Hopelink, the largest social services agency serving people in need in north and east King County, is constantly looking for volunteers to give hope to clients in the Northshore area. Hopelink’s Northshore center, at 18220 96th Avenue NE in Bothell, needs volunteers to:

• Pick up donated groceries at area grocery stores on a weekday morning before 10:00 a.m. and deliver it to the center (this is a critical need)
  
• Drive to deliver food from the center to homebound clients once a week
• Check in clients at the food bank (at the center). Help is needed on various Monday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
• Weed and garden around the Northshore center on a regular basis. This is a task that can be done by one or more individuals or as an activity for a service organization, church, school or other group.

Hopelink’s Eastside Literacy department needs volunteers to:

• Help adults learn to read or earn a General Education Development (GED) diploma
• Assist non-native English speakers to improve their English skills
• Teach healthy living on a budget, money management and computer skills including job searching online and resume-writing
• Oversee the children of parents who are enrolled in various Hopelink classes
• Teach computer skills to children and their parents

Additionally, Hopelink’s transitional housing complex in Bothell needs volunteers to:

• Play with children one evening a month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. while their parents are attending meetings. Activities will be planned.
• Lead discussion groups one evening each month for parents living at the facility. Discussion topics include: attending school, budgeting, employment, domestic violence, immigration.

Training for all volunteer positions is provided. Bi-lingual volunteers (English/Spanish, English/Russian, English/Arabic or English/Mandarin) are particularly helpful. Learn more about volunteering at a Hopelink volunteer orientation meeting on Tuesday, May 20, 2008. The orientation is presented in English. It will be held at Hopelink’s Northshore center, 18220 96th Ave NE in Bothell, starting promptly at 10 a.m. to noon.

Eastside Literacy, a program of Hopelink, offers free literacy instruction to adults throughout north and east King County. For more information or directions, call the Adult Education Department at (425) 643-1912 or toll free at 1-800-870-1912.