Upcoming Service Activities

SHORT-TERM, NEW AGENCY & RECURRING SERVICE EXPERIENCES:

EaglesConnect supports group experiences that introduce students to local organizations or agencies. These service-learning opportunities are selected to give students a "feel" for service in a way that impacts community needs quickly. Students also make new friends and have a little fun in the process, and that is not only okay, it's part of the plan!

Some of the listed events are one time, introductory or recurring experiences.  They range from short-term projects that can be accomplished in a few hours, to new agencies being introduced to students for the first time and some will be recurring events that happen every few weeks or every month.  Long-term placements at some of these sites may also be possible.

Check the EaglesConnect website regularly to see what projects are in the works. Suggestions from students, faculty members or student groups for one time or introductory experiences and special projects are encouraged. 

The Bonita Springs YMCA Child Watch Program is looking for volunteers to work with the infant, toddlers and preschoolers this summer.  Immediate help is needed for Summer Camp (6/15/08-8/15/08).  Volunteers will assist with implementing an educational structure.  Child Watch Hours are Monday - Thursday 8:30am - 12:30pm and 4:30pm - 8:00pm; Friday 8:30am - 12:30pm and 4:30pm - 6:00pm; and Saturday 8:30am - 12:30pm.   If interested please contact Lillian Layton at llayton@ymcapalms.org or call 239-992-9622.

The City of Fort Myers Recreation Department is looking for volunteer coaches and referees for the upcoming seasons. Interested volunteers can contact Sarah, Adam, or Kyle at 239-461-3145.  Skatium address: 2250 Broadway Ave, Fort Myers, FL  33901 www.yourpagemaker.com/fmskatium/  

School on Wheels is a free program that provides English lessons for the Spanish and Creole community. They teach conversational English and basic interpersonal communication skills. They only serve woman and have only female volunteers to teach the lessons. The majority of the women do not have transportation so School on Wheels goes to their homes and communities for 1 to 1-1/2 hours one day each week.  School on Wheels goal is to strengthen families and help them be more self-sufficient. They work together with Collier County Public Library Literacy Program to serve the language needs of immigrant women in Immokalee.  Many more local volunteers are needed to help the program grow and training is provided.  If you are interested in assisting this program please contact Diane Martinez at 239-657-6242 or via email diane@guadalupess.info

Grace Community Center is in need of web site assistance.  The site is up and running (www.egracecenter.org) but help is needed to update and expand it to include a photo gallery, imbedded videos, calendars, search engines etc.  If you are interested in putting your web skills to good use please contact Chris Jackson at 239-574-7161 or via email cjackson@egracechurch.com.

Collier County Parks & Recreation has lots of volunteer opportunities available throughout the year.  A few of them are listed below.  If you are interested please contact Meryl Rorer at 239-254-4033 or email her at merylrorer@colliergov.net:

Receptionist/customer service: greet & assist patrons, answer phones and assist staff as needed. Opportunity is available at several locations.	Dog park volunteer: Help maintain Rover Run Dog Park at Veterans Community Park. Assist with clean up, re-mulching of area and educate patrons on proper procedures in the dog park.	Program assistant: Help out or with classes/programs or teach a class/present a program for children and/or adults at one of our park’s community centers.
Concession-stand assistant:  customer service; assist staff as needed at North Collier Regional Park.	Coaching: Volunteers are needed to coach and assist coaches in a variety of youth sports teams.  Opportunity is available at several locations.	Skate Park and BMX Park volunteer: Assist with special events in Skate/BMX parks; various positions that assist staff during events. Ongoing need for help maintaining tracks for regular use; mostly involves raking dirt to restore surface. Opportunity available in Collier County Parks located in Golden Gate and East Naples.
Litter patrol/general maintenance: Help is needed in all of our locations to maintain a clean safe environment for our patrons. Assist staff with litter and general cleanup of grounds.

Catholic Charities of Bonita Springs is looking for volunteers to be tutors and mentors in the Afterschool Program to children needing to improve English, math, reading and writing skills.  You don't have to be an Ed major.  Call today at 239-390-2928.  Or visit 27050 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs.  Also needs volunteers to staff the upcoming Summer Camp Program.

Tice Elementary needs volunteers to come to school once a week and read to the students.  Call Denise Fritzpatrick at 239-694-1257 for more information if interested.

