Community Service
Community Service Listing Provided by local Organizations
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
AHM Youth & Family Services
AHM Youth & Family Services, Inc.
25 Pendleton Drive
Hebron, CT 06248
860-228-9488 - Phone
860-228-1213 - Fax
AHM provides numerous opportunities for both youth and adult volunteers.
· AHM Board of Directors - There are both adult and youth directors that serve on the board. Meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month at 25 Pendleton Drive in Hebron, (AHM’s main office). Youth Directors have the same full voting rights as the adult directors. Youth Directors are involved in the organization by serving on committees, working on fundraisers, and public speaking opportunities.
· The AHM CHEC Coalition - Program committee made up of police officers, clergy, parents, seniors, business and community leaders, and youth. The teens that serve on this committee play an integral role helping to identify gaps in services throughout the year with regards to community programs that are aimed at reducing underage drinking and drug use. This committee meets after school the first Wednesday of each month.
· RALLY (Regional Activities Leading Local Youth) - A youth driven group that works to help change attitudes on the RHAM campus about drugs, in particular marijuana, alcohol and prescription drugs. They are responsible for youth driven marketing campaigns, speaking engagements, choosing strategies that will prevent their peers to not do drugs and participating in the CHEC Coalition meetings. They meet twice per month after school.
· Peer Helpers –High school students who are trained in self-awareness and communication skills. They also receive training in issues relevant to adolescence such as stress management, eating disorders, suicide prevention, healthy relationships, etc. Informally, Peer Helpers use their skills in their everyday interactions with others. Formally, they act as mentors to freshmen students. Peer Helpers are also involved with Freshman Orientation, Substance Abuse Awareness Week and community service activities. This program is a joint program with AHM Youth and Family Services
· Power of Words - Students who want to help put an end to peer to peer bullying and other anti-social behaviors among teens. The group organizes a major annual program at RHAM High School, which brings together Sophomore students to talk about specific ways to put an end to negative actions that are intentionally meant to hurt or demean other people. The program has been so well received that it now also takes place in the middle school and all of the Andover, Columbia, Hebron and Marlborough Elementary Schools as well.
· Other Volunteer Opportunities – throughout the year AHM hosts a number of major community fundraisers such as the Telethon and Golf Tournament. Funds raised from these events go directly back into supporting programs for children and adults in Andover, Hebron and Marlborough. Youth volunteers are always needed for these events. The next event is the annual telethon and we are recruiting 50 youth.
Andover Senior Center
Contact: (860) 742-0188
Andover Food Bank
Contact: Andover Congregational Church Food Pantry (860) 208-3226
Andover Elementary School PTA
The PTA meets the first Monday of the month at 7pm. Most meetings last about an hour but could be a bit more. They would like to have a student or 2 volunteer so that they can offer a childcare option for parents.
Contact: Katie Marino 860-208-1733 or katiemarino@andoverpta.org
Beckish Senior Center
Bernadette Derring
Director
188 Route 66
Columbia, CT. 06237
860-228-0759 – Phone
The Beckish Senior Center, Columbia provides the following Youth Volunteer Service Opportunities:
· Helping prepare and serve lunch at the Center
· Kitchen cleaning and organization
· Organizing storage spaces
· Answering phones
· General cleaning
· Making posters
The center closes daily at 3:00 PM, and is not generally open on weekends, but service opportunities may be available during school holidays and breaks. Contact the Bernadette Derring if interested in any of these opportunities.
Covenant Soup Kitchen
Kimberly Clark
Willimantic, CT
860-423-1643
·Opportunities for youth volunteers for stacking and serving food.
Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP)
https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Human-Resources/Volunteers-and-Interns/Volunteer-Opportunities
Douglas Library
22 Main Street
Hebron, CT. 06248
860-228-9312
Gilead Congregational Church
UCC Youth Group
Rev. Dr. Denise Esslinger
672 Gilead Street
Hebron, CT 06248
860-228-3077
The Gilead Congregational Church has an active youth group. The group seeks to provide youth in middle school and high school with time to gather for fellowship and service. Service opportunities include, but are not limited to:
· Crop Walk-raises funds for Church World Service, Hebron Interfaith Human Services and the Covenant Soup Kitchen
· Walk Against Hunger-raises funds for Foodshare and Hebron Interfaith Human Services
· Covenant Soup Kitchen-prepare and serve meals 4-5 times per year
· Homeless Awareness Night-evening where youth learn about homelessness, sleep outside in cardboard boxes, and collect coats and turkeys to benefit local organizations
· Harrington Court-Genesis Eldercare Center-visit monthly with residents doing a craft and sharing a snack
· Mission Trips-every other year the Youth Group goes on a 3-5 day mission trip to assist people who are poor and homeless. Past trips have traveled to Washington, D.C., Orland, ME, Boston, MA and Philadelphia, PA
Youth participating are expected to join in service, fellowship and fundraising activities which support the group’s activities. To find out more information please contact Rev. Denise Esslinger.
