Many opportunities for area residents to volunteer

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BROOKINGS – Sarah Lippert, Brookings volunteer connections coordinator for the Helpline Center, recently announced the following opportunities for area residents to become more involved in the community through volunteering.

Helpline Center, Step Forward to Prevent Suicide volunteer

The Helpline Center is in the process of recruiting volunteers to help with the Annual Step Forward to Prevent Suicide Walk/5K on Saturday, April 27, at the SDSU Student Union. All funds raised at this event stay 100 percent local, helping to prevent suicide and to support those who have lost loved ones.

 Volunteer opportunities are available from 7:30-11 a.m.

The event volunteer shifts include:

• Before the walk volunteer: 7:30-9 a.m.

• During the walk volunteer: 8:30-9:45 a.m.

• After the walk volunteer: 9:30-11 a.m.

For information on these volunteer opportunities and hundreds of others in the community, dial 211 or visit www.helplinecenter.org.

Feeding Brookings, distribution volunteer

Feeding Brookings helps provide food to those in need. Every Thursday from 3:45-5 p.m., the organization distributes the food received from organizations such as TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), Feeding South Dakota, Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart, local churches and community donations. 

Volunteers would help pull wagons alongside guests and carry out food to their cars so that their only concern while they are there is choosing which foods they’d like for the week. Having volunteers help with this ensures that it goes smoothly doing distribution as we tend to receive over 110 families per week. It also allows the community to see what Feeding Brookings is all about so that they can continue to spread the word so that we may help all of those in need, and they can continue to help us as they wish.

Brookings Health System, gift shop volunteer

The Brookings Health System is seeking volunteers to assist with the daily operations of the gift shop. Activities will vary depending on ability. These activities include unpacking merchandise, entering merchandise into the computer system, pricing and displaying merchandise, assisting customers, ringing sales, and light housekeeping of the gift shop.

Shifts will be Monday-Friday: 8:45 a.m-noon, noon -3 p.m. and 3-5:30 p.m.; and Saturday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Brookings Backpack Project, handing out bags at packing site

Every Thursday, starting June 13, the Brookings Backpack project needs three volunteers (one for each shift) to help pass out summer bags until school starts. Shift times will be 12-2 p.m., 2-4 p.m., 4-6 p.m.

For information on these volunteer opportunities and hundreds of others in the community, dial 211 or visit www.helplinecenter.org.