Naples Historical Society needs volunteers to give guided tours of Palm Cottage and help with upkeep of the historic Norris Gardens at Palm Cottage.  Get hands on experience assisting a Master Gardener over the Summer.  For more information please contact Brian McNamara at BMcNamara@napleshistoricalsociety.org or call 239-261-8164.

Senior Health and Wellness Program needs volunteers to help them provide education and services that promotes healthier lifestyles for seniors.  Please call Bobbie Ruggieri at 239-656-0221 or 239-275-1881. 

Conservation 20/20 Preserves needs assistance at various sites (open to all students especially those in COLLOQUIUM classes).

Work Times: Mondays from 8:15am to 11:30am. Please call or email at least five days prior to workday and reserve a spot and get directions to the work site.

Type of work: This is outdoors physical labor treating exotic plants, conducting surveys, fixing fences and posting properties with the Land Steward for the Preserve. You may have to work in standing water or muddy conditions.

Dress: Old clothes and shoes a must. You should wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt. These are required to spray herbicide. If you do not want to spray you can cut while others spray. Long pants also help protect you from thorns and sawgrass. Wear suntan lotion.

If you are interested please contact Laura Wewerka at 239-707-0874 or via email at lwewerka@leegov.com.  For additional information on Conservation 20/20 Preserves go to www.conservation2020.org/index.cfm

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve and Lakes Park needs assistance (open to all students especially those in COLLOQUIUM classes).

Work Times:  Work times are set by county staff needs not individuals. Personal schedule accommodation is not available. Work is generally done in the morning from 8am to noon, one or two days/week.  You must call or email at least two days prior to workday and reserve a spot and get directions to the work site.  If supervisor does not get any calls or emails there will not be a work day so please DON'T just show up. Call or send an email to be put on a work day notification list.

Type of work: This is outdoors physical labor treating exotic plants, conducting surveys, fixing fences and posting properties with the Land Steward for the Preserve. You may have to work in standing water or muddy conditions.

Dress: Old clothes and shoes a must. You should wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt. These are required to spray herbicide. If you do not want to spray you can cut while others spray. Long pants also help protect you from thorns and sawgrass. Wear suntan lotion. Bugs spray should not be needed there usually are very few or none.

If you are interested please contact Robert Repenning at 239-533-7554 or via email at rrepenning@leegov.com.  For additional information about the management plan for the slough go to http://www.leeparks.org/sixmile/index.htm

Assistance needed for Educational Work Days for San Carlos Bay - Bunche Beach Preserve (open to all students especially those in COLLOQUIUM classes).

Work Times:  Work times are set by county staff needs not individuals. Personal schedule accommodation is not available. Work is generally done in the morning from 8am to noon.  You must call or email at least one week prior to a workday and reserve a spot and get directions to the work site.  PLEASE CALL IN ADANCE. If supervisor doesn't get any calls there will not be a work day. 

Type of work: This is outdoor physical labor seeking out and treating exotic plants, cleaning up marine debris and litter, and possibly posting boundary signs with the Land Steward for the Preserves. You may have to work in water or muddy conditions.

Dress: Old clothes and shoes a must. You should wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt. These are required to spray herbicide. If you do not want to spray you can cut and saw while others spray. Long pants and sleeves also help protect you from thorns of many native plants. Wear suntan lotion. Bug spray should not be needed there usually are very few or none. Bring water and a hat.

If you are interested please contact Terry Cain at 239-707-3015 or via email: caintb@leegov.com.  For additional information about the Preserves go to www.leeparks.org/

Collier County Coalition Against Human Trafficking is looking for a talented student to assist with a community outreach and fund raising program. The Coalition, established in 2004, focuses on community education and services to victims of Human Trafficking. If you are interested in assisting the Coalition please contact Kerri Hixson at 239-732-2754 or via email kerrihixson@aol.com.

Life Skills Center is a charter school for grades 9-12 that caters to students who are at risk of dropping out.  The Center has a unique classroom design that focuses on individual student achievement.  Volunteers are needed throughout the course of one of two larger sessions (e.g. 7:30-11:30 or 1:00-5:00).  For more details please contact Shane Scott at 239-332-3484 or via email shane.scott@lifeskillscenters.com or Brandon Medford at brandon.medford@lifeskillscenters.com.

Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium needs helping hands with diverse talents: Gift Shop attendant; assist with preparation of education programs; assist with mailings and exhibit design; painting, landscaping & trim trails; exotic plant removal; summer camp counselors as well as other duties. The Center is open Monday - Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 11am- 5pm. If you are interested in helping please contact Mary Anne Ruppert at 239-275-3435 or via email MaryAnne@CalusaNature.com.

Naples Botanical Garden seeks volunteers on Fridays or Saturdays to work in the Butterfly House. 9:30a - 1:00p and 1:00p - 4:00p. Training provided. You will be working with the public - must like people and be outgoing.

Also seeking interested individuals to come in early to feed the critters in the Butterfly House - Consists of chopping up fruit, refilling nectar bottles, cleaning bowls and feeders - Takes about 1 1/2 hours. This needs to be done early morning around 8:30 or so. We can be a little flexible regarding time. Need Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Must like birds and be comfortable around them. Critters are butterflies, geckos, birds, ducks and partridges.

Please contact Sally Richardson at 643-7275 ext. 28 or via email srichardson@naplesgarden.org

Super Kids Club (SKC) is a Monday through Thursday, 4-5:30pm tutoring program for at-risk elementary school students in the Rosemary Park area of Bonita Springs (Leitner Creek Hall, 26645 Vagabond Way).

SKC has a Monday through Thursday 4-5:30pm tutoring program at Manna Christian RV Park, (13660 E. Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs)

SKC also has a Monday through Thursday 3-5pm tutoring program at Tree of Life Youth Center (2132 Shadowlawn Drive, Naples).  

Volunteers are needed to listen to children read aloud, assist with homework, practice math and reading skills, assist with refreshments, work with puppet skits and more. Please contact Ellen Nichols at (239) 565-6714 if you are interested in helping out.

YMCA READS Program is looking for volunteers and mentors to provide one-on-one weekly coaching sessions to 1st and 2nd graders at North Ft. Myers Academy of the Arts to help improve students' reading grade levels. Training will be provided and there is a 1 to 5 hour weekly commitment to this program. For further information please contact Kelly at (239) 275-9622.

Caloosahatchee Forestry Center has volunteer opportunities in 3 locations: Forestry Center on Palm Beach Blvd in Fort Myers, Picayune Strand State Forest in Collier County, Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest in Hendry County:

Design and produce a Traveling Display highlighting the local State Forests;
Conduct Wildfire Assessments;
Develop a Fire-wise Message (video) geared towards middle and high school students;
Develop Marketing materials for the Forests;
Design and implement improved Kiosk design for the Forests;
Assist Agricultural Law Enforcement Officers;
Assist in Project Learning Tree which is aimed at elementary students, possibly during summer camp;
Field work Identifying and eliminating exotics in the Forests.

If you are interested in a challenging type of service experience please contact Carl Steinberg at 239-690-3500 ext. 123 or via email steinbc@doacs.state.fl.us.  Check out the website:  http://www.fl-dof.com/field_operations/caloosahatchee.html

Meals on Wheels of Lee County desperately needs help due to a critical shortage of drivers and an increase of clients. If you have a valid Florida driver's license, access to a vehicle, spare time and a desire to help make someone's day brighter, this is the service activity for you. There is a two hour time commitment on the day you drive. Routes are available Monday to Friday. There are particular needs for the Estero, Tice and Central Fort Myers routes. If you are interested, please call Judy Nedeau at 239-337-1055 or email volunteers@ccmileecounty.com

Foster Care Council of SW Florida desperately needs volunteers to tutor children in the foster care system. Call 239-262-1808 or email EducationTrain@aol.com for more information.

Lee County Library System's Bookmobile URGENTLY needs volunteer assistance. Based at the South County Regional Library (less than 2 miles from campus), their department consists of the bookmobile, senior outreach, books-by-mail. (Check out the website www.lee-county.com/library click on "services".) For information on helping with the Bookmobile, please contact Kathy Mayo at 239-390-3234 or via email kmayo@leegov.com.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT SPONSORED SERVICE LEARNING EVENTS:

If you have ideas for a Student Government group service activities please contact Ray Budd at rnbudd@eagle.fgcu.edu .

Please call Lisa Paige at 239-590-7015 or email her at lpaige@fgcu.edu if you know of other community efforts in need of volunteers.