Volunteer opportunities

from Golden Times, October 2022

Column: An unexpected trip

The WA-ID Volunteer Center, in the Lewiston Community Center at 1424 Main St., strives to provide individualized volunteer opportunities for those wishing to serve in Lewiston, Clarkston, Asotin, Pomeroy, Moscow and the Orofino area. Information and other volunteer openings can be found at waidvolunteercenter.org or by calling (208) 746-7787.

Volunteer needs include: • Tutors — America Reads needs tutors to help K-third grade students become proficient readers. Volunteers need to be able to commit to at least an hour a week for the school year. Background check required. • Companions — The Senior Companion program provides companionship and respite care to the elderly and disabled. It allows lowincome senior volunteers an opportunity to assist those who need minor help to continue living independently. Senior Companions visit clients in their homes, but it isn’t an in-home care program. • Food bank help — Volunteers are needed to re-pack frozen and dry foods for distribu- tion. Front counter volunteers and drivers for morning food pickups also are needed. • Meal sites — Volunteers are needed as regular and substitute meal delivery drivers. A valid driver’s license and auto insurance are required. • AARP tax preparer — AARP Tax Aide Program needs volunteers to help prepare free basic tax returns for seniors and low-income individuals. No experience necessary; comfort working with computers helpful. Training and materials are provided. • Project Warmup — Crafters are needed to make hats, scarves, mittens and lap blankets (yarn is provided) and to help tie quilts. Completed items are donated to local nonprofit agencies. • Project Warmup Lead— Organize and stock yarn, manage and inventory completed cold-weather items, and help staff to prepare and complete fall disbursement event. • Local Hospital Auxiliary — Greet people, deliver flowers, courtesy cart, deliver mail, gift shop assistant, create baby and child items, clerical, provide hospital tours and more. • Lewiston Police Department — Individuals with the ability to interact positively and keep information confidential are needed to fingerprint citizens. Training is provided. Some basic computer skills are required, and volunteers must pass a background check. • Lewiston City Library — Volunteers needs include circulation support, tech tutors and programming support. • Mobile blood drive canteen — Volunteers serve refreshments to donors immediately following donations, help maintain a comfortable atmosphere, talk with donors and answer questions while observing the donors for possible adverse reactions. • Disaster services — As the first responders of the American Red Cross, the Disaster Action Team volunteers provide comfort and direct assistance to those affected by disaster as they begin the recovery process. • Museum docents — Skills include meet-andgreet abilities, friendly personality and the ability to answer questions about the displays at the center. Training is provided. • Household repairs (minor) — Tasks range from changing light bulbs and checking fire alarms to repairing steps and installing grab bars to prevent falls. • Transportation— Drive seniors or disabled community members to and from destinations across the Lewiston- Clarkston Valley. A valid driver’s license and auto insurance are required.

Interlink Inc. is a nonprofit organization in Clarkston that matches community volunteers to people needing assistance to remain independent in their own homes. For information about becoming a volunteer, call (509) 751-9143. Volunteer applications and additional information also can be found online at interlinkvolunteers.org.

Current volunteer needs include: • Drivers to take people to appointments; mileage is reimbursed. • People who can do small home safety repairs for seniors. • Help with cabinetry and hanging large pictures and white boards in the Interlink Office. • People to work on the Christmas Concert and other fundraising events. • People interested in serving on the Interlink Board of Directors, especially from Asotin County.

L-C Valley Habitat for Humanity welcomes volunteers of varying interests to help the organization work toward the Habitat vision of “a world where everyone has a decent place to live.” Habitat seeks to provide a hand up to low-income individuals and families in Nez Perce and Asotin counties. If you are interested in being involved, we can find a spot for you. Days and hours are flexible around volunteers’ availability. More information is available by calling the community relations manager at (509) 7587396 or signing up at l-cvalley habitat.volunteer hub.com.

Needs include: • Administrative office receptionist — Answer phones and do light office work. • Social media specialist — Create and schedule posts for L-C Valley Habitat’s various social media pages through an easyto-use platform. • Photographer, videographer and/or photo/video editor — Capture and prepare images for publication in print and online. Limited time commitment required. • Event help — Habitat will be gearing up for its annual pumpkin patch soon. People are needed on the planning committee. • Development Committee — Habitat is in the process of creating a development and fundraising committee. Help is needed from those good at soliciting donations from businesses, groups and individuals or planning fundraising events.

• Habitat ReStore — An online store assistant is needed to help facilitate the creation of an online store, including selecting items, taking photos, writing descriptions and generating posts. • Carpentry and woodworking — Furniture repair and basic projects around the store. If you are good at tinkering and fixing things, we would love to have your help for a few hours a week. • General store help — The ReStore needs people interested in providing

Need a hand general customer assistance, stocking shelves with

Lend a hand donations or doing light cleaning. Valley Meals on Wheels provides VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES is a free public service published monthly daily homedelivered meals to seniors, homebound and special in the Golden needs clients in

Times. Its goal the Lewistonis to connect Clarkston Valley. area volunteers with folks in our communities who need their If you or someone you know would benefit services. from in-home meal service, contact the office between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. at (208) 799-5767 or by email at valleymeals@aol.com. Golden Times publishes Volunteer Opportunities in the LewistonClarkston Valley monthly as a free public service. Area agencies may send information to goldentimes@ lmtribune.com or Golden Times, P.O. Box 957, Lewiston, ID 83501. All submissions are edited for brevity and clarity, and will run as space allows. Questions may be directed to editor Julie Breslin at jbreslin@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-6635. Deadline for the October edition is 5 p.m. Sept. 15.

> Continued from PAGE 9 unusual discharge, and burning, discomfort or sores.

Some STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhea (the first and second most common STIs in the region, respectively) can have similar symptoms to that of a UTI, such as a burning sensation while urinating — so it’s important to disclose changes in sexual activity to physicians. “In the office, if we’re not aware that this older adult is in new relationships, we may not try to ask about those sexual activity questions,” Wiser said. “But it may not be on our radar as much.”

The spread of STIs has negative downstream effects for any community, no matter the age group, Wiser said.

Limiting sexual partners, using barriers including condoms and regular testing are all effective in reducing the spread of STIs. Anyone engaging with a new sexual partner should talk to that person about STIs, new partners and whether they’ve been tested, Wiser said. “I think a lot of people underestimate the sort of mood benefits and relationship benefits of having a healthy sexual part of a relationship,” Wiser said. “I would emphasize that working on that sexual health means being able to talk about what makes that relationship healthy. And that means being able to talk about the good stuff, and also being able to talk about the risks in an open way, which is something we can do a lot better now than we could 20 or 30 years ago when sex education was not quite what it is now.”

Jerry Bartlow 208-743-9464

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617268J_22 Sun may be contacted at rsun@ lmtribune.com or on Twitter at @Rachel_M_Sun. This report is made possible by the Lewis-Clark Valley Healthcare Foundation in partnership with Northwest Public Broadcasting, the Lewiston Tribune and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

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