Serving the City of Las Cruces for over 40 years! VOLUNTEER CONNECTION THE NETWORK VOLUNTEER CENTER MONTHLY NEWSLETTER February 2019 Volunteer Spotlight Amanda Lopez In January, we said good-bye to an amazing office volunteer, Amanda Lopez. Amanda came to us through an employee training program and served almost four months at the Munson Center. Amanda grew up here in Las Cruces and has two children (with one on the way!). She enjoys spending time with her kiddos and also spends time playing soccer in an adult women s soccer group. Amanda states that she, enjoys the fun that is had by everyone here at the Munson Center and that everyone is so happy! She has learned a lot of new skills like working with databases, helping with deposit slips, and practicing her customer service skills on a daily basis. It s never a dull moment here at Senior Programs always something different happening every day. In This Issue Volunteer Spotlight Volunteer Fair Music in the Air Volunteer Opportunities Food Distributions Read Across America Food 4 Paws Food Drive We are so thankful for Amanda s assistance these last few months. She has helped incredibly at the front desk and with food distribution days. We wish her the best of luck as she moves to a Left: Amanda Lopez helping out at one of our events during her different placement and prepares for kiddo #3! volunteer service; Below: Amanda pictured with other volunteers after the Howl-o-ween pet food drive in October. 1
Volunteer Happenings Volunteer Fair Save the Date!! The 8th Annual Volunteer Fair and Giving Day held by the City of Las Cruces Network Volunteer Center will bring together over 50 non-profit organizations for potential volunteers to find a cause that fits them. The event takes place Saturday, April 6 th, 2019, at the Plaza de Las Cruces in conjunction with the Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market from 9:00 am 1:00 pm. The event is free to the public and participating non-profit organizations. This year, thanks to community partnerships with United Way of Southwest New Mexico (UWSWNM) and Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, participating organizations will be able to raise donations at their respective booths and receive matching funds from UWSWNM and Community Foundation through various grant monies they have procured. This is the first year we are able to incorporate a Giving Day as a part of the event, and we are so thankful to our community partners for bringing this added value, states City of Las Cruces Volunteer Coordinator, Ryan Steinmetz. UWSWNM is excited to bring the donation matching opportunity to the Volunteer Fair activities, states UWSWNM CEO Bill Connor. For several years we have helped and participated with this event; with the addition of the donation matching opportunity, April 6 th can also become a Giving Day for Las Cruces For organizations interested in participating in this year s fair, registration will be opened on Thursday, Feb. 14 th. Organizations must have a 501c3 tax determination or be connected to an organization (as an affiliate or as their fiscal sponsor) that has the 501c3 tax status to be eligible. Organizations that do not hold such a status can still participate and take donations, but they may not be eligible for the matching funds provided by our community partners. Music in the Air Thank you to Daniel Sanchez (pictured above) lead singer of a Las Cruces band named Dead Like Disco who sang some stripped down versions of his original songs as well as covers of familiar songs too over at the Benavidez Center in January. Daniel is also a city employee with the Juvenile Citation Program. Our next performer will be Ricky Luna (pictured on page 4) performing with a duo (with partner Emily Luna) in Old Mesilla. Come and see him at the Munson Center on February 21st at Noon prior to the dance starting at 2:00! Thank you to all our musicians volunteering their time for 2 this program!
The Network Volunteer Center VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES We have lots of places who have been waiting for a volunteer like you! Contact Ryan Steinmetz at rsteinmetz@las-cruces.org or 528-3035 to schedule a time to discuss volunteer possibilities and to sign up for a volunteer orientation. Codes Enforcement Senior Programs is developing a partnership with Codes Enforcement and is looking for groups of volunteers interested in helping with the Golden Shield Yard Assistance program helping seniors in need. Tuesdays and Fridays are available. There are a lot of seniors waiting on this list. Juvenile Citation Program Office Volunteers and tutors/mentors are needed for this important program working with youth in our community. Museums Railroad Museum Volunteers are needed to cover front desk duties on Thursday mornings, and Saturdays (both AM and PM Shifts). Museum of Nature and Science Looking for new volunteers, especially on Saturdays Museum of Art Volunteer models needed. Volunteers are needed to sit for portraits for art classes (Don t worry, you can keep your clothes on!) Las Cruces Airport NEW!! Office Assistant The Las Cruces Airport is looking for some organized volunteers to help at the Las Cruces airport offices. Never seen the Las Cruces Airport and want to see how it functions? This is a great opportunity! Senior Programs: General Quilting and Crochet Volunteer Groups Want to learn how to quilt or crochet and help the community with the items you make? These groups are for you! Gardeners The Munson Center Community Garden is in need of new volunteers! We meet once a month for meetings and of course spend a lot of time in the garden. Don t know much about gardens? That s ok, we ll teach ya! Mosaics Instructor Needed for the Munson Center Senior Programs: Nutrition and Meals Dining Room Aides are needed at Sage Café, particularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays Meals on Wheels Respite Driver Volunteers are needed to help with the meals on wheels route. Must have a good driving record and attend a driver s training. Looking for coverage on Thursdays and Fridays Food 4 Paws project is looking for another driver as well as a volunteer to help with community distribution on Wednesdays! Thomas Branigan Memorial Library Shelf-cleaning Crew Volunteers are needed for cleaning books and shelves at the library on a continuous basis. A variety of shifts available. 3
Volunteer Opportunities for February 2019 Continued After-School Programs, Juvenile Citation Program, and Weed and Seed Tutor/Activity Support Working on tutoring and other programming with area youth through Weed and Seed, especially needed for summer hours. Mentor Working one-on-one with a youth matched with you through the Weed and Seed program Network Volunteer Center Social Media Outreach Volunteers Volunteers are needed to help with social media presence for the Network and Senior Programs. Volunteer Fair Steering Committee Volunteers are needed to help with the Steering Committee that will begin meeting in November. Teams available are Logistics, Registration, Hospitality, and PR/ Marketing Food Distributions Volunteers are needed to help with the food distributions at all five centers. See following for monthly schedule: 1st Monday Sage Café 1st Thursday Papen Center 4th Monday Eastside Center 4th Wednesday Munson Center 1st Friday Benavidez Center Music in the Air (Continued from Page 2) Ricky Luna and partner Emily Luna will be performing on February 21st at Noon prior to the dance starting at 2:00 in the Munson Center lobby! Come and sing along! 4
Food Distributions for November Food Distribution Our monthly Food Distributions are going great at all five of our centers! Thank you to all the volunteers who have helped make this program a success. We can always use more volunteers! Here are the upcoming dates in July. As always, we thank our partners Casa de Peregrinos and Roadrunner Food Bank for making this program possible. Feb. 1st Benavidez Center 1045 McClure Rd. 1st Friday Feb. 4th Sage Café 6121 Reynolds Dr. 1st Monday Feb. 7th Papen Center 301 W. Bell Ave. 1st Thursday Feb. 25th Eastside Center 310 N. Tornillo St. **4th Monday Feb. 27th Munson Center 975 S. Mesquite St. 4th Wednesday Call for Readers RAAD, March 6th On Wednesday, March 6th, we will be celebrating Dr. Seuss s birthday reading to area 3rd graders and promoting reading as a fun and enjoyable activity. To do this, we will need Network Volunteers assigned to this task! If you are interested in reading a Dr. Seuss book (and perhaps one of your choice if time allows) to an area 3rd grade class, please let Ryan Steinmetz, Volunteer Coordinator know by emailing him at rsteinmetz@lascruces.org or calling the office at 575-528-3035. Shifts are available at various times all day. 5
We Want YOU to be a Network Volunteer! The Network Volunteer Center is always in need of volunteers to serve their community in many different ways. The Network is open to people of all ages! How can you be a Network Volunteer? It s as easy as 1-2-3! 1. Fill out a Network Volunteer Application. You can find our application online through the City of Las Cruces website, or you can contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Ryan Steinmetz, at the contact information listed to the right. 2. Attend a Volunteer Orientation. This is a brief orientation that only lasts an hour-and-a-half; it gives you all the tools and basic training you ll need in order to be placed. 3. Get matched to a meaningful volunteer experience. Once placed, you will receive training specific to your placement. Contact Us Give us a call for more information about volunteering with the City of Las Cruces! The Network Volunteer Center 975 S. Mesquite St. Las Cruces, NM 88001 (575) 528-3035 rsteinmetz@las-cruces.org Note: The City of Las Cruces does may require criminal and driving background checks depending on the tasks of the position. Volunteers under 18 will need parental permission and may require parental presence to participate in volunteer service. Visit us on the Web! www.las-cruces.org/volunteernetwork Ryan Steinmetz, Network Volunteer Center Coordinator Food 4 Paws Pet Food Drive, Feb. 9th Volunteers are needed to help cover area donation sites to collect dog and cat food for the Food 4 Paws program. Volunteers will be at designated donation/ drop off areas from 10 am-2 pm and people can be assigned for a part or all of that time, depending on their respective schedules. Interested individuals or groups can contact Ryan Steinmetz, volunteer coordinator at 575-528- 3035 or via email at rsteinmetz@las-cruces.org 6