Enjoy a relaxed conversation in the privacy of your own home with a new “Phone Friend.”  Let Care Calls, a program of Meals on Wheels and More, pair you with a suitable homebound client who uses their services, and commit to calling that client once or twice a week.  Providing friendly conversation and congenial phone-friend talk can work wonders!

When was the last time that you marched in a parade?  Now is your opportunity to participate by walking 12 blocks on November 11, 2007 from the Ann Richards Bridge to the Capitol Grounds as a Veterans’ Day Bell Ringer for the Salvation Army.  Volunteers will be given their own T-shirts and a bell to ring as they march with a Salvation Army canteen vehicle.  Gathering at 8:00 am and finishing at 9:30 am at the Capitol is the extent of this volunteer experience. If you prefer to volunteer for them around the end of the year holidays, think about working with the Angel Trees in the malls and the Christmas Toy Distribution.

For the volunteer who would like to be active in West-Central Austin, Seton Medical Center might be a place to consider.  You can assist hospital staff in the ER and Surgery Center, work in the gift shop, café or information desks.  If you live in South Austin, consider using your skills at the South Austin Hospital as a much-needed Gift Shop Volunteer or staff the Information Desk in one 4-hour shift a week. 

You don’t have to be a Book Lover to have a good time volunteering at the Texas Book Festival on November 3rd and/or 4th.  With 900 volunteers needed to make the Festival a success, this is an annual special event that will bring you back year after year.  Volunteer to do everything from escorting and transporting authors to selling books or manning information tables.  Check out www.texasbookfestival.org to learn how to participate.

If you are a retired teacher or someone who would enjoy working with inmates on completing their GEDs, the Travis County Sheriff’s Department needs your help as a Tutor/Educator for inmates.  All potential volunteers must be able to pass a criminal background check, a basic skills test and provide a current resume prior to assignment.  Time commitment is very flexible and the staff at the Travis County Corrections Facility in Del Valle will work to accommodate your schedule.