Volunteerism Archives

There is a lot of pride and sense of community in Polk County, with generations of families living and working here. But Polk County also has another distinction, with the third highest population in the state of children who have parents behind bars. Statistics show those children are 70% more likely to end up following in their parents footsteps. Big Brothers Big Sisters was fortunate to receive a $100,000 federal grant to reach those children in need, but time is running out. The grant deadline is September, and we’re still in search of adults who could mentor a child just a few hours a month. Not only are they making a difference in the life of a child, it is also a life-changing experience for the volunteer, too. And without those volunteers, Polk County will lose out on $100,000 of federal funds.

There are two main ways in which you can get involved:
o Community-based/Traditional Program – The volunteer meets with their Little Brother or Little Sister to share activities you both enjoy, on your own schedule. The best activities are low-cost or no-cost activities such as riding bikes, playing board games, baking cookies, walking, hiking, or going to a local ball game. We ask volunteers to meet with their Little at least three times a month.
o Bigs In Schools Program- The volunteer meets with their Little Brother or Little Sister weekly during the school day, on school grounds or at an after school center. You might hang out and shoot hoops, eat lunch in the cafeteria, read books in the media center, or review homework while sitting at picnic tables outside.
Enrolling is easy! Visit our secure website at www.bbbsfl.org and you can fill out an application, or feel free to mail the attached application to Big Brothers Big Sisters, 1231 E. Orange Street, Lakeland, FL 33801. Once that’s complete we’ll call you for an interview and complete your background check. During the interview, we’ll find out more about you, and you can let us know what age of child you would feel comfortable with, what activities you enjoy, etc. Then you’ll be well on your way to becoming a Big! If you have any questions or would like to schedule an information session for those who may be interested, please call Carol Zoffinger, 863.682.5191 ext. 109; carol.zoffinger@bbbs.org.

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Posted by Kristin Carlson

Community Impact Plan

Event /Project: Back To School Bash
Date: Saturday, July 28, 2007
Location: The Lakeland Center
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Family Fundamentals Contact: Shawna Butler
Success By 6 Contact: Jodi Tucker

Program Objective:
• 5,000 family members will participate in activities planned to stimulate school readiness skills including early literacy (pre-reading skills), fine motor (small muscle/pre-writing) and gross motor (large muscle) skills, math, science and creative arts.

• Approximately 1500 parents will observe and participate in school readiness activities that can be duplicated at home.

• Approximately 1500 parents will receive information regarding resources including but not limited to health and safety, parent education, consumer counseling, and family counseling.

• Approximately 3500 children will participate in activities that help them to enter school ready to succeed.

• Provide 3000 children with a backpack full of school supplies and a new pair of shoes, along with health care screenings (physicals, vision, speech, hearing and body mass index), and haircuts.

• 2000 family members will participate in activities planned to stimulate school readiness skills including early literacy (pre-reading skills), fine motor (small muscle/pre-writing) and gross motor (large muscle) skills, math, science and creative arts.

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Posted by Kristin Carlson

Get involved with the Girls Scouts Heart of Florida annual cookie
rally, being held Saturday, January 6, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. * 2:00 p.m.
at Without Walls Central Church (formerly Carpenters Home). This
year's
theme of "Step It Up!" focuses on health and fitness. Girl Scouts
ranging in age from Brownies through high school will rotate through
workshops, spending 15-20 minutes at each station. Volunteers are
needed to lead 15 minute workshops on dance aerobics, healthy food
choice and nutrition information, outdoor games, and arts and crafts.
Want to help but aren't ready to lead a workshop? Volunteers are
needed
to guide each group from workshop to workshop - and the guides get to
dress up as Girl Scout Cookies! To volunteer or for more information,
contact Toni Jones at 863.688.7648 x. 121.

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Posted by Kristin Carlson

Volunteers in Service to the Elderly (VISTE) will be delivering Thanksgiving meals to those in need on Wednesday, November 22. If you are interested in helping, please go to The Lakeland Center entrance #2 (NW side of building) at 1:00 p.m. to help pack the meals or at 3:00 p.m. if they would like to deliver. Volunteers may request a specific zip code to deliver and VISTE will accommodate as best as possible. If you have any questions please contact Alice O’Reilly at viste853@aol.com.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!

