Lend A Hand: Tee it up with youth at Modesto Municipal Golf Course

Call the Volunteer Center of the United Way at (209) 524-1307 or e-mail volunteer@uwaystan.org.

STANISLAUS LITERACY CENTER — The Spotlights on Reading fund-raiser to support literacy efforts will be held Feb. 17-18 at the Petersen Event Center in Modesto. Following in the footsteps of last year's successful "Children of the Dust Bowl" reader's theater production, this year's event will feature "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," by Robert Fulghum, adapted by Ernest Zulia and produced by Kimberly Ogden. The Feb. 17 performance will begin at7 p.m. with a wine and cheese reception at a ticket price of $25. The Feb. 18 performance will begin at 6 p.m. with a dinner at a ticket price of $30. Tickets are available by calling (209) 522-0656 or on the agency's Web site at www.readingworks.net/events. Volunteers, ages 14 years and older, are needed at each event to assist with set up at 1 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday. Volunteers are also needed to serve and replenish refreshments, and assist with silent auction activities during the events, and clean up from 6 to 9 p.m. after each production.

FIRST TEE OF CENTRAL VALLEY — Tee it up with time and be a positive influence in the lives of youth with the Learning Life Skills Through Golf Program. The program offers life skills instruction, clinics, rounds of golf, and outings to benefit more than 3,000 Central Valley area youth, ages 5 to 17, each year. Ten weeks of one-hour clinics will be held between March and October weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings primarily at the Modesto Municipal Golf Course. Volunteer coaches and mentors interact with kids during icebreaker skills games, accompany youth playing nine holes of golf, teach specific golf skill focus for that day, assist with skill testing, and participate in "wrap up" games. No special skills are needed and it is not necessary to know how to play golf. Interested volunteers are asked to attend one of the following program trainings on Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m., Feb. 25 at 9 a.m. and Feb. 29 at 5:30 p.m. All trainings will be held in Modesto. Mentors meet with youth in a group setting every other Tuesday continuing throughout the season at Mancini Hall and participate in two summer field trips. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age, complete a background check, and participate in at least three clinic sessions each year.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, STANISLAUS — Help low-income families build their dream of homeownership. Volunteers 14 and older are needed to assist customers, receive, catalog, and price donations, stock and dust merchandise, etc. at the Habitat ReStore. The newest store, at 3124 McHenry Avenue in Modesto, is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Kearney Avenue store is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to5 p.m. and Thursday from9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The stores are filled with everything you could possibly need: new and used doors, windows, tiles, lights, flooring, cabinets, large appliances, furniture, tools, hardware, and much more. Merchandise is priced at 50 to 75 percent off retail to help the general public improve their own homes while helping low-income families. Donations of sellable building materials, home improvement items, appliances, furniture, etc. is always needed and appreciated. Volunteers, ages 16 years and up, are also needed to assist in all areas of house construction under trained supervision at the Hope Village subdivision Tuesday through Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Prior to volunteering, all interested individuals must attend a 45-minute volunteer orientation held every Thursday and the third Saturday of the month at 12:30 p.m.

SALVATION ARMY TURLOCK CORPS — Help kindergarten through eighth-grade youth excel at the Winners Circle after-school program. Volunteers, ages 16 years and older, are needed to provide tutoring, homework, and computer lab assistance to youth weekday afternoons between 3 and 6 p.m. Volunteers may also interact and supervise youth in the recreation program with sports, games, and arts and crafts activities. All volunteers complete a volunteer packet, interview, and adults must pass a background security clearance.

SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS — Friendly pets and their humans are needed to visit seniors in convalescent hospitals and care facilities through the SPCA Pet Outreach Program. Volunteers accompany their pets as they socialize with residents in facilities throughout the community. Pets need to be friendly and like to be handled. Visits are made the first and second Saturday mornings and the third Wednesday mornings of each month.