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Volunteer Appreciation! Volunteers are an essential resource for most nonprofits and smaller organizations. There are volunteers all over the world who give back to their communities or someone else’s community and strive to help an organization accomplish their goals and complete their missions. This season, we would like to demonstrate our appreciation and recognize all of our wonderful, hard-working volunteers and all of their contributions to the Peoria Park District by saying thank you to each and every one that volunteered with us this year or any past years as well. We understand that volunteers donate their time to us, and we want each and every one of you to feel important and know that you are making a difference in the local community whenever you lend a hand. Like employees, volunteers are representatives of the Peoria Park District at events, festivals, etc. When you do well, it promotes more of what we do in the community. Your experiences and efforts directly impact our organization and our mission, and we want to continue providing the best possible experience for our volunteers to keep the ones we have and attract new ones! As part of our goal to make sure volunteers are recognized, we want volunteers to feel appreciated for their individual contributions and want them to reflect on the sense of pride they feel when they are appreciated for completing a job and This story continues on page 2.
Volunteer Appreciation! (continued) donating their time. When our volunteers feel good, they look good. When they look good, they do good, and when they do good, the general population sees this and develops an increased appreciation and understanding of our volunteers and what we do. Volunteers become self motivated to continue serving and keep coming back, sometimes bringing extra volunteers, such as friends, family, coworkers, etc. This creates a fun and safe volunteering environment for the volunteers because it allows them to be with familiar faces and be more comfortable doing their volunteer work while also meeting many more friendly volunteers! Many volunteers are different, and each individual one has needs that they need or want to be met while volunteering. Many volunteers volunteer for service hours, to give back to their communities, manage their stress better, get fit, or even learn new skills. For the many different types of volunteers we have at the Peoria Park District, we want to meet each one’s specific needs and abilities. We do this by providing them with tasks that they can and want to do, and encourage them to branch out to not only develop different skills, but to meet new people along the way and start networking. This is another way we want to create a safe work environment for our volunteers, and keep them safe and happy so they want to return. Volunteer recognition is not only about recognizing them and all of their efforts, but providing them with anything and everything they need to be successful, happy, and safe while they serve. Whatever the goals and needs of our volunteers are, we continue to promote a safe and happy environment for them to give back, too.
Save the Date! PNC Worldwide Day of Play This super-fun, activity-packed day is September 10 this year! Held in Glen Oak Park, we need lots of volunteers to come out and participate.
March Madness Experience March Madness Experience Dates: • A/AA: Thursday, March 10 through Saturday March 12 • 3A/4A: Thursday, March 17 through Saturday March 19 Shifts available for both weeks Thursdays: 6-9 pm; Fridays: 10 am-1 pm, 1-4 pm, 4-6:30 pm, 6:159 pm; Saturdays: 10 am-1 pm, 1-4 pm, 3:45-6:30 pm. PLEASE NOTE: If you already signed up through another organization, you do not need to contact the Volunteer Department directly. All the action takes place at the Peoria Civic Center.
We will also need volunteers to assist at March Madness: Access the Experience on March 15. If you’re interested in helping make the March Madness Experience accessible to all, contact HISRA at (309) 691-1929.
Semi-Annual Book Sale Help set up, work at, and tear down the Noble Center’s huge Semi-Annual Book Sale April 8-12. Over 15 volunteers are needed each day. Volunteers will receive a 20% off coupon! F: 4/8 • 9 am-12 pm, 1-4 pm (set up) Sa: 4/9 • 10 am-1 pm, 1-4 pm, 4-7 pm Su: 4/10 • 12-2:30 pm, 2:30-5 pm, 5-7 pm M: 4/11 • 12-2:30 pm, 2:30-5 pm, 5-7 pm Tu: 4/12 • 9 am-12 pm (tear down)
Easter Egg Events Easter Egg Festival – Franciscan Recreation Complex Saturday, March 19 9:00 am-12:00 pm 15 volunteers (ages 16+) Volunteers will hide eggs and help with registration. One lucky volunteer will get to dress up in a bunny costume. Easter Egg Scramble – Peoria Zoo and Luthy Botanical Garden Saturday, March 19 9:30-11:30 am 7-10 volunteers (ages 16+) Volunteers will hide eggs, help with face-painting and hand out candy.
Easter Egg Hunt – Northtrail Park Saturday, March 19 10:45 am-2:00 pm 7-8 volunteers (ages 16+) Volunteers will hide eggs and help with registration. One lucky volunteer will get to dress up in an Easter Bunny costume. Easter Egg Hunt and Carnival – Proctor Recreation Center Friday, March 25 12:30 pm-3:30 pm 8 volunteers (ages 16+) Volunteers will help with event set up and tear down, hiding eggs and organizing activities.
Doggie Easter Egg Hunt – Camp Wokanda Saturday, March 26 Help stuff eggs full of dog treats!
Peoria Zoological Society Volunteer Opportunity Zootini
Thursday, May 5 • 4:30-9:30 pm Peoria Zoo •12 volunteers (age 21+) Local bartenders serve a variety of martinis at this after-hours social event held in the AFRICA! exhibit. Volunteers will assist with set-up, barbacks for bartenders, washing dishes, cleanup and wearing the “Crash” costume.
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March 2016 - Special Event Opportunities
26 Camp Wokanda Doggie Easter Egg Hunt
Northtrail Park Easter Egg Hunt
Peoria Zoo Easter Egg Scramble
FRC Easter Egg Festival
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Find Easter Egg Hunt volunteer details on page 4.
Access the Experience Tu: 3/15 • Peoria Civic Center • 100 volunteers (ages 14+) needed to assist youth with games and competitions, making March Madness at the Civic Center accessible to all. Call 691-1929 to sign up.
March Madness Experience Th-Sa: 3/10-3/12 • Th-Sa: 3/17-3/19 • Shifts for both weeks (Th: 6-9 pm; F: 10 am-1 pm, 1-4 pm, 4-6:30 pm, 6:15-9 pm; Sa: 10 am-1 pm, 1-4 pm; 3:45-6:30 pm) Peoria Civic Center Volunteers needed to assist youth at the Peoria Civic Center with basketball games. PLEASE NOTE: If you already signed up through another organization, you do not need to contact the Volunteer Department directly.
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Keep up with the Peoria Park District Volunteer Department on Facebook!
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April 2016 - Special Event Opportunities
Garlic Mustard Control Sa: 4/30 • 10 am-1 pm Forest Park Nature Center 40 volunteers (ages 14+)needed to help control this rapidly spreading plant. A short presentation on Garlic Mustard will precede the efforts.
Earth Day Festival Sa: 4/23 • 11 am- 4 pm Forest Park Nature Center Here’s your opportunity to “think globally, act locally.” Enjoy live music while helping with hands-on demos, kids crafts, face painting, and more.
Semi-Annual Book Sale Noble Center • 15+ volunteers needed each day (shifts available) *People able to move heavy boxes are greatly needed! F: 4/8 • 9 am-4 pm (set up) Sa: 4/9 • 10 am-7 pm Su: 4/10 • 12-7 pm M: 4/11 • 12-7 pm Tu: 4/12 • 9 am-12 pm (tear down)
Maple Syrup Workshop Sa: 4/9 • Camp Wokanda 7-10 volunteers to help serve (and eat!) a delicious pancake breakfast with Camp Wokanda’s maple syrup.
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Saturday
May 2016 - Special Event Opportunities
Civil War Spring Drill Sa: 5/7 • 9:30 am-4 pm Su: 5/8 • 9:30 am-1 pm Sommer Park 2 volunteers (ages 14+) needed to assist with admission table and greeting people during this living history encampment.
CCT Annual Drama Festival Sa: 5/7 • 9 am-12 pm, 12-2 pm, 2-4 pm • Corn Stock Theatre • 3 volunteers per shift needed to help with concessions and as stage hands.
Garlic Mustard Control Sa: 5/14 • 1-4 pm Forest Park Nature Center 40 volunteers (ages 14+) needed to help control this rapidly spreading plant. A short presentation on Garlic Mustard will precede the efforts.
Clyde West Fishing Derby Sa: 5/14 • 8-11 am, 11 am-2 pm, 2-5 pm • Glen Oak Lagoon • 10 volunteers per shift (ages 16+) to help kids learn about fishing from the Illinois Department of Conservation. Glen Oak Lagoon will be stocked with 1300 pounds of fish!
The Book Court at the Noble Center
• Volunteers are needed to interact with the public, make change, and love books. Can’t volunteer on a regular basis? Substitutes are needed Monday through Friday from 8:30 am-12:30 pm and 12:304:30 pm. • Volunteers ages 18+ are needed to sort, price, stack and box books from 9 am-1 pm on weekdays.
After School Youth Mentoring at Proctor Recreation Center
Mon-Fri, 3-5pm Just having someone there can be the biggest difference. Impact the education of middle and primary students at Proctor Center’s After School program by working one-on-one with a child as his or her Homework Helper. Caring tutors may help with math one day and reading the next, all while seeing first-hand the difference made throughout the school year.
Moonlight Coalition Peoria Wilds Ecological Restoration
This local grassroots organization dedicated to the restoration of biological diversity in the area needs your help! Volunteers exercise their landscaping muscles by removing wood and brush, collecting and sowing seed, monitoring vegetation and butterflies, researching pre-settlement conditions and performing prescribed burns. Visit Peoria Wilds online at www.peoriawilds.org for more information.
Trail Maintenance at Forest Park Nature Center
Tutors for our GED Program at Proctor and Logan Recreation Centers Moonlight Coalition is looking for tutors to help adults achieve their GED by helping with math and reading skills.
Enjoy the beauty of nature while protecting it. Hike the trails, keep them clean and be on the lookout for any regulation violations. (Ages 16+)
Regular Volunteer Opportunities Coaches/Athletics Opportunities
Would you like to have some fun developing teamwork skills in youth? Give coaching a try! Training for coaches is provided. •
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Soccer Coaches (March 23-May 16) at Mossville Soccer Complex. Practices are one hour between 5:30-7:30 pm on Mondays through Thursdays and games between 8:30 am-12:30 pm on Saturdays. Minor/Major/Pony Baseball Coaches (May 16-July 9). Practices are weekday evenings and games will be Saturday mornings. Tee-Ball/Coach Pitch Coaches (June 7-July 23) at Peoria Stadium. Practices are one hour between 5:30-7:30 pm Monday through Thursday evenings and games on Saturday mornings.
Golf Course Volunteers
Volunteers needed at Madison, Newman and Kellogg Golf Courses. 25 volunteers (ages 21+) needed per course. Be a Golf Course Volunteer at one of the Peoria Park District’s Golf Courses! Volunteers may enjoy incentives such as waived fees, free course play and more. Duties include:
• Tracking pace of play and monitoring rule compliance • Addressing necessary course needs • Maintaining full water coolers around the course • Preparing golf carts between players • Assisting in the pro shop and handling customer inquiries
Sommer Park Opportunities Ancient Oaks Day Camp
5/30-8/12, 8:30am-3:30pm 3 volunteers (age 14-15) Interested in a possible career in recreation or education, or need high school service hours? Volunteering at Ancient Oaks will help you gain valuable work experience in the future. This opportunity is for mature students who enjoy the outdoors and working with children.
School Programs
Spring and Fall, 9:00 am-1:30 pm 1 volunteer (age 18+) Assist staff and/or serve as an interpreter for outdoor school programs, including canoe programs and the Pioneer Homestead.
Woodland Stewardship, Native Burns, Trail Maintenance, and Rental Hosts Volunteers ages 14+ are needed on an ongoing basis. If you have ever been to Sommer Park, you’ll know why it often becomes a lifelong favorite for Peorians. Here, many distinctive elements blend to offer a unique experience of recreation, nature, history and family interaction. You have the special chance to experience the enchantment of Sommer Park through these volunteer opportunities.
Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum High School Students: The PlayHouse is looking for a diverse group of students to join its Teen Volunteer program. Participating teens will work with young children and families visiting the PlayHouse, as well as gaining job skills, and learning about museums and education. Adults (18 and over): Pop-up facilitator – Roll a cart out into the exhibit area and engage visitors with the activity on that cart or facilitate art or science activities in a classroom space. Play facilitator – Assist floor staff in ensuring that visitors are enjoying themselves and engaging with exhibits in appropriate ways. Observe exhibits to ensure they are functioning properly. Real Tools assistant – Assist and instruct safe tool use techniques in the Real Tools exhibit as kids use hammers, saws, drills, and other tools to create and build. Visit www.peoriaplayhouse.org to see full description and to apply!
Peoria Zoo Volunteer Opportunities “Zoo Teens” Program Calling all teens 14-17! If you have wanted to put your love for animals to work, now is the time. The Zoo will be accepting applications through April 1 for the Zoo Teens Program in which you can help with classes, camps and special events! Please contact Peoria Zoo at 309-681-3513 or visit us online at peoriazoo.org/volunteer.html for more information.
Adult Volunteer Opportunities Take a walk on the wild side and join us in one of the many volunteer opportunities at the Zoo! • Adult Interpreters (ages 18+). Volunteers are stationed at exhibits and talk to the public about animals. • Adult Assistant Zookeepers (ages 18+). Shifts around 10 am-1 pm. Volunteers assist in the cleaning of animal displays, windows and floors. • Adult Animal Handlers (ages 18+). Volunteers learn how to handle and present selected education animals during programs and talks at the Peoria Zoo.
Heart of Illinois Special Recreation Association As a cooperative network of four area park districts, HISRA has proudly provided quality recreation programs and inclusion services for more than 25 years.
FOCUS
Volunteers will join our adult day program as our participants engage in recreational center-based activities as well as explore communities throughout the Heart of Illinois. To volunteer with the FOCUS Program, please contact Amy Cundiff.
Strikers
Join our participants once a week, as they spend time fine-tuning their bowling skills while spending quality time with friends! To volunteer with Strikers, please contact Sioban Stahl.
Special Olympics
If you are an athlete or sports fan, this season HISRA is offering Special Olympics Aquatics, Track & Field, Golf and Bowling. With our large number of competitive athletes here at HISRA, volunteers are always welcome! If interested in volunteering for HISRA athletics please contact Sioban Stahl or Meghan Ferguson.
Want to know more? Contact HISRA at 309-691-1929.
Timothy J. Cassidy Jacqueline J. Petty Kelly A. Cummings Robert L. Johnson, Sr. Warren E. Rayford Matthew P. Ryan Nancy L. Snowden Bonnie W. Noble
President Vice President Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Executive Director, PPD
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