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Posted by Kristin Carlson

Wheely Amazing Art is seeking volunteers for the Polk Museum of Art Family Day on September 16th. There are 2 sessions available for volunteers, 9am-12pm and 12pm-4pm. Wheely Amazing Art helps individuals with mental and physical disabilities to create art. Volunteers will be helping children at Family Day make art projects with the special equipment. For more information or to volunteer contact:
Rachelle Parady, Wheely Amazing Art Coordinator, Sunrise Community of Polk County, Inc
680-2817 ext. 33
wheelyamazingart@yahoo.com

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Posted by Kristin Carlson

A message from Jenn Lyons of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society:

Light The Night Walk is a beautiful community event The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society holds each year during Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma Awareness Month. Light the Night Walk will be held Tuesday, September 27th at Munn Park in downtown Lakeland.

This event combines the fun of an outdoor festival in the park with food, live bands, a rock climbing wall and much more, and an opportunity to honor those in Central Florida that have been touched by blood cancer. It also is an opportunity for us to raise much needed funding for research and patient service programs.

Did you know that leukemia is still the leading cause of disease related death in children under the age of 20? And every 5 minutes another person is diagnosed with leukemia, Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma or myeloma. In this day and age, even with all the advances we have made in the last 20 years, those numbers are simply unacceptable!

The evening ends with a walk (less than 2 miles) in which everyone carries an illuminated balloon. Participants carry red balloons while patients carry a white balloon. It is truly a moving event that brings awareness to the community and makes a difference in the lives of our patients and their families.

We are looking for local organizations, business' and people who live in the community to come together and form teams that will commit to supporting our mission. We already have commitment from business' like Center for Cancer Care and Research, Webster University, YMCA of West Central Florida, and Geico to help us raise funds for a cure. Persons interested in more information or wanting to register for the Walk can contact Jenn Lyons at our office at 407-898-0733/1-800-785-0733 or by email at lyonsj@lls.org. Or visit our website at www.lightthenight.org. With your help, for one night, hope won't just flicker, it will float!

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Posted by Josh Hallett

After seeing the blog entry on May 26 about Big Brothers/ Big Sisters Emerge Member Kevin Terrell of SunTrust Banks was motivated to make a difference and become a Big Brother. Following is Kevin's experience as a big brother.

Thanks for printing the May 26 BLOG article asking for Big Brother/Big Sister volunteers. The article made me realize that I could be responsible for enriching someone else's life by giving up just a few hours of my time each week. I volunteered and within about a month, I met my little brother. Ty is an active 8 1/2 year old boy in need of a friend to do things with. Last weekend we attended a Big Brothers / Big Sisters picnic together and now we are making plans for this Saturday. Going into this, I knew that I would be giving my time, but I never dreamed of the joy and satisfaction that I would be receiving in return.

This really demonstrates how Emerge is making a difference in Lakeland. If you have an interest in making an impact in the life of a children in Polk County by volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters, please contact Rebecca Gross Tieder at 863-682-5191 or via email at rtieder@bbbsfl.org.

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Posted by Michael Wiener

As many of you are aware, there has been a tremendous transformation happen right before our eyes on George Jenkins Boulevard. You may have seen, or played at, the Par 3 golf course that was formerly located there. Though it sat vacant for a short period, it is now the YMCA Par 3 - Home of The First Tee of Lakeland, which celebrated their grand opening back in March 2005. This is a Lakeland community partnership that is bringing the game of golf to the youth of Lakeland with all backgrounds to teach honesty, integrity and sportsmanship. Many businesses and individuals in Lakeland made the project possible.

