Last week we announced Camp Holiday Trails as the grand prize winner of our new service award and Undergraduate Babysitters and Blue Ridge ESL Council as runner ups. Every organization that applied for the award is involved in valuable activities, however, so we wanted to recognize each and every one of them. For groups that requested it, contact information is provided.
Abundant Life sponsors an annual Christmas banquet for needy children in the Charlottesville area. They also sponsor a variety of activities where children can earn credits to purchase Christmas gifts for their families.
Alpha Phi Omega is a co-ed service fraternity that participates in community service projects every Saturday, as well as a number of other projects during the week. Their activities vary from setting up the campsite at Camp Holiday Trails to tutoring children and playing bingo with hospital residents.
When most students are lollygagging on the beach, Alternative Spring Break offers opportunities for students to put their time to good use. They sponsor trips to locations within the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America, where participants engage in service activities such as working at homeless shelters, tutoring children and constructing homes.
Children, Youth & Family Services, Inc. sponsors a variety of activities to help children and parents in central Virginia. The group conducts classes and workshops to teach parenting skills, connects parents with child care providers and offers services for children that are homeless, as well as counseling for those who have been abused. Contact: cyfsinfo@cyfs.org or (434)296-4118.
Madison House is a student-run group that helps coordinate a vast array of service activities. Annually, they sponsor 2,800 undergraduate volunteers who provide more than 115,000 hours of service locally.
The Monroe Society is a student organization that is invaluable for recruiting students to attend the University. They arrange overnight visits so that prospective students can learn more about U.Va. and conduct residence hall tours for prospectives during Days on the Lawn. Contact: monroe@virginia.edu.
The Piedmont Family YMCA offers a host of programs to children and adults, providing financial assistance to those who cannot pay for these activities themselves. Their activities vary from youth basketball, to cheerleading, to CPR and first aid. Contact: Shelley Remaly at sremaly@piedmontymca.org or (434)974-9622.
Playing for Peace, a CIO, plans to help raise money for the non-profit parent organization of the same name through a basketball tournament to be held in April. The parent group coordinates basketball games between groups that historically have come into conflict -- such as blacks and whites in South Africa and Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland -- in order to form lasting connections that will help the groups overcome their troubled pasts. Contact: Brenna Clerkin at brennac@virginia.edu.
U.Va.'s Rotaract Club participates in service projects locally and internationally and is currently sponsoring a weekly "Rec Night" with the Salvation Army. They plan to assist with the Centennial Ball, the Beaux Ball and a variety of fundraisers.
Senior Center, Inc. offers services and programs to senior citizens in the Charlottesville area. These include recreational, educational and volunteer activities. Contact: those interested in their services should contact Wendy Greene at wendy@seniorcenterinc.org or (434)974-7756, and those interested in volunteering, Jane Belisle at jane@seniorcenterinc.org.
Unite for Sight is an organization that seeks to improve the eyesight of people in our area by administering free vision screenings, providing education about eye diseases and offering financial help so that needy people can get eye care. They also sponsor fundraisers to pay for cataract operations in Africa and conduct a donation drive for glasses that are then distributed around the world.
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