May is National Foster Care Month. There are approximately 14,000 children in foster care in Michigan at any given point in time. These children have many needs and the community can play an important role in helping. Regardless of how much time you have to give, there are ways that you can help. Check out the Change A Lifetime website for lots of ideas and inspiration, http://fostercaremonth.org .
Among the foster children who need the most assistance are the older ones who will not be returning to their families, most of whom will leave the foster care system at age 18 and be completely on their own. The Michigan Youth Opportunities Initiative (MYOI) is designed especially for these kids. The goal of the program is to prepare these young people to have successful outcomes in housing, employment, education, and health. The young people work closely with community partners to design activities that give them needed experiences as they approach adulthood. St. Joseph County currently has 16 youth involved in the MYOI program and they need help arranging for transportation to various meetings, events, and field trips. If a couple area churches were able to arrange for the use of their church vans, that would really help these young people to get where they need to go. Contact Crystal Hughes at 269-303-4341.
The Department of Human Services is looking for a volunteer who can work for the next couple months to help with a summer camp project. The work will involve preparing a mailing to inform families about camp opportunities for their children and then working with the families to complete all the necessary paperwork. The hours are flexible within the normal Monday through Friday, 8 to 5, work week. Mileage to the office is reimbursable. This would be an ideal position for someone wishing to add to their community service resume. For more information contact Jan Reed at reedj4@michigan.gov.
The American Cancer Society always has a few clients in St. Joseph County who need transportation to their life-saving medical appointments. This assignment requires some very generous volunteers as the Cancer Society is sometimes, but not always, able to assist with the cost of gasoline. People who are able to offer their help may put limits on their availability, if they wish. If you are able to help or would like more information, please call Ann Moenke at 269-349-8719.
Finally, I’m going to give you a big advance notice about the next opportunity. On July 20, the Great Start Collaborative will be holding their third annual Stroller Roll. This 5K run event will start at the Doyle Center in Sturgis. The primary purpose is to raise funds that will support early childhood programs in St, Joseph County, including preschool scholarships, child care provider scholarships, and the Welcome Baby program. If you aren’t quite up to running 5k, you may be interested in the “Couch to 5K” training program. It will help you safely increase your physical activity and have you ready to run that 5K in time for the event. Call Amy Brauer at 269-467-5309 to sign up for the fun.
Other programs in St. Joseph County that are looking for volunteers and would like to be included in this weekly column are encouraged to register with United Way. Contact Margaret Shultz, Volunteer Services Specialist, at 269-467-9099 or at volunteer.sjcuw@gmail.com.