We Volunteer!
Even (and especially) during the pandemic, our members are finding ways to volunteer safely in the community. Some organizations are restricting the ways they use volunteers over 60, but many have found ways to use their help and to keep them safe. Here are a few suggestions from our members. Please let us know if you know of others. Check for updates and add more ideas for volunteering on our facebook page.
For details on any of these volunteer activities e-mail us: hello@whatsnextbaltimore.org
Gardening in Patterson Park on Thursday mornings at 8:00 AM (Jeanne Crockett, Susan Sterrete, Sharon Moore, Carol Hartke, Sue Colley, Nancy Supik, Nancy Newman, Leora Hermann, Kathy Orr, Megin Diamond, Lori Spencer).
On-line tutoring with children enrolled in virtual classrooms at our local schools. More info coming soon.
Commodore John Rogers – Library/Reading Program/Supply Room www.thecjrschool.org (Beth Braun)
Wolfe St. Academy – Library, tutoring https://www.wolfestreetacademy.org/ (Mollie Fein)
Patterson Park Public Charter School- fundraising, classroom volunteers, events www.pppcs.org/
Hampstead Hill Academy
Food and supply deliveries (Cinder Hypki).
CASA de Maryland – activism https://wearecasa.org
Meals on Wheels- deliveries https://www.mealsonwheelsmd.org/Volunteer
Friends of Patterson Park Clean Ups at Boat Lake and Throughout Park (Carol Hartke, Ann Wolfe, Bob Dewey) For a schedule of all park volunteer activities contact Lesley Gardiner (lesley@pattersonpark.org)
Raising funds for the Wolfe Street Academy art program. Volunteers on the Upper Fells Point Education Committee (including Mollie Fein) have organized a fund raising campaign to purchase much needed art supplies for students working from home.
Sidewalk Garden Spruce Up at Creative Alliance. Kim Battista has been volunteering over at the Creative Alliance to care for the sidewalk gardens. I’m sure she could use some help!
Street Art. Martha Simons has been helping keep the spirits up in the neighborhood by crocheting lamp post creatures along Chester Street and throughout the neighborhood. (Michelle DeHaven has also added some fiber art on Patterson Park Ave). Martha also organizes “chalk night” every Wednesday for local families.
Our neighborhood is full of opportunities for volunteering. Here are few ideas collected by Sue Colley at our spring event.
Good to talk with you at our last gathering. We certainly do a lot of volunteering! I was amazed! I have compiled the list of the places that were mentioned and I hope I didn’t leave anything out. I wasn’t able to meet with each person so I know this list is not exhaustive. The purpose of the list is to provide inspiration and/or ideas about what else is out there to do. It can also help if you would like to put your foot in the door and want to see a familiar face. If you see something that looks interesting or you would like to know more, know that we can hook you up. Sue Colley, Volunteer Committee
Below is a list of places our members volunteer and the tasks they help with.
Friends of Canton Library – programming and fundraising https://www.cantonpl.org/friends
Friends of Patterson Park – weeding/gardening/Boat Lake clean up/Tree pruning/docent at The Pagoda https://pattersonpark.com/
Wolfe St. Academy – Library, tutoring https://www.wolfestreetacademy.org/
Commodore John Rogers – Library/Reading Program/Supply Room www.thecjrschool.org
Creative Alliance – Lantern Parade, fundraising, board member www.creativealliance.org
United Workers/Baltimore Housing Roundtable – advocacy and activism for fair development www.unitedworkers.org
Butchers Hill Association – house tour/garden tour/flea market/rain gardens/committees/chalk night
https://www.butchershill.org
Hopewell Cancer Support Center www.hopewellcancersupport.org
CASA de Maryland – activism https://wearecasa.org
Gather Baltimore – food sorter https://www.facebook.com/GatherBaltimore/
Audubon Society – fundraising, programming help with kids, garden maintenance patterson.audubon.org
Baltimore Green Space- fundraising, workshops, garden maintenance baltimoregreenspace.org
Our Daily Bread Homeless Shelter/ Catholic Charities Homeless Shelter
https://www.catholiccharities-md.org
Voter Registration https://www.dmv.org/md-maryland/voter-registration.php
Meals on Wheels- deliveries https://www.mealsonwheelsmd.org/Volunteer
Patterson Park Public Charter School- fundraising, classroom volunteers, events www.pppcs.org/
Highlandtown Train Garden - setting up trains, building props, marketing, greeting visitors http://highlandtowntraingarden.blogspot.com/