Volunteer Bloomington: Help control pear trees, volunteer at parks or Boys and Girls Clubs
The city of Bloomington Volunteer Network is your source for information about volunteering locally. For a complete listing, visit BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org or call 812-349-3433. The inclusion of an organization in this list does not imply city endorsement or support of the organization’s activities or policies.
Information and registration information for the following opportunities can be found online at BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org.
Target Callery pears at Karst Farm Park May 21
Each year MC-IRIS chooses one invasive plant species on which to focus education and control efforts. Asian bush honeysuckle was targeted in 2019 and purple wintercreeper in 2020. For 2022 they have chosen Callery pear trees. Join them to help reduce the amount of this invasive tree in Monroe County. Two groups of 20 volunteers are needed to tackle this task 1-4 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at Karst Farm Park. People and groups can sign up to stop the spread of invasive seeds and to protect the Karst Farm Park Nature Trail and Duckworth Pond area. Bring your own water bottle, snacks and bug repellent. Wear closed-toe shoes and long pants. Tools and gloves provided. Rain date 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 5. All ages welcome. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/CalleryPearTreeWrangle. Read more about this project at http://mc-iris.org/reduce-one-invasive-species-challenge.html. Contact Ellen Jacquart at mciris2010@gmail.com.
Event volunteering with Parks and Recreation
Bloomington Parks and Recreation has a season filled with fun events this summer. Volunteers are invited to take their pick of opportunities ranging from the kid-centered fun of Touch-a-Truck on June 8 to two celebrations at Switchyard Park: Get Outdoors Days on June 11 and the Summer Solstice Celebration on June 25. Volunteering for event support is a great way to get outside to explore and get to know the community. Register online at https://tinyurl.com/SummerParksVolunteering. Contact Emily Buuck at parksvol@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3739.
Boys & Girls Club summer volunteers
Activities at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington and Ellettsville don’t take a pause in the summer. The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington is to empower all young people, especially those who need us most to reach their full potential as caring, productive and responsible citizens. Every opportunity to get involved as a volunteer with a club supports the positive development of a child. Find out more about all of the upcoming summer opportunities for involvement, from program and playground activity support to one-on-one tutoring, to clubs within the club for chess, bike riding, dance, skateboarding and more at https://tinyurl.com/BGCvolunteering. Contact volunteering@bgcbloomington.org for more information.
Community Wish List Spotlight
Bloomington Housing Authority Resident Council
BHARC is a group of public housing residents who advocate for residents' concerns with the Bloomington Housing Authority. They also host a weekly food pantry and monthly non-food pantry. Donations will help individuals and families who live in public housing with non-EBT items. Contact Marta Hall, 812-360-3989, admin@bharcneighbors.org.
Featured Wishes: toilet paper, kitchen trash bags, dish & laundry soap, body wash, hydrogen peroxide, band-aids, Q-Tips, kitchen sponges, paper towels and napkins, hand soap, hand sanitizer, sandwich bags, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, deodorant and lotion. You can find current in-kind, material needs on the year-round Community Wish List at BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org/communitywishlist.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Volunteers at parks, Boys & Girls Clubs needed; help control pear trees
