Lend A Hand (10/7/12)

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

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SPECIAL EVENTS

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, 5K Fund-raising Walk, Celebration of Survivorship

DATE: Oct. 14

NEEDED: Volunteers 18 and older are needed to help with setup Oct. 13, and setup and cleanup Oct. 14. Individuals of all ages are encouraged to walk in this first local event and to raise donations from family, friends and co-workers. Check-in is at 8 a.m. followed by an opening ceremony, with the walk beginning at 9 a.m. starting at the Gallo Center for the Arts and traveling through downtown Modesto. Visit www.makingstrideswalk.org/modesto.

STANISLAUS COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE: Presidential general election

DATE: Nov. 6

NEEDED: Volunteers 18 and older who are registered California voters are encouraged to serve as election officers at the polls. Election officers set up the voter precinct, maintain ballot security, voting equipment and assist voters as necessary. Bilingual and on-call election officers also are needed. Election officers receive a $95 stipend for their time and commitment, which runs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Election Day and includes a mandatory two-to-three-hour training class. Training classes in Modesto, Oakdale and Turlock are offered between Oct. 9 and Oct. 20. For more information, go to www.stanvote.com.

ONGOING VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

READINGWORKS — Tele-Tutor

NEEDED: Volunteers 18 years and older to tutor students from around California who need a tutor and do not have any available in their area. Tele-Tutoring is a form of face-to-face tutoring that uses the Internet, similar to Skype. The equipment is located in the ReadingWorks office inside the Modesto Library. Volunteers are needed Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be matched with a student who has a compatible schedule. A minimum commitment is required.

AARP — Tax Aide Program

NEEDED: Volunteers 18 and older are needed to prepare federal and state income tax returns for seniors, ages 50 and older in Modesto, Newman, Patterson and Turlock. Volunteers are especially needed on the West Side of Stanislaus County. Volunteers should be comfortable working with numbers and have some computer experience and familiarity with simple tax returns. All volunteers receive a free 40-hour comprehensive training to be held in early January and are asked to volunteer at least four hours per week from Feb. 1 to April 15. The AARP Tax-Aide program is the nation's largest free, volunteer-run tax counseling and preparation service. It helped more than 3 million people nationwide file their tax returns last year.

UNITED WAY OF STANISLAUS COUNTY — VITA Program

NEEDED: Volunteers 18 and older to assist individuals with tax returns and help clients claim their Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit money. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is an expanding program that helps low-income residents obtain free tax preparation services. Volunteer positions include preparer, greeter, screener and child care assist. Flexible schedules are available at sites throughout Stanislaus County with opportunities available through April 2013. Some of these positions need to participate in a training program sanctioned by the IRS. The training program will be held in December and January.

UNITED WAY OF STANISLAUS COUNTY

NEEDED: Volunteers 18 and older to help administer a community health assessment face-to-face survey. The community health assessment is administered every 5 years in order to collect data about the health needs of Stanislaus County residents. Government and nonprofit agencies across the country use the data collected from this survey to determine the needs of the community and to develop programs that will address those needs. Surveys will be administered mid-October through Nov. 31. Volunteers will be responsible for collecting face-to-face surveys in one or more of the following ways: at public events or festivals, door to door outreach, in front of businesses such as grocery stores (with permission). Volunteers will be asked to collect surveys from specific regions of Stanislaus County and will be matched to a region of their choice. Requirements include having reliable transportation, being physically able to walk or maneuver wheelchair around for at least 1 hour, and sign and adhere to a code of conduct, HIPPA self-study and safety self-study forms. Training will be held Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon.