Get involved and volunteer in Paso Robles

Posted: 3:22 pm, May 29, 2015 by Reporter Heather Young

Get involved and make a difference

The North County is filled with organizations that are always looking for volunteers, some for special events or one-time gigs, and others for regular, ongoing positions. While this list does not include all the special events happening throughout the year, volunteers are often needed. Paso Robles Daily News wants to have as comprehensive list as possible, so if your organization is seeking volunteers, send us information and we’ll add it.

Paso Robles Pioneer Museum

The museum shows the history of Paso Robles at 2010 Riverside Ave. A variety of volunteers are needed. Call (805) 239-4556 to find what volunteer positions are available.

Paso Robles Library

There are volunteer opportunities for both adults and teens at the Paso Robles Library at 1000 Spring St. There are currently 120 volunteers who put in more than 16,000 hours each year. There are two volunteer programs for adults: Library Express, which is a six-week, two hours per week opportunity to assist staff in shelving materials, cleaning shelves and completing various tasks. The ongoing program is a one-year commitment with two- to four-hour shifts each week. This program gives a broader learning experience in many areas of the library from up front to behind the scenes.

For teens, those 13 to 18 may apply to work as a children’s summer reading program desk assistant. Activities include helping a the Children’s Desk during the summer reading program, distributing prizes, making crafts and helping with programs. For questions on applying, call (805) 237-3870.

Adult volunteer opportunities at the library:

Children’s library
Circulation desk
Reference/computer desk
Friends of the Library: Sell books, magazines and merchandise in the Gift Shop
Student center: Assist staff in the satellite facility after school
Mending: Repair books and audio-visual materials
Processing: Prepare new materials for patron use
Delivery: Process materials received through Black Gold delivery
Donations sorting: Assisting in sorting donations, assist with periodic book sales
Friends of the Library: Assist in sorting and storing donated materials
Shelving/shelf reading
Material requests
Special projects: A variety of tasks such as displays, collections maintenance, etc.

Parks and Recreation Department

The Paso Robles Parks and Recreation Department is always in need of volunteers to do things from clerical tasks to coaching to special events to advisory groups.

Advisory Groups: Advisory groups are an invaluable part of recreation services. The groups meet monthly and provide a means for the general public to express their interest, concerns, and requests. Terms of service vary and recruitment for commission members is held in April of each year. For more information on any of the advisory groups, call Lynda Holt at (805) 237-3987 or go to the Advisory Bodies’ website for available positions and to download an application.
Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meets the second Monday of the month at 4 p.m. in the Centennial Park Live Oak Room at 600 Nickerson Drive.
Paso Robles Youth Commission meets the first Wednesday of the month from September through June at 2:30 p.m. in the School District Conference Room, 800 Niblick Road.
REC Foundation — Recreation Enhances Community — meets the third Wednesday of the month at 8 a.m.in the Centennial Park Conference Room, 600 Nickerson Drive.
Senior Citizen Advisory Committee meets the second Monday of the month at 1:30 p.m. in the Senior Center, 270 Scott Street.
After-school programs: The YMCA has two after school programs as well as summer programs and camps. The organization is always looking for guest speakers and mentors. Call Shelly Dargatz at 239-3047 for more information.
Demonstration Garden: The city’s first demonstration garden at Centennial Park, 600 Nickerson Drive, was founded in 2009, with the goal to demonstrate a better use for lawn area and to practice water conservation. Volunteers are actively being sought. For more information, call (805) 235-5547 or email growtogethergarden@gmail.com.
Pools: Junior swim instructors work alongside water safety swim instructors during the summer to help with swim lessons. Volunteers must be able to commit to a two-week swim session. Free open and lap swim and a T-shirt is provided for all volunteer aides. Contact Lynda Holt at (805) 237-3987 for more information.
Senior Center: Volunteers serve in all areas of the Senior Center, including: leadership and advisory roles; receptionists; nutrition servers and drivers; teaching classes or leading activities; maintaining the library room; coordinating clubs; entering data into the computer and much, much more. Call the Senior Center at (805) 237-3880 for more information.
Youth sports: See the current Activity Guide for information regarding our various sports programs and who to contact to volunteer.

