Volunteer need list for Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo Agencies

Bureau of Jewish Education-
• The Jewish Buffalo Archives Project
Starting in mid August box listings, photo organizing for several collections of the archives projects.

• Yad B’ Yad
Looking to bring people with disabilities together who want to enrich their social life.  Volunteers needed tomake the program inclusive.  Volunteers also needed to serve on the Committee (membership campaign, annual event, policy, programming, etc.)

Hillel-
• Shabbat Dinners- Cook dinners at a volunteers house or other kosher location such as the JCC, Temple etc. pack it, and deliver it to Hillel . This would help student to celebrate this special weekly holiday.
• Fundraising ideas and volunteers to help with current fundraising programs for the present student.
• Office work, assuming filing, organizing, etc.
• Getting the students more involved in the community through projects that someone can oversee and plan.
• Managing an internship program again to help students learn and participate in the Jewish community.
• ARI Magazine needs volunteers to work on this publication. Students earn college credit for doing this.

Jewish Community Center
o Major help with Web design and updating. Would love to be on Facebook and be able to add special events.
o Office work needed, very short staffed, need help with filling and organizing
o Would love to do Leadership development with kids at Hillel that are in the programs like, Elementary Education, Physical Education, Special Education.
o Jewish Rep. Theater: Distribute Posters throughout downtown and also making phone calls to people who have received the brochure for the productions. Need this ASAP, starts Oct 15th.
o Café Europa: Interacting and programming with and for the Holocaust Survivors
o Early Childhood Program: needing volunteers who would enjoy reading to the children and/or play educational games with them. Also could use help with art projects and going on walks.

Jewish Family Services-
• Friend Raising:  We would love the opportunity for a volunteer(s) to host a small intimate get together to share JFS stories and the work we do.  Ideally, it could be two or three spread over time. 
• Family Life and Enrichment: JFS, in conjunction with the Temples and other Jewish entities, is developing programming around Jewish Healing and Spirituality with volunteer components around providing information or donating time around certain issues related to the community.
• For example:  With the economic downturn many are concerned about college costs for their children or investments.  Perhaps with volunteers, a panel could be put together and learned members of the community could provide information.  It is also a marketing opportunity for the experts in our community or an opportunity to do a Mitzvah.
• One volunteer opportunity is to develop a speaker’s bureau; the other is to be available as a speaker or for information.
• JFS has plans to expand its support services to the community through the development of support groups.  Skilled facilitators/volunteers are needed for short term groups like:
o “Co parenting”:  Parent has a new partner or spouse.
o Intermarriage Challenges During the Holiday(s)”: for grandparents
o Adoption Support”

The program is in its development stage and we have a consultant working with us.  A questionnaire is being developed and will be sent out shortly through “Survey Monkey”.

o Resettlement Program:  We are in need of volunteers to assist with setting up apartments for new arrivals and/or arranging for various “drives” at temples, places of business or schools.  This is a perfect opportunity for Bar and Bat Mitzvah students and their parents.
The Program needs:
o Diapers: all sizes
o Toiletries and cleaning supplies
o Warm blankets, sheets and clothing
o Backpacks filled with back to school supplies and snacks.
o Household items: pots/pans etc.
o New or gently used children’s books
o Strollers and car seats.

We could also benefit from a volunteer to do “research” into companies that give things to non profits like the diaper companies.  The volunteer could do the “ask” or JFS could.  Support would be provided to the volunteer or group of volunteers.

o Traumatic Brain Injury Program:  This program is in need of a male volunteer on one or two afternoons a week.  It can be rotated with another volunteer.  The TBI program is a respite program for people over 21 who received a head injury from some type of accident.  The program is staffed by a trained professional and the volunteer would be trained and is supervised.  This program is also working with Veterans that have suffered a brain injury in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Aside from the actual volunteer position the program also needs:
o Arts and craft supplies.
o A Nintendo Wii: to improve motor control
o Board games with large pieces.

o Marketing JFS:  Our marketing plan needs “legs” in the sense that we need volunteers to deliver the JFS message whether hanging signs or distributing brochures or driving with the JFS logo on a car (small and discrete  almost like a bumper sticker but removable).

Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo
o Buffalo Jewish Coalition for Literacy
Volunteers needed to read with or work approximately 1 hour per week throughout the school year with children from grades pre-K-4th at Buffalo Public School #80 (Highgate Heights) and Buffalo Public School # 32 (Bennett Park Montessori)
o United Jewish Fund Campaign
Volunteers needed to cover Men’s Division and Women’s Division cards throughout the UJF Campaign year as well as on Super Sunday

Jewish Federation Apartments-
• Looking for new people to join the Board.
• Resident activities such as; presentations especially in winter because the residents do not get out as much. It could be a discussion group, craft classes, a musical presentation or any activity that someone would be willing to organize and present.

Jewish Heritage School-
• Working with children on lessons and tutoring.
• Art teacher, music teacher, Physical Education teacher
• Help with Web design, anyone who has knowledge in this area that could be of help

Weinberg Campus-
• Adopt-A-Garden 
• Starting up and helping run the food pantry
• Bringing community interest into the Campus (art Classes, book clubs, chess club, pool activities)
• When back from Israel trips, sharing the experience with photos
• “A Walk Through the Art Collection” leader/ docent