Volunteer fair is Saturday at Aberdeen Eagles

Volunteer Opportunities Fair

This Saturday, Oct. 25, is National Make a Difference Day! You’ve probably noticed the advertising blitz on the four major television broadcast networks this week; now you have the opportunity to participate locally.

Come to the 16th annual Volunteer Opportunities Fair at Aberdeen Eagles (208 W. Market Street) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Representatives from 30 organizations that depend on volunteers will be there siting at tables with displays. You can talk with these people who will give you informational pamphlets explaining how to volunteer with their organizations. Feel free to ask them questions. At that time you can sign up to help, or you can take home the information and call them later.

Pat Anderson of Grays Harbor Radio will be interviewing representatives from all the organizations to be played on KDUX, KXRO, and KIX throughout the day. If you can’t make it to fair, please tune into one of those stations. The United Way’s “Ready for Winter” Drive is going on. You can bring in your gently used coats and blankets and brand new children’s shoes to put in the donation box.

This is a great way for students who need community service for graduation or adults who are looking for fun and interesting ways to give back to their community to find out about our local volunteering needs. When you volunteer, you gain much more than you give.

As you can see from the following list of organizations, there are so many ways to volunteer your time and talents. You choose how much time you give – daily, weekly, monthly, or even once a year. Whether you like working with children, adults, animals, or inanimate objects, these organizations would love to see you at the Volunteer Opportunities Fair on October 25th! Here are the organizations that will be at the fair:

7th Street Theatre

Aberdeen Eagles

Aberdeen Lions Club

Aberdeen Revitalization Movement

American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter

ARC of Grays Harbor

Beyond Survival

C.A.S.A. (Court Appointed Special Advocates)

Citizens for Children’s Fund

Coastal Harvest

Coastal Hawks Special Olympics

Dispute Resolution Center

Domestic Violence Center

Fine Arts at Grays Harbor County Fair

Fostering Together

Friendship House

Grays Harbor Civil Defense

Grays Harbor Historical Seaport

Grays Harbor Neighborhood Watches

Grays Harbor Sheriff VIP’s

Greater Grays Harbor, Inc.

Habitat for Humanity

Harbors Home Health and Hospice

Hoquiam Police Department’s Crime Watch

PAWS of Grays Harbor

Salvation Army Family Services

Salvation Army Thrift Store

Union Gospel Mission

United Way of Grays Harbor

Westport Maritime Museum & Lighthouse

Several people and organizations made this fair possible. A big thank you goes to the Aberdeen Eagles Club, which supplies the space, tables, and chairs. Angela Endres created the posters, Sandie Carman made the signs, and Stafford Creek’s Inside/Out Group sponsors the Volunteer Opportunities Brochures that will be available that day. Inside the brochure you’ll find 111 local organizations listing their phone numbers and needs for volunteers. It’s a handy guide to keep year-round.

Come to this year’s Volunteer Opportunities Fair on Saturday. If you’ve ever wanted to volunteer your time and talents but didn’t know where to go, you’re lucky because you can attend the fair to find your answers. It’s like “one stop shopping” to find out how you can help others and make a difference in your community!