2010 Participants at the ECM Garden by rogerhillvolunteercenter

The United Way Roger Hill Volunteer Center is hosting a “Summer of Service” for Douglas County youth, ages 11-18, as part of the Center’s Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) program. Projects are Monday-Thursday, 9am-2pm. Youth may sign up for one or two projects, or join us for the whole summer!

This is the second year for the program. In 2010, 25 youth participated, and of those, 10 youth completed 100 hours of service and earned a $500 college scholarship. Due to recent federal budget cuts, the scholarship program will not be available this year; however, the program will still be offered. We encourage youth to take advantage of the opportunity to serve at the organizations that do so much for our community. The feedback from youth, parents, and agencies last year was overwhelmingly positive. As one youth said in their final evaluation last summer, “I’ve never felt better about how I spent a summer. Thank you!”

Below is a description of the projects that we have planned. There is no fee to participate. Applications are available by calling, emailing, or visiting the Volunteer Center office - please find contact information at the end of the project descriptions.

Week 1 (June 6th – 9th)

Lawrence Hidden Valley Camp: Get campsites and trails ready for The Lawrence Hidden Valley’s Girl Scout camp! Hidden Valley is a wilderness camp in the middle of Lawrence that has shelters, trails, cabