By MATT PIKE
This summer, the United Way of Greater St. Joseph has several volunteer opportunities for residents to get involved to help and learn more about their community.
Director of Community Investment Jodi Flurry says there are a number of ways for people to get involved during the summer months at United Way.
"This summer we have a lot of different volunteer opportunities for people of all ages, and all abilities," Flurry says on the KFEQmunnity show.
One volunteer program is the United Way Reading Adventure program, which begins this week and runs through August 13th. Flurry says the program reads with elementary aged students to help keep them reading.
"Kids when they leave school, they may not pick up a book again until they go back again in August, and we want to keep kids reading over the summer to maintain their reading skills," Flurry explains. "And this started as a summer reading program and then we expanded into the elementary schools with the St. Joseph School District, so we offer this program fall, spring, and summer."
Volunteers will read with students for around 45 minutes, Flurry says a very short time commitment. If you can't volunteer, you can also donate books for the program that will be given to students.
One of the biggest volunteering opportunities this summer is coming up in August with United Way's Stuff the Bus event on August 7th and 8th at both the North and South Belt Walmart locations.
Flurry says Stuff the Bus is the single largest volunteer day the United Way will have during the year.
"We will need about 250 volunteers over the course of two days in August, and so we're calling for lots of people to come out and volunteer," Flurry says. "Volunteers will hand out flyers, collect school supplies, inventory it before it goes on the school bus, and these supplies are going to be distributed through United Way partner agencies and programs to help kids have the supplies they need to start out the school year right."
School supplies will be purchased by residents at the Walmart locations, lists will be available. To volunteer, you can contact the United Way offices.
One other opportunity this summer is to help with the Caring Connections Crew at United Way in July. United Way will host six Caring Connection Crew days July 13th through the 18th. Space is limited, but spots are still open. Volunteers can sign up online.
Interview
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