.

• Wishing Well Foundation needs volunteers in the Marco Island area to help fulfill a wish for any child under the age of 18 who is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. The group meets the first Monday evening of each month. Call Bernice Lockhart at 642-8213 to volunteer.