Want to share your time and talents this holiday season and be a volunteer in 2019? If you and your family want to get involved with a local helping organization, here’s a guide to what the community needs:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana
Need: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana is looking volunteers to serve as positive role models to kids in Johnson County. Volunteers should commit to spending four to six hours a month with a child between the ages of 8 and 14, for one year. Volunteers must be at least 19 years old.
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How to get involved: BeBigForKids.org/Volunteer
Boys & Girls Club of Franklin
Need: The Boys & Girls Club of Franklin needs volunteers to help in the game room or to help clients with homework. The club also needs donations of scrap paper, art supplies, pencils, toys or games for the incentive store, board games and card games for the game room and cars, dolls and other interactive toys.
How to get involved: Call 317-739-3365. Donations can be dropped of at the club at 101 Hurricane St., Franklin.
Christmas Angels
Need: Christmas Angels, a program of United Way of Johnson County, is in need of individuals and organizations who would like to sponsor families who cannot provide Christmas gifts for their children. Christmas Angels provides gifts for Johnson County children, newborn to 17 years old, who would otherwise not have Christmas gifts.
How to get involved: Call the United Way of Johnson County office at 317-736-7840.
Girls Inc. of Johnson County
Need: Volunteers are needed to help with programming and to help clients with homework. Professional women are also needed to help teach a six-week curriculum program.
How to get involved: Call 317-736-5344.
Good Cheer Fund
Need: The Good Cheer Fund is a Johnson County tradition that distributes holiday meals and some essentials to the needy in the county around Christmas. The fund needs monetary donations and organizers hope to distribute 800 food baskets this year.
How to get involved: Monetary donations will be accepted until the end of December. Donations can be mailed to the Daily Journal, P.O. Box 699, Franklin, IN 46131, or dropped off at the Daily Journal at 30 S. Water St., Second floor, Suite A, in Franklin.
Greenwood Meals on Wheels
Need: The organization is in need of help making deliveries of lunch to senior citizens and people who are home-bound. Food must be picked up between 10:45 and 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. The organization serves the Center Grove area and Greenwood. A valid driver’s license is needed.
How to get involved: Call 317-882-2424.
Interchurch Food Pantry
Need: The pantry, which serves all of Johnson County, needs cash donations and volunteers for over the holidays. Cash donations are the most preferred form of donations as food pantries can obtain food at far below typical retail cost and have other costs such as transportation costs. Holiday food requests include hams, boxed potatoes, cooking oil, flour, sugar and bagged noodles. Other food staples always needed. Volunteers are also needed to assist families as they select their food items. These opportunities are on weekdays between 10:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Some opportunities on Saturdays are available from 8:15-11:30 a.m.
How to get involved: Email [email protected] or call 317-736-5090.
Johnson County Senior Services
Need: They need volunteers to help stock the food pantry, deliver food to homes, organize and deliver senior Christmas gifts and pick up donations over the holidays. Volunteers are also needed to help answer the phones, do clerical work and organize the building, as well as to help with fundraising.
How to get involved: Call 317-738-4544 and ask for Kimberly Smith.
KIC-IT
Need: Volunteers are needed for the front desk for a minimum of two hours. Volunteers would welcome and assist clients, accept and put away donations, fill blessing boxes and do possibly light administrative duties. The organization also needs donations of non-perishable food and hygiene products for the pantry. Pop-top cans and to-go type items are preferred. Items especially needed include diapers (sizes five and six only), men’s toiletries and canned fruit, meats and soup.
How to get involved: Donations can be dropped off at 592 Ironwood Dr., Franklin from 9 a.m.-5 p.m Monday through Friday. To volunteer, e-mail [email protected]
Lord’s Cupboard
Need: Volunteers are needed during all store hours. The pantry is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m Saturday. Volunteers are needed to organize items in the store.
How to get involved: Go to the cupboard at 606 Banta St., Franklin and pick up an application and then get a background check.
Pack Away Hunger
Need: The Indianapolis organization is looking for volunteers to pack meals of rice, soy, vegetables and vitamins and minerals. Packed meals will be distributed to local food pantries. A Pack Away Hunger event is planned for Friday at Indianapolis Marriott East.
How to get involved: Volunteers should register at packawayhunger.org.
The Social of Greenwood
Need: Canned food items for the food pantry. Volunteers would be accepted for special events.
How to get involved: Canned food items can be dropped off at 550 Polk St., Greenwood. To volunteer, call 317-882-4810
The Salvation Army
Need: Food donations to give out holiday baskets. Deadline to help with baskets is Dec. 19. The organization also needs bell ringers for 12 sites across the county. Bell ringing starts on Friday.
How to get involved: Go to registertoring.com
Toys for Tots
Need: Indiana Members Credit Union is participating in the 2018 U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. New and unwrapped toys are needed.
How to get involved: Drop off unwrapped toys at the following branches:
Center Grove area, 1604 S. State Road 135, Greenwood.
Greenwood, 1115 N. Madison Ave.
Veteran Transportation
Need: Local veterans organizations are looking for drivers who can take local veterans to and from the Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis.
How to get involved: Call 317-885-9209.