The facility consists of a newly renovated, nine-hole, par-3 golf course, a driving range and a clubhouse. The First Tee program offers "progressive levels of instruction," which include golf lessons and life skills for youth ages 6 to 18. Players participate in classes that last 6 weeks. Also available, are open practice sessions with instructors, classes that teach the fundamentals of golf at various levels, and nine-hole developmental tournaments (to learn rules and etiquette of tournament play in a relaxed environment). The greens fees, range fees, and golf club rentals are all offered at very reasonable rates. They also offer teen fun nights and individual youth lessons. Annual memberships are available that allow youth to participate in The First Tee golf instruction and Life Skills Clinics.

If you get the chance, stop by the YMCA Par 3 or take a child there to enjoy a round of golf. I think the Mission Statement of the First tee Program says it all: "To impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life enhancing values through the game of golf."

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Posted by Brian Altman

Next up in our 'Guest Blogger' series is Terry Worthington, President of the United Way of Central Florida.

Where have all the leaders gone?

The yellowed pages of the scrapbooks revealed many of the same faces that sit at the heads of the boardroom tables around Polk County a quarter of a century later. They were the faces of the people that chaired the Girls Cub wreath sale, Big Brother Big Sisters Gourmet Dinner or the Rotary Auction. They were young, and frankly, most were not as good looking in 1980 as they became in their forties, fifties and sixties.

Even the group of "senior" community leaders that created the United Way of Central Florida from the independent United Ways of Greater Lakeland, Greater Bartow and the Lake Region were mostly familiar faces. While the first chair of this newly formed organization, John McKnight, passed away several years ago, he was central to the recent creation of Lakeland Volunteers In Medicine. Bob Madden, another founding Board member serves on the Salvation Army Advisory Board and is a frequent advisor to the United Way. The American Cancer Society and United Way consider Jack Pines, who celebrates his 80th birthday this month, an individual uniquely capable of pulling together disparate county interests.

Just weeks ago the Publisher of the Winter Haven News Chief, Wayne Ezell, announced his acceptance of a position with a newspaper in Jacksonville. Wayne currently serves as Co-Chair of Polk Vision and was scheduled to be the United Way Campaign Chair in 2007. He serves on the Boards of The Polk Museum of Art, Winter Haven Chamber, United Way, Winter Haven Vision and in various other volunteer capacities, including key fundraising roles with Polk Community College. Who will assume Wayne's volunteer responsibilities?

Community Leadership requires no special talent. The prerequisites include caring about the quality of life for those who follow us.

Over 2000 nonprofit organizations have tax exempt status in Polk County. All require volunteer leadership in order to serve the community. Opportunities to lead are plentiful.

Might we find you in the "2005 scrapbook" as we prepare for anniversaries in 2030?

About Terry Worthington
Terry Worthington has served as President of the United Way of Central Florida since April of 1996. After working as a case manager with the Epilepsy Foundation, he began his United Way career in 1987 as a Campaign Associate with this United Way. In 1991, he moved to the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula as Associate Executive Director and then to the United Way of Middle Tennessee (Nashville) where he was Vice President of Resource Development. Terry graduated from Ohio University with both a Bachelors degree in Communications and a Masters degree in Education.

Terry currently serves as a board member of Polk Works and chairs the Resources Committee. He is also a board member of Polk Citizens for World Class Schools, the Community Foundation of Greater Lakeland, United Way of Florida and chairs the Board Development Committee for the Polk Community College Corporate College. He has also served as a Commissioner with Volunteer Florida, the Governor's Commission on Community Service, since 1999.

Terry and his wife Marilyn are the parents of 21-year-old triplets, Chelsea and Katie are recent graduates from the University of Central Florida in Orlando and Ryan attends the University of Florida in Gainesville.

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Posted by Josh Hallett

Hundreds of children who would otherwise have a void in their lives are building meaningful relationships through Big Brothers Big Sisters. Think about those people who invested in you as a child. Maybe it was a neighbor, cousin or family friend. It was someone who listened to your dreams and encouraged you to reach for the stars! Big Brothers Big Sisters offers that to so many children, by seeking mentors for children who are simply in need of a friend. Someone who believes in their potential and can help lead them toward a bright future. It's not rocket science behind their principals, just a hundred years of success.

Justin Hollis is a Big Brother, and wanted to make a difference in the life of a child. At first, he thought he was too busy establishing himself professionally, but Big Brothers Big Sisters offers a simple program where he spends one hour a week with his Little Brother. They also have a need for office volunteers, or people to serve on event committees. If you have an interest in making an impact in the life of a children in Polk County by volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters, please contact Rebecca Gross Tieder at 863-682-5191 or via email at rtieder@bbbsfl.org.

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Posted by Kim McKeel

Last night, we had a nice group visit the Salvation Army Center of Hope facility. A tour of the facility was given and then EMERGE members participated in serving the clients of the Salvation Army dinner. There was great discussion and questions asked by our group and we learned some of the needs of the Salvation Army.

They include volunteers, the adoption of an aparment in their transitional living facility, and the donation of playground equipment that meets their safety requirements. With the adoption of a transitional living apartment, you would basically furnish it with linens, towels, kitchen utensils, pretty things to make it feel like home, and cooking “stuff” for the new families who come in. The families can live there for 2 years, and are able take everything with them when they leave to help them get set up on their own.

One of the highlights of the evening came when we had a personal testimony from one of our EMERGE members who has a cousin who is living in the Salvation Army’s transitional living center, and how the experience had really been a blessing. It was great to hear a firsthand account of the impact that the Salvation Army has had on our community.

I know the Salvation Army was very appreciative of our coming to learn more about their organization and interacting with their clients. Thanks to everyone who attended the event!

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Posted by Angie Register

The Girl Scouts Heart of Florida Council are in need of volunteers for their L.I.F.T (Lifestyle Investments for Tomorrow) program. The program teaches life skills. Along with sessions from banking, finance, shopping, etc.

Program coordinator Monica Campbell is focusing on Health and Wellness. She is in need of personal trainers, dieticians, nutritionist, fitness gurus, etc. that can give a little time in the summer and again in the fall. Probably no more than 3 times a month and about 45min - 1 hour.

If you are interested you may contact her at (863) 688-7648 ext 104 or monica.campbell@hfgsc.org

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Posted by Josh Hallett

Want to make a difference in your community? You have a unique opportunity to volunteer at Mayfaire by-the-Lake on Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8, 2005.

On Mother's Day weekend, the Polk Museum of Art and VSA Arts combine our efforts to provide a variety of hands-on art activities which physically and emotionally challenged children and other elementary age children complete side-by-side.

Your 2 hour volunteer commitment is well worth the rich reward of providing these children with exciting creative experiences. To become a volunteer, call the PMOA education department at 688-7743, ext. 227 or 688-5423 before Friday, April 29.

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Posted by Josh Hallett

We are looking forward to seeing you tonight at the Polk Museum event. We are very excited about this one in terms of location, activities, and the music and food. It will be a great time, so please join us even if you have not RSVP'd!

Our next event, Cocktails with the Commodore, at the Lakeland Yacht and Country Club is free for members to attend, so we hope you can come to this one, too, on Tuesday April 26th at 5:30 p.m.

If you have any questions about any of our events, please e-mail anyone on the steering committee or post a comment. Thanks!

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Posted by Angie Register

As part of our Emerge mission, we hope that our members will become philanthropically active in organizations within our community. Many of you already sit on Boards of various agencies or volunteer with different groups.

If your group has an event or is in need of help, this is the place to post your information and requests. We encourage everyone to check the site for updates and to stay plugged in.

If we can be of assistance in any way with helping you learn more about various agencies and organizations, please post a comment or contact Cauney Boydston, our United Way staff member, who is part of our steering committee. She is one of our blog contributors and has access to a variety of organizations and events through her work with United Way.

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Posted by Angie Register

As the Co-Chairs of Emerge, we would like to welcome you to the Emerge website. We are very excited to have the website officially up and running. The creation of a website was a key area of concern for us when we initially formed Emerge. We wanted our members and guests to have quick access to information concerning Emerge as well as a forum to communicate online with other Emerge members and guests.

We encourage you to visit the site frequently and participate and post your comments in the blog. And, please send the URL address to your friends and spread the word about Emerge Lakeland!

Angie and Kim

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Posted by Angie Register