Hebron Lions Club
Contact: 860-228-0542
Hebron Public Schools
Director of Educational Services
Hebron Public Schools
860-228-2577
Marlborough FoodBank
David Pratt
Co-Director
860-975-8660 (cell)
Dawn Tavolieri
Co-Director
860-614-6218 (cell)
3 Wilhenger Drive
Marlborough, CT 06447
860-295-6008
The Foodbank provides opportunities for High School Youth to volunteer their time.
*Please text David or Dawn if interested in volunteering.
Marlborough Senior Center
Contact: Violet Schwarzmann (860)295-6209
Parks and Recreation Departments
Hebron: 148 East St, Hebron, CT 06248, (860) 530-1290
Columbia: 323 Route 87, Columbia, CT 06237, (860) 228-8513
Marlborough: 26 N Main St, Marlborough, CT 06447, (860) 295-6203
·Opportunities for students include helping with activities for children.
Russell Mercier Senior Center
Jourdan Johnson
Senior Services Social Worker
Russel Mercier Senior Center
14 Stonecroft Drive
Hebron, CT 06248
860-228-1700 x 204 - Phone
860-228-4213 - Fax
The Russel Mercier Senior Center provides opportunities for High School Youth to volunteer their time in the following activities:
· One on one help with technology devices
· Providing baked goods for bingo on Thursdays
· Help with special events (setting up, breaking down and logistics during the event)
· Help with monthly birthday parties (in the summer)
· Provide entertainment for the birthday parties (musical instrument, singing, etc.)
· Students in an AV class or who are good with filming could do a virtual tour of the center to then post on the website
· Teach a craft or skill to the seniors (or vice versa)
· Create care packages for the homebound or lonely (Unfortunately we cannot fund this so the funds would have to come from elsewhere)
· Make cards to send to the isolated or homebound during holidays
· Inter-generational interaction during the summer with card playing groups
· Help with setting up general Center decoration for the holidays
St. John Fisher Church
Youth Ministry
Jennifer O’Neill
Director
30 Jones Hollow Road
Marlborough, CT 06447
860-295-8841
Opportunities for youth volunteer activities at the church are provided below.
· Visit St. Michael’s Food Pantry in the north-end of Hartford. Put together bags of groceries, vegetables and bread and then distribute them to clients that come to the pantry. Stock the shelves with any groceries that are available. Put together snack bags that are given out to families with children.
· Prepare and serve meals at Immacare (formerly Immaculate Conception Shelter) in Hartford. In the winter, prepare enough for 150-170 men, in the spring when the no freeze shelter closes the number drops to 75.
· Catholic Worker House –Make and serve lunch for the kids and volunteers averaging between 40-60 people on various Saturdays throughout the year. We have also gone up during the week to do an activity and make snack with the kids such as mini pizzas and pocket style baked sandwiches with fresh fruit.
· Kids have bagged bread while at the Catholic Worker House volunteering on Saturday mornings.
· House of Bread –Make peanut butter sandwiches that are given out to the clients.
· St. Vincent dePaul Society –Make sandwiches for the parish monthly collection.
· Soup for a Cause fundraiser – the Confirmation Class holds a yearly fundraiser to benefit the House of Bread Kid’s Café, which provides warm meals to over 400 kids a day through the Boys and Girls Club. Bring the left-over food to either St. Vincent de Paul or Catholic Worker House.
· Several kids in our parish started a small community garden, and last year with the help of adult parishioners grew to include 4 raised beds. Last summer provide fresh herbs and vegetables to the Marlborough Food Pantry, Catholic Worker House, House of Bread and St. Michael’s Food Pantry.
If interested please contact Jennifer O’Neill.