The Table is back! On Saturday, September 11, from 4 to 8 PM,a downtown Olympia street will once again host a giant picnic table for hundreds of your closest family, friends, and neighbors.

Last year, over 500 people attended the first Table. This year, Fifth Avenue between Washington Street and Franklin Street will be closed to traffic and open for a potluck served family-style.

The biggest one-day volunteer event in Thurston County is coming up again soon. Sign up your team today!

Day of Caring is an annual event, held this year on September 24, where hundreds of volunteers from throughout Thurston County join local nonprofit and other community organizations to work on service projects. Participating organizations are matched with volunteers who give their time, talents and services to make a hands-on difference in our community.

On their next furlough day, many state workers won’t just be taking a day off. They’ll be giving a Day of Service.

The Thurston County Steering Committee of the Combined Fund Drive, teaming with the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties, is organizing a Day of Service cleanup event in downtown Olympia on August 6. They will be removing trash, digging weeds, and more to make downtown sparkle in the summer sun. All state employees – and all other interested volunteers – are invited to participate.

The idea first came from Valerie Pollet of the Medicaid Purchasing Administration at the Department of Social & Health Services. She said, “If this is affecting me and my coworkers in the pocketbook, and affecting the clients we serve, I wanted to do something to give back to the community. One thing led to another and this is the result.”

“The state employees involved are demonstrating that their commitment to public service remains strong even during difficult budget times,” said Sara Ballard, Executive Director of the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties. “The idea came from state employees, and the Volunteer Center is proud to help bring this project to life.”

Volunteers for the downtown cleanup should meet at the Heritage Park fountain, on 4th Avenue and Sylvester Street, at 9 AM. Participants are asked to bring their own gloves and plastic trash bags, and basic cleaning tools such as brooms if they can. For more information or to RSVP, call the Volunteer Center at 741-2622 or visit their website at www.volunteer.ws.

After the event, everyone is invited to come socialize and celebrate. From 2-5 PM, the Fish Bowl Brew Pub is offering half price pints of beer for participants.

On their next furlough day, many state workers won’t just be taking a day off. They’ll be giving a Day of Service.

The Thurston County Steering Committee of the Combined Fund Drive, teaming with the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties, is organizing a Day of Service cleanup event in downtown Olympia on August 6. They will be removing trash, digging weeds, and more to make downtown sparkle in the summer sun. All state employees – and all other interested volunteers – are invited to participate.

The idea first came from Valerie Pollet of the Medicaid Purchasing Administration at the Department of Social & Health Services. She said, “If this is affecting me and my coworkers in the pocketbook, and affecting the clients we serve, I wanted to do something to give back to the community. One thing led to another and this is the result.”

“The state employees involved are demonstrating that their commitment to public service remains strong even during difficult budget times,” said Sara Ballard, Executive Director of the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties. “The idea came from state employees, and the Volunteer Center is proud to help bring this project to life.”

Volunteers for the downtown cleanup should meet at the Heritage Park fountain, on 4th Avenue and Sylvester Street, at 9 AM. Participants are asked to bring their own gloves and plastic trash bags, and basic cleaning tools such as brooms if they can. For more information or to RSVP, call the Volunteer Center at 741-2622 or visit their website at www.volunteer.ws.

After the event, everyone is invited to come socialize and celebrate. From 2-5 PM, the Fish Bowl Brew Pub is offering half price pints of beer for participants.

The Volunteer Center is celebrating our new expansion office in downtown Olympia on Saturday, April 24th by participating in one of the town's biggest local traditions - the Procession of the Species and the Spring Arts Walk!

Drop by our new location at 317 4th Ave. E., Olympia, WA 98501 on Saturday, April 24th, from noon to 7 p.m. and check out our new office which will be on the Arts Walk map, and see art created by Komachin Middle School students!

Lunch will also be served for guests from noon to 2 p.m. or you can stop by from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for appetizers and beverages. Explore new ways to serve! Visit us at http://volunteer.ws/ or call (360) 741-2622 to find ways to change the place where you live!

Are you retired and looking for another way to utilize your skills? Are you in between careers and searching for a different direction to take? Regardless of what stage you're at in life, if you want an opportunity to retool skills, obtain training, or explore new options, join us for "Passion," the second class in the Next Chapter series. Take a step back and learn more about yourself and envision your ideal next chapter.

The class focuses on how to:

 - Understand a framework for discovering your passions.

 - Break out of the bounds of reality and really dream big.

 - Receive feedback from others about your greatest strengths and share the clues you discover about     them.

Each individual session is $35. Payment may be processed online by clicking here or by calling the Volunteer Center at 360.455.0220. Register for the workshop by clicking here. For more information contact linda@volunteer.ws. Scholarships are also available.

Next Chapter is a program of the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties in collaboration with Centerpoint Institute and NonProfit Solutions NW.

The Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, can make life a little easier for workers struggling to make ends meet in today’s tight economy—up to $5,600, or more, easier. Yet, IRS estimates one in four eligible taxpayers could miss out on this valuable tax credit because they don’t check it out.

Many people will qualify for EITC for the first time this year because their income declined, their marital status changed or they added children to their families, according to Sara Ballard, Executive Director of the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties. “Families with three or more children also get an extra boost with a larger credit this year,” Ballard said.

She encourages anyone who earned $44,000 or less from wages, self-employment or farming in 2009 to see if they qualify. Eligible taxpayers can get their EITC only if they file federal income tax returns – even if they are not otherwise required to file – and specifically claim the credit.

Super Refund Saturday is going on this weekend, February 6th, at the SPSCC Hawks Prairie campus from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help kick start the tax season. Spanish translators, check cashing vouchers, food, and more will be available to help make filing tax returns less daunting.

Participants in the three hour course will be given an overview of board roles and responsibilities, financial policies, legal considerations, developing strategic plans and effective leadership skills. At the conclusion of the course, successful training participants will be given a list of board positions available at local nonprofit organizations and register on our online matching database. Cost: $20/person. Scholarships available. Discounts available when registering multiple people from the same agency. At the Olympia Center at 222 Columbia St. NW in Olympia.

Date: Saturday, January 30, 2010

Location: The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia Street

Economic Survival Fair: 10AM to 2PM

Help with taxes from 9AM to 3PM

original size photo: Volunteer Center Economic Survival Fair

More info at the Volunteer Center

OLYMPIA – Friday, January 15th more than 700 students from Komachin Middle School will participate in one of the many service-learning projects arranged for the second year by the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

“The Volunteer Center brought Rachel's Challenge to our school in December as a kickoff for this season of service which has already had a positive impact on the climate in our building. Students and parents have communicated that they are very happy we are choosing to make this an annual experience,” said Komachin Middle School Principal Joyce Ott.

A wide variety of volunteer opportunities will be offered as part of the national day of service, which commemorates Dr. King and his commitment to make a difference in society. Between the hours of 11a.m. and 2 p.m., students will be participating in one of a variety of service-learning projects sponsored by the Volunteer Center including sorting books, gardening, financial literacy training, and habitat restoration.

“We see service-learning as an integration of various skills that students may learn at school, crossed with the affective component that also builds character. Students are able to internalize the meaning, passion, and emotion of the impact that service has on the community by actually doing it,” said Ott.

New this year is the involvement of community volunteer leaders. Sara Ballard, Executive Director explained, “These opportunities aren’t always accessible to students and if we can teach a group of people how to design and execute service-learning projects that focus on relevant issues to these kids and their neighborhood, the more students will be able to have the experience.”

A few of the organizations that are involved with providing or hosting opportunities include the following: