Volunteer Organizations of Amador County

(This is a temporary post until the brochure is printed)

Information Prepared by George Erdosh, January, 2011

Please email changes, additions, corrections and updates to howfoodswork@volcano.net

Volunteer loading truck for delivery at Wheels-on-Meals

Amador County Animal Shelter (Animal Control)

Volunteer help is needed for dog walking, training, adoption fairs, digital photography of animals, internet postings, search for rescue organizations, and transport to rescue sites. 223-6378. animalcontrol@amadorgov.org; www.amadorgov.org; (click on Departments; Animal Control).

Volunteer at the Animal Shelter Walking Dogs

Amador County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate)

Volunteer opportunities include representing abused and neglected children in the courts and helping to find safe, permanent, and nurturing homes for them. 223-1485.

Amador County Library

The library offers a variety of skilled volunteer opportunities to make a meaningful contribution to library programs, operations, fundraising events and other community engagement functions. Skilled volunteers have opportunities to lead projects, work with teams of staff and other volunteers. Volunteers also deliver library material to housebound patrons. 223-6305 or 223-6400. cmurdock@amadorgov.org; www.co.amador.ca.us (click on Services; Public Service; Library).

Friends of the Library Volunteers Setting up for Book Sale

Amador County Recreation Agency

Volunteers are needed to help with park improvements and with the many ACRA events. 223-6349. ACRA@co.amador.ca.us; http://www.goacra.org/support.html.

Amador Historical Society

Volunteers are often needed to help at the museum and their visitors’ center in Jackson. 257-0332. the_jebians@hotmail.com; http://amadorhistory.com.

Amador Senior Center

Volunteers are needed in several positions, such as staffing front desk and administrative duties; help on Commission on Aging. 223-0442. beposbabe@yahoo.com.

Amador Senior Peer Counseling

The organization trains to provide confidential counseling to seniors who are isolated, depressed, dealing with family issues or the normal issues of aging. The counselors meet with their assigned senior in his or her home and make sure that the person is getting the care and services needed from community providers. The counselor usually meets with the client on a weekly basis for as long as it takes to help the senior feel better about the problems presented in the beginning. 296-4963. path@volcano.net.

Amador Stars

Volunteer opportunities in the annual large Camp-Out-for-Cancer fundraiser, also driving their cancer vans with patients to one of the Valley’s treatment centers. 223-1246. info@amadorstars.org; www.amadorstars.org.

Amador Student Music Fund

This organization uses volunteers who are willing to teach young people ages 7 to 17 in the areas of various musical instrument lessons and music theory. 296-4754. asmfund@gmail.com; http://www.amadorstudentmusicfund.org.

Amador-Tuolomne Community Action Agency

Volunteer opportunities in mentoring. 533-1397. elinehan@atcaa.org; for other volunteer opportunities 223-1485. http://infonettc.net.

American Red Cross (Capital Region Chapter)

Volunteers play a vital role in fulfilling the Red Cross mission to assist people in disaster situations, locally, nationally and internationally. 916 993-7073. http://redcrosscrc.org. Local contact 295-2116 reinius@volcano.net.

A-Pal Humane Society

Volunteers participate in fundraising programs, adoption outreach, publicity and newsletter, fostering cats and kittens, feral cat program, clerical work and community education. 223-0410. www.amadorapal.org.

Common Ground Senior Services

Volunteers package for or deliver foods to the elderly and underserved communities. 223-3015. caubert@cgseniors.org; http://cgseniors.org.

Disaster Healthcare Volunteers

Local medical and non-medical volunteers are needed to form an Amador response unit to serve local communities during a disaster. Register online. www.healthcarevolunteers.ca.gov.

Eldorado National Forest

Projects for volunteers range from a single day project to a long term undertaking lasting for several months. Projects include trail work, campground host, bird surveys, conservation education, fire lookout, Adopt-A-Trail, information receptionist and wilderness restoration projects. Other possible volunteer positions include working in the field with biologists, botanists, archaeologists, recreation rangers, and other Forest Service personnel. 530 295-5610. kschroeder@fs.fed.us; http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado/volunteering.

First 5 Amador

Volunteers help to promote, support, and enhance the optimal development of Amador County's children from up to five years of age. Since working with children, volunteers are required to be fingerprinted. 257-1092. nina@first5amador.com; www.first5amador.com.

Foothill Fitness (Active Aging)

Following training sessions, volunteers lead regular fitness classes for seniors in several locations throughout the county. Contact through the Amador Senior Center 223-0442. barefootwitch@yahoo.com or melnbob@volcano.net.

Volunteer Instructor at Foothill Fitness

Foster Care

Volunteers provide foster home for needy children. 223-3888 or 800 655-8350. www.ea.org.

Hospice of Amador and Calaveras

Volunteer opportunities in thrift shop, fund raising, family support, grief and grief-busters. 223-5500. ann.metherd@hospiceofamador.org or info@hopsiceofamador.org; http://hospiceofamador.org.

Volunteers Behind Checkout at Hospice Thrift Store

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park

Volunteers help staff museum, guide school tours and care for museum collection. 296-7488. info@parks.ca.gov; http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=553.

Interfaith Foodbank

Volunteers help collecting, packaging and distributing food for those in need. 267-9006. info@interfaithfoodbank.org; www.interfaithfoodbank.org.

Kennedy Mine Foundation

Volunteer positions are available for a variety of activities at the Kennedy mine, including tour guides, helping in fundraising and restoration. 223-9542. fblauvelt@goldrush.com.

Main Street Theatre Works

The Balcony Club gives you the opportunity to join other volunteers who do everything from creating sets, acquiring props, sewing costumes, controlling the lights and sounds, ushering attendees and the myriad of other tasks that make for a successful stage production. 295-4499. info@mstw.org; http://www.mstw.org/company.html.

Master Gardeners

Master Gardener volunteers staff an information desk in the University of California Cooperative Extension office, where they answer questions, diagnose plant problems, and give horticultural assistance to home gardeners. 223-6482 or 223-6838. http://ceamador.ucdavis.edu. For more information about becoming a Master Gardener, contact Sue Mosbacher at smosbacher@ucdavis.edu.

Mokelumne Wilderness Volunteers

Volunteer opportunities in visitor education, field work and data collection, trail patrol, trail-building and maintenance, resource preservation and campsite restoration, front counter staffing, fundraising, public outreach, internal organizational communications, external communications. 295-4251. mmusemeyer@fs.fed.us; www.fs.fed.us.

Nature Abounds

This organization needs help in observing the "wild" in your community. A Watch the Wild volunteer observes and reports what is taking place in the community from trees and plants to weather and wildlife activity. As little as ten minutes of observations help to understand how local eco-systems are changing. http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp475713.jsp.

Operation Care

Most volunteer help needed in production and participation of the annual variety fundraiser show in support of local victims of domestic violence. 223-2897. lzender@att.net; www.operationcare.org.

Search and Rescue

This unit of the Amador Sheriff’s office uses pre-trained volunteers to assist in search and rescue situations. 223-6500. amadorsheriff@co.amador.ca.us; www.co.amador.ca.us (click on Government; Sheriff).

Sutter Amador Hospital Auxiliary

Auxiliary volunteers operate a gift shop, a thrift shop, assist in clerical work, front desk information, help in pediatrics, radiology and operate concierge carts. 223-7514. http://www.sutteramador.org/communityrelations/volunteers_auxiliary.html.

Tri County Wildlife Care

The aim of this organization is to improve the quality of local wildlife through education and public awareness, and giving the sick, injured, orphaned and displaced animals a second chance. 267-5867.

Upcountry Community Center

This Center uses volunteers to provide a variety of programs, both educational and entertaining, predominantly in the upcountry community of the County. Most programs are family oriented. 296-2785. rturner@atcaa.org; www.upcountrycommunity.blogspot.com.

Volcano Theater Company

Volunteers help in many aspects of putting on a play in Volcano including being part of the cast, set construction, set decoration, costumes, and management. 296-2525. info@volcanotheatre.org; www.volcanotheatre.org.

Volunteer Fire Fighter

The Amador Fire Protection District uses volunteers who want to contribute to their community. Volunteer firefighters receive training and appropriate equipment. Apply online http://www.co.amador.ca.us/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8455.