From my inbox, a message from :

Denise Stephens, Public Relations Specialist

Office: 425.869.2440; Cell: 206.605.6843

Email: denises@hope-link.org

Volunteers Needed to Help Hopelink Give Hope to Kirkland People in Need

Prospective volunteers comfortable communicating in English

are invited to attend orientation December 3, 2008.

Kirkland, Wash. – Hopelink relies upon volunteers to assist in fulfilling its mission of helping people in need to make lasting changes in their lives. Hopelink needs volunteer tutors with its many Adult Education programs as well as volunteers to help in its food banks and, around the holidays, in its gift rooms. The need is always more acute around the holidays, and considering the condition of our nation’s economy, Hopelink expects even more requests for assistance with food and holiday gifts this year. The gift rooms are stocked with new donated clothing, toys and other items that parents and grandparents can select as holiday gifts for the children (infant through high school age) in their lives.

Hopelink’s Kirkland center at 13013 NE 65^th Street needs volunteers to help with these gift room and food bank tasks:

· Receive and sort gift room donations between Dec. 8 and Dec. 23

· Re-stock shelves in the gift room (hours vary)

· Provide “personal shopper” assistance to clients selecting holiday gifts for their children or grandchildren (hours vary)

· Act as an interpreter for clients selecting holiday gifts (English/Russian and English/Spanish volunteer interpreters are particularly needed)

· Receive and sort food bank donations (hours vary)

· Drive to deliver food to home-bound clients

Additionally, Hopelink’s Adult Education department needs volunteers to:

· help adults learn basic reading, writing or math skills 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

Training for all volunteer positions is provided. Volunteers must be comfortable communicating in English; proficiency in a second language (Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Arabic) is particularly helpful.

Learn more about volunteering at one of two Hopelink volunteer orientation meetings on Wednesday, December 3, 2008. Orientations are presented in English. They will be held at Hopelink’s Adult Education Department office, 15015 Main Street, Suite 206 in Kelsey Creek Plaza (across from the main Hopelink center) in Bellevue, starting promptly at 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and repeated starting promptly at 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Hopelink’s volunteer coordinator, Sheila Sloan-Evans, at 425.869.6066 or volunteer@hope-link.org.

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Since 1971, Hopelink has helped homeless and low income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities make lasting change in their lives. Hopelink promotes self-sufficiency by helping people meet their needs for food, shelter, homelessness prevention, family development, transportation and adult literacy. Through Hopelink’s Adult Education classes and services, the agency provides a crucial element in self-sufficiency, helping adults improve their family’s safety, stability and security. For more information on Hopelink and its services, call 425.869.6000 or visit www.hope-link.org.