Volunteer opportunities abound on Kenai Peninsula
United Way of America is the national organization dedicated to leading approximately 1,400 community-based United Way organizations nationwide. Each is independent, separately incorporated, and governed by local volunteers.
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Following are the 26 of the 28 member organizations supported by United Way of the Kenai Peninsula. Two agencies cannot use volunteers due to the sensitivity of the issues they deal with.
For the remainder, however, see this list to find an organization and opportunity that best suit you.
Basic Services
Kenai Peninsula Food Bank
Contact: Peggy Moore, executive director, at 262-3111 or via e-mail at foodhelp@ptialaska.net.
Mission: Provides food and commodity goods for individuals, families and nonprofit agencies.
Volunteer Opportunities: Summer, garden maintenance. Year round, soup kitchen, office duties, warehouse stocking, special event planning and general maintenance.
Kenai Peninsula American Red Cross
Contact: Kenai Peninsula branch at 262-4541.
Mission: Provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
Volunteer Opportunities: Office duties, vehicle maintenance, shelter management and disaster relief, and instructors for health and safety seminars.
Crisis Intervention
Kenai Peninsula Community Care Center
Contact: Tammy Bidwell, executive director, at 283-7635 or via e-mail at care@alaska.net.
Mission: Provides professional residential and emergency services to youth, as well as family assistance services.
Volunteer Opportunities: Big brother or sister.
SeaView Community Services
Contact: Melissa Witzler Stone, executive director at 224-5257 or via e-mail at mstone@seward.net.
Mission: Provides counseling and care for individuals and families needing assistance with crisis intervention, domestic violence, mental health issues, chemical dependency, infant learning and other social service needs.
Volunteer Opportunities: General office work.
South Peninsula Women's Services
Contact: Laurentia Chamblee, executive director, at 235-7712.
Mission: Provides supportive services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, including safety, counseling, advocacy and child care assistance.
Women's Resource and Crisis Center
Contact: Heather Arnett, executive director, at 283-9479 or via e-mail at wrcc@alaska.net.
Mission: Administers residential and non-residential services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Volunteer Opportunities: Special events -- women's run and radiothon. Year round -- clothes closet, crisis intervention, activities with shelter residents.
Family Resources
Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic
Contact: Michelle Waneka, executive director, at 235-3436 or via e-mail at kbfpc@alaska.net.
Mission: A program aimed at the prevention of adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases that seeks to educate youth on the postponement of early sexual involvement. The clinic also provides HIV testing, as well as low-cost clinical services for women of all ages.
Volunteer Opportunities: Office duties, client intake and crisis response for volunteers with medical training.
Hospice of the Central Peninsula
Contact: Liz Schubert, program coordinator, at 262-0453.
Mission: Provides trained volunteers to give physical, emotional and spiritual support by giving care and comfort with dignity to terminally ill persons and their loved ones.
Volunteer Opportunities: Direct care to terminally ill patients or family, bereavement couseling, pain management education, leading support groups and medical equipment transport.
Hospice of Homer
Contact: Darlene Hilderbrand, executive director, at 235-6899 or via e-mail at hospice@xyz.net.
Mission: Offers supportive services to individuals and their families to ensure comfort, dignity and choices during a life-threatening illness or the transition process of dying.
Volunteer Opportunities: Direct care, one-on-one visitors or phone friends, office duties, equipment transport, board of directors, fund raising and other special events.
Health and Rehabilitation
Forget-Me-Not-Care Center
Contact: Linda Huhndorf, coordinator, or Helen Ware at 283-7294 or via e-mail at fmncc@ptialaska.net.
Mission: Provides a day care program for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and the frail elderly.
Volunteer Opportunities: interact with residents through reading, bingo and arts and crafts or help with serving and cleaning up from meals.
Frontier Community Services
Contact: Wini Crosby, executive director, at 262-6331 or via e-mail at fcs@alaska.net
Mission: Provides community services for individuals with developmental disabilities, including vocational, residential and respite services. Also provides early intervention services for infants from birth to age 3 and a half.
Volunteer Opportunities: sign language and craft instructors, special event coordinators.
Volunteers sort food donations at The Salvation Army.
Clarion file photo
Homer Senior Citizens Friendship Center
Contact: Margaret Laviguer, program manager, at 235-7655 or via e-mail at hscc@ptialaska.net
Mission: An adult day care service for persons age 50 and over with the senior center providing supportive services, including nutrition and transportation.
Volunteer Opportunities: arts and crafts instructors, general maintenance and visitors
South Peninsula Mental Health PRIDE Program
Contact: Susan Drathman, coordinator, at 235-7805, ext. 327
Mission: Provides comprehensive mental health services and respite and individualized services to the developmentally disabled and their families on the south Kenai Peninsula.
Volunteer Opportunities: sort clothing for fund raising project, work in garden, share skill or interest with group on regular or one time basis
Senior Services
Kenai Senior Services
Contact: Rachael Craig, executive director, at 283-4156 or via e-mail at rcraig@ci.kenai.ak.us
Mission: A program to maintain the health and independence of the elderly through a wide range of supportive services including transportation, congregate housing and home meals.
Volunteer Opportunities: office duties, bus driver, general maintenance, class instructors, visitors, kitchen help and servers, special events and fund raisers.
Ninilchik Senior Services
Contact: Luann Barrett, activities and volunteer coordinator, at 567-3988 or via e-mail at seniors@ptialaska.net
Mission: A program to promote the social and physical well-being of older citizens through counseling, nutritional meals, food delivery to the homebound and fellowship.
Volunteer Opportunities: meals on wheels delivery, general maintenance, office duties, garden work, running errands, program instructors.
Seward Senior Citizens
Contact: Dana Paperman, executive director, at 224-5604 or via e-mail at ssc@seward.net
Mission: Provides assistance to older Alaskans by helping them maintain meaningful quality lives through
planned activities, serving nutritious meals, meals to the homebound, and transportation.
Volunteer Opportunities: general indoor and outdoor maintenance at center and senior's homes and class instructors
Soldotna Senior Services
Contact: Jan Fena, executive director, at 262-2322 or via e-mail at soldsrctr@alaska.net
Mission: Provides an avenue for seniors to remain in the mainstream of the community through planned activities including nutritious meals, meals to the homebound, transportation and special programs at the center.
Volunteer Opportunities: office duties, food service, program instructors and general maintenance
Sterling Senior Citizens
Contact: Judy Warren, director, at 262-6808
Mission: Promotes the social and physical well-being of this area's older citizens through counseling, nutrition and fellowship.
Volunteer Opportunities: food service, indoor and outdoor maintenance, program instructors and visitors
Youth Services
Boys and Girls Club of the Kenai Peninsula
Contact: Tina Marie Herford, acting executive director. at 283-2682 or via e-mail therford@positiveplaceforkids.com
Mission: Provides after-school activities, recreational and social opportunities for pre-teen and young adults in a supervised setting.
Volunteer Opportunities: athletic coaches, office duties, special event and fundraiser coordinators, clubhouse administration or working with kids.
Boy Scouts of America, Western Alaska Council
Contact: Jim Hampton, district executive, at 283-1699 or via e-mail at jhampton@alaska.net or call the Western Alaska Council office at (800) 478-9549.
Mission: Serving youth development by helping instill values in scouts and preparing them to make sound ethical choices throughout their lifetime.
Volunteer Opportunities: lead troops or packs on unit level, act as merit badge counselors on district level if you have a particular hobby or interest that corresponds with a merit badge or sit on the council board which meets in Anchorage.
Choices for Teens, Inc
Contact: Sabrina Hillstrand, director, at 235- 6324 or via e-mail at choicesforteens@acsalaska.net
Mission: Trains youth in prevention education using peer outreach and youth leadership teams and offering a variety of activities and community service opportunities to replace risky behavior.
Volunteer Opportunities: one-on-one or group mentoring, chaperones for dances, office duties and maintenance.
Kenai Civil Air Patrol
Contact: Gene Moyer, commander, 283-7801 or via e-mail at omega@att.net
Mission: Provides youth with leadership experiences, including fly-in encampments sponsored by the national organization as well as flight training to participate in local search and rescue missions.
Volunteer Opportunities: Pilots can train cadets and help fly, non pilots can act as observers or scanners, help in meetings or with finance and administration.
Girl Scouts, Susitna Council
Contact: Joyce Cox, Kenai field executive, (800) 518-5904 or via e-mail at susitna@alaska.net
Mission: An informal educational program for girls 5 to17 focused on character building and community service and delivered by trained adult volunteers. In Girl Scouts, girls discover fun, friendship and the power of girls together.
Volunteer Opportunities: troop leaders, secretarial/record keeping, event organizing, sharing expertise with girls.
Kenai Peninsula Youth Court
Contact: Virginia Espenshade, executive director, at 283-4017 or 235-4985 or via e-mail at youthct@xyz.net
Mission: Provides free training for youth, preparing them to serve as attorneys, judges and clerks in juvenile cases involving misdemeanors or violations and providing the youth in trouble a means to accept personal responsibility for their conduct without a permanent juvenile record.
Volunteer Opportunities: office duties, fundraiser organization, attorneys and judges to teach classes, youth to work in court.
Seward Civil Air Patrol - Cadets
Contact: Stephanie Moreland, commander, at 224-3000 or via e-mail at sewardcap@arctic .net
Mission: Provides youth with leadership experiences, including fly-in encampments sponsored by the national organization as well as flight training to participate in local search and rescue missions.
Volunteer Opportunities: pilots can train cadets and help fly, non pilots can act as observers or scanners, help in meetings or with finance and administration