Community Volunteer Police Patrol

The volunteer police patrol serves the city of nearly 30,000 in many capacities as the “eyes and ears” for the police department. The board meets the first Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. in the police department’s conference room. The general meeting of the patrol meets the second Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. in the EOC room in the police department. For more information, call (805) 227-7533 or email prcvpp@gmail.com. Volunteers must be at least 21 years old, have a valid California driver’s license, successfully pass a Life Scan and attend one of the bi-annual orientation sessions. After attending the orientation, perspective members will be given an application.

Boys and Girls Club of North San Luis Obispo County

Volunteers are always sought to volunteer at the club, which has sites in Paso Robles and Atascadero. Executive Director Kate Morgans said that in addition to ongoing volunteer positions, people are always welcome to share a special skill or talent with the children. For questions about volunteering, call (805) 239-3659. Because the nature of the volunteering is with children, a background check is required before the volunteer is cleared to work in the club.

Volunteer opportunities at Boys and Girls Club:

Homework assistant: Help children compete their homework by answering questions, explaining concepts and checking for accuracy.
One-on-one tutor: Work individually with a student who could benefit from extra help to improve his or her academic skills.
Enrichment class or one-time presentation: Help members learns and explore a new subject area such as technology, art, science, health and fitness, music, creative writing, dance and cooking.
Recreation activity leader: Teach fundamental skills and rules and serve as a role model for good sportsmanship.
Games: Organize tournaments for club members in a variety of indoor interactive games.
Certified therapy dog or canine good citizen: Bring a dog to read with club members because students who read below grade level greatly benefit from reading to a dog.
Administrative assistance: Assist staff in completion of administrative duties such as scanning documents and database cleanup.
Event assistance: Help with planning, setup, running of and break-down of events.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters

The main way people can volunteer with this organization is by being a “Big.” Community volunteers spend a few hours each month enriching a child’s life by doing things such as going to lunch, visiting a museum, watching a movie and more. Volunteers must have their own reliable mode of transportation and a reliable voicemail. Background checks, fingerprinting, reference checks, interviews and a sheriff’s report are required before a person becomes a “Big.” For more information, call (805) 781-3226.

Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation

The nonprofit’s mission is to enrich the lives of area youth with free classes in the visual and performing arts in a safe, nurturing environment. The Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation is available to all students, regardless of financial limitations. The foundation has more than 300 students per quarter from the age of 5 to 18 participating in more than 40 classes each week. The organization seeks volunteers to serve the 1,200 students enrolled yearly. For more information on volunteering, call (805) 238-5825.

Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County

The Food Bank Coalition relies on volunteers to distribute food every day to those in need and therefore play a key role in ensuring that people in need have access to nutritious food. Several of the nonprofit’s food programs rely on the help from long-term volunteers to run their programs year round in attention to one-time volunteering opportunities. To learn more or to volunteer, contact Laura Reinacher at volunteer@slofoodbank.org or call (805) 835-6382.

Volunteer opportunities at the food bank:

Warehouse: Volunteers help daily to inspect, sort, and organize food that has been rescued from local grocery stores. Volunteers also pre-package the fresh produce and shelf stable food, like canned and dry goods, that are distributed at county-wide public food distributions.
All Ages Volunteer Day: On the second Saturday of each month, the Food Bank offers a recurring volunteer opportunity at our North County Warehouse from 10 a.m. to noon. Space is limited, so sign up in advance to volunteer.
Distribution sites: The Food Bank has 52 direct food distribution sites throughout the county for which volunteers are needed to staff.
Food Drives: The Food Bank coordinates two county-wide food drives every year. Volunteers are needed to solicit and collect non-perishable food items in front of local participating grocery stores during a two-hour shift on weekends — Saturday and Sundays only.
Special Events: The Food Bank has a variety of fundraiser events throughout the year. The two largest are Hunger Awareness Day and Hunger Walk. These campaigns have been successful year after year thanks to the help of community members who have donated their time.
CalFresh Program, formerly known as the Food Stamp program, is a federally funded supplemental nutrition assistance program that provides eligible low-income households with a means to purchase food. Volunteers are needed to help create awareness and promote the program.
Lovin’ Lunchbox provides nutritious meals and a snack during the summer to children and teenagers age 18 years and younger struggling with hunger. Volunteers are needed to help distribute meals and snacks at approved summer sites.
GleanSLO rescues produce that would otherwise go to waste from farms, orchards and backyards. Volunteers are needed to harvest local produce, which then gets distributed to neighbors struggling with hunger.
The Nutrition Education Program works to educate the community on how to prepare the food individuals receive from the Food Bank in healthy and low-cost ways. Volunteers are needed to help prepare and distribute recipe samples and educational material.
Court-ordered volunteers may complete hours at one of the Food Bank’s warehouse facilities after having gone through either ECOSLO or Pucciarelli Consulting.

Paso Robles Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry

The nonprofit seeks people who live in the Paso Robles area and who loves people and wants to help meet their special needs.

Volunteer opportunities at Loaves & Fishes:

Interviewer: Must commit to two weekday afternoons each month. The volunteer’s responsibility is to utilize interviewing skills to determine real needs or questions.
Pantry Worker: Must commit to one afternoon each week. The volunteer is responsible to make up food orders during center hours. When not busy preparing food orders, the volunteer may be asked to decode or repackage items, stock shelves or help straighten and organize the work area as needed.
Pantry stocker/food sorter/food transporter: Must commit to one morning two-hour shift each month. The volunteer is responsible for stocking shelves, repackaging food items and processing incoming food. The volunteer may also be involved in food pickups for markets or other places as requested.
Clerical positions on-site: Must commit to one morning per week — two to three hours. The volunteer is responsible to assist in the office with filing, projects and other duties as needed.

Salvation Army Paso Robles

Volunteers are needed for both the Paso Robles and Atascadero offices. The Paso Robles office is located at 711 Paso Robles St. and the Atascadero office is at 5411 El Camino Real inside the Atascadero Loaves & Fishes location. To volunteer, call the Paso Robles office at (805) 238-9591 or the Atascadero office at (805) 466-7201.

Volunteer opportunities at Salvation Army:

People to drive the emergency disaster vehicle in Paso Robles
Office help in Atascadero and Paso Robles
Take out kettles at Christmas for bell ringing campaign in North County
Ring the bells at Christmas in North County
Pick up food and deliver to low-income senior housing in Paso Robles
Sit on committee in Atascadero and Paso Robles

Boy Scouts of American, Los Padres Council

Volunteers are needed for many aspects of Boy Scouting, including starting a new troop in Paso Robles. No experience is needed for any volunteer position. For more information, call (805) 461-4018 or email jillian.shumate@scouting.org.

Volunteer opportunities with the Boy Scouts:

Finance chair: Keeping the funds
Membership chair: Get information out and recruit new scouts
Webmaster: Upkeep of the district web page
Program chair: Help run the many programs for the scouts
Fundraising chair: Help the district find its niche market and meet fundraising goals
Commissioners: Check on the health and well-being of the units that exist in the North County
Start a new scout troop in Paso Robles

San Luis Obispo YMCA

There are many ways to help out. To volunteer, contact our Volunteer Coordinator Jill Jones at jilljones@sloymca.org or at (805) 543-8235.

Volunteer opportunities at YMCA:

Wellness
Members services
Child care
Youth sports
Special events
Committees
Annual support campaign campaigner

North County Humane Society

The North County animal shelter has many opportunities for volunteer work and fun. No experience is necessary. There is also a junior program for volunteers who are 12 to 17 years of age.

Volunteer opportunities at the humane society: