Spotlight on a Cause:
AARP Tax Aide Program
Since 1968 the AARP Tax Aide program has served about 50 million low to middle-income individuals. This program is available to any individual living with a lower-income, although it originally began with a focus on aiding senior citizens. This is the nation’s largest free volunteer run tax program, and tax preparation volunteers and greeters are currently needed for the 2011 tax year. Free training will be provided to those individuals interested, and volunteers must have basic computer skills if they are aiding with tax preparation. Volunteers are asked to be at the site one time per week for a 4 hour shift. Hours will be 9 AM-4 PM Monday through Friday and 9 AM-12 PM on Saturday. The local tax preparation location is at the Stevick Center in downtown Champaign, (48 E. Main St.), and will be open to the public starting Monday, February 6, running through the tax season. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Coni Arseneau at 398-1416 or carsenea@illinois.edu. Additional information is available at: www.aarp.org/taxaide.
Volunteers Needed:
Champaign County Nursing Home
There is an immediate need for a volunteer at the Champaign County Nursing Home to be able to come in on a regular-schedule, weekly basis. This is asked to be a long-term commitment. The volunteer must label resident’s clothes with their name, in an attempt to reduce the number of lost items. Labels are created on-site and a heated press is used to affix them to clothing. This opportunity is available for morning hours on any day but Mondays. Contact Jim Hronek at 384-3784 or at jhronek@co.champaign.il.us to learn more.
Carle Hospice
Carle Hospice volunteers provide a wide variety of important and rewarding services to patients and their families depending on hospice care. Folks can give an hour or two each week by planting flowers, playing cards, writing letters or talking about community events. Upcoming training for volunteers is scheduled on Thursday, Feb. 2 from 9 –11AM in the Carle Home Services Office at 206A West Anthony Drive, Champaign. Individuals interested in volunteering with Carle Hospice should contact Justin Reed at 383-3151 or Justin.Reed@carle.com.
Upcoming Events
Tickets on Sale for EI Foodbank Prom Gala
Tickets are now available for the Eastern Illinois Foodbank Prom Gala on March 11, 2012. This event will be held from 7-11 PM at the Hilton Garden Inn, Champaign. Dress in your fancy prom-like attire and enjoy a night of dancing, prizes, games, appetizers and drinks. Each ticket ensures you will have a seat at a table, access to an open bar, appetizers, and a dessert bar, as well as a free prom night photo. Anyone 21 and older can enjoy this event, and all proceeds go to benefit the Eastern Illinois Foodbank and its’ programs. Tickets may be purchased at http://www.prombenefit.org/.
CU At Home’s One Winter Night
CU at Home’s One Winter Night’s purpose is to raise awareness and funds to help support the homeless in our community. This event will take place in downtown Champaign, (near the corner of Neil and Main), and local business officials and public figures will be spending the night outside starting at 5 PM on Friday, Feb. 3. Any donated funds will go towards lengthening the amount of time that each public figure stays outside that night. For more information, go to: http://www.cuathome.us/one-winter-night.
Disclaimer: I gather this information based on local community calendars and from colleagues at local service organizations. Some of the wording is based directly on what I receive and research. Please feel free to email me if you have any comments, questions, or have anything you would like to see posted. Thank you. (MER)