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Listserv: Williams-Habitat@wso.williams.edu

Habitat volunteers help build and rehabilitate houses to be sold at no profit to low-income families who otherwise would not be able to afford a home. Project: The Williams College and Northern Berkshire chapters of Habitat need student volunteers from 9:00-12:00 every Saturday to construct their new house on Hall Street in Williamstown.

==[[Louison House]]==

Louison House is a homeless shelter in Adams. Volunteer responsibilities range from helping a person write a resume to playing with kids and organizing food drives. A volunteer is also needed to help with case work and basic office assistance in North Adams.

==[[Williamstown Food Pantry]]==

Located just at the edge of campus at St.Patrick's Church, the food pantry is crucial to the Williamstown area, regularly distributing meals to 14-20 families regardless of their religious affiliation. Students are needed on Wednesdays from 1:00-3:00 to help stock shelves at at major distribution times (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter) to distribute food.

==[[Thursday Night Grassroots]]==

Contact: Zoe Fonseca (08zaf), Morgan Goodwin (08mjg), Julia Sendor (08jbs), Whitney Leonard (08wal)

==[[Hoosic River Watershed Association]]==

==[[Berkshire Humane Society]]==

Listserv: berkshirehumanesociety@wso.williams.edu

The Humane Society provides a safe place for abandoned animals and various services for pet owners. Volunteers can help weekly with pet training, walking, kennel monitoring, cleaning, and other tasks, as well as with the fundraising Humane Race.

Outdoor Outreach is run by the Williams Outing Club and the Williamstown youth Center to provide trust-building, fun, educational outdoor activities to children in the surrounding areas. These outdoor education and adventure classes will include hiking, canoeing, an overnight trip, rock climbing, and WOC's challenge low ropes course~! Classes run during the first and fourth quarters. Time commitment is 4 hours on each of four Saturday afternoons plus one overnight.

=PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS=

==[[Best Buddies]]==

This program builds friendships between college students and people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. Volunteers build close and lasting relationships with their buddies by going to the movies, sports events, concerts, museums and their social activities. Buddies talk on the phone once a week and meet twice a month for about 2 hours each time. No car is needed.

==[[Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic]]==

This is a national organization that produces tape recordings of written texts for the blind community and those with dyslexia. The Williamstown branch is always in need of volunteer to read texts aloud and to monitor machinery. The weekly commitment is typically two hours and the schedule is very acommodating.

=YOUTH SERVICES=

==[[ABC House Tutoring]]==

The national [http://www.abetterchance.org A Better Chance] (ABC) program, provides increased educational opportunites for high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The program has established a residence on Hoxsey Street in Williamstown so eight of these students can attend Mt. Greylock High School. Volunteers tutor the ABC House students in a wide range of subjects and as often as needed. The time commitment is about two hours, one night a week, and the house is a short walking distance from campus.

==[[America Reads/America Counts]]==

These national programs are both federal work study and volunteer opportunities. Volunteers can work either in the classroom as teacher's assistants or after school in one-on-one tutoring and mentoring programs. Williams volunteers work at Williamstown Elementary, Hancock Elementary (just south of Williamstown), Pownal Elementary (just north), and North Adams public schools. The time commitment ranges from one to several hours per week.

==[[Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth]]==

Berkshire Farm is a group home and school for about 250 boys aged 12-17 all from New York State. They are placed in the home for a variety of reasons including family difficulties, school troubles, drugs, and gang involvement. Williams students tutor the boys in reading, writing, math, Spanish, and for SAT prep courses.

==[[Big Brothers/Big Sisters]]==

Williams students are paired wiht a student from a local elementary school. Volunteers become close and highly respected friends to these children who need a reliable and caring role model. A Big can help a child discover a world of possibilities and opportunites simply by being a genuine friend. Volunteers do not need a car to participate, but must commit to one meeting a week with their little sibling.

==[[Days at College]]==

Work with children in grades 6-10 from NYC and Vermont to raise thier awareness of the possibility of college, the wide range of college options, and the necessary skills for succeeding in high school and college. School groups visit Williams for a simulated day at college.

==[[Hughes Science Foundation Tutoring]]==

Run through the Biology department but open to students of any discipline, this program allows Williams students to work with local elementary school teachers to create lesson plans and teach classes in the sciences and computer technologies. Time commitment for these paid positions begins at two hours per week. Teaching session occur during the school day and transportation is provided.

==[[Mt. Greylock High School]]==

Students can volunteer each week during the school day at their convenience to work one-on-one with high school students with various learning disabilities. A van leaves from Chapin at 2:30 and returns by 4:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

==[[P.A.W. Pals at Pownal Elementary School]]==

PAW Pals is a big brother/big sister program in Pownal, VT. Williams students spend one hour a week (or more) one-on-one with elementary school students, either at lunch or after school. Volunteers provide a dependable support and mentor for the children, and together they do fun stuff like playing basketball and board games or doing art projects.

==[[Pownal Elementary After-School Program]]==

This program is a great opportunity to begin teaching elementary school students. Volunteers design and teach their own class to a group of K-3 or 4-6 grade students. The program begins in January, when volunteers can teach one or two days a week. Past courses have included cooking, Native American culture, Around the World, the Homework Club, and Structure.

==[[Pen Pals]]==

Write monthly letters to students from Brayton Elementary in North Adams and be a lasting impact in their lives.

Contact: William Bruce (08wbb)

Founded by Williams students almost 100 years ago, the WYC now relies largely on Williams volunteers as sports coaches, tutors, summer camp leaders, and art, dance, yoga and acting teachers for boys and girls aged 4-16

=OTHER=

==[[Hurricane Relief Coalition]]==

[http://www.williams.edu/resources/commservice/hurricane.htm Web site]

==[[Images Cinema]]==

==Earthquake Relief Fellowship==

==Angel Project==

Contact: [mailto:MaryEager@USE.SALVATIONARMY.ORG Captain Mary Eager], North Adams Salvation Army, (413) 663-7987

Collecting toys for area children for the holidays - get houses, teams, departments, offices, etc. to 'sponsor' a child. Contact Mary in October or so and get in touch with [mailto:Barbara.A.Agostini@williams.edu Barb Agostini] in the Campus Life Office [(413) 597-2546] - she will be very helpful with the collection of the gifts. Generally around $40-$60 should be spent per child, so groups can use this to decide how many children they want to take. Try to put out an initial ad blitz to the Williams community (including faculty and staff) before Thanksgiving to get it on everyone's radar. Most people will sign up the week after Thanksgiving, giving them about two or so weeks, as gifts are usually due on the Friday of finals (it's best to set a soft deadline of Thursday, since almost everyone will get the presents in late).