Volunteer Opportunities
November 14, 2006, Volume 53, No. 12	Print Issue

Dear Penn Community,

In our continued efforts to be good neighbors, Penn Volunteers In Public Service (Penn VIPS) offers a list of volunteer opportunities. These community service opportunities are developed from the many requests we get from the surrounding community to be partners.

If your department is replacing used equipment, materials or furniture that are still viable, please consider donating it to our surrounding community. Send me an e-mail at sammapp@pobox.upenn.edu and I will share the information with our community partners.

–Isabel Mapp, Associate Director, Faculty, Staff & Alumni Volunteer Services,
Director, Penn Volunteers in Public Service, Center for Community Partnerships

Thanksgiving Food Drive: Now Through November 20. You too can make a contribution to help out during the Thanksgiving holidays. Please join us in the Annual Penn Volunteers In Public Service Food Drive. Your canned and dry goods donations will be donated to area shelters and community service agencies to help families during the Thanksgiving season.

Please see the list below for a convenient location to drop off your donations.

Do Something Good: Become a Mentor. Join Penn VIPS WorkPlace Mentoring Program and mentor a 6th grade student from Shaw Middle School. The program will operate from January to May and only requires a commitment of a few hours once a month.  All meetings are held on campus. Training and orientation will be provided.

People’s Emergency Shelter needs you to volunteer. Volunteer to organize a drive; help out at community events; be a literacy tutor; help kids with their homework. The shelter is located within walking distance of the University, near 39th & Spring Garden Streets. 

Annual Penn VIPS Winter Coat Drive: Now through December 12. Does your gently used winter coat still have some serviceable miles on it? Warm coats in good condition continue to be needed by a number of charitable organizations in the Philadelphia area. The Department of Linguistics is working with the Penn VIPS, Center for Community Partnerships office, in organizing our 6th Annual Winter Coat Drive. If you have a gently used coat (or coats) to donate to our drive, they can be brought to one of the three locations listed below. We do not have the facilities or funds to clean donated items. Freshly laundered or dry cleaned items only. Last year we collected more than 100 coats! Thank you for your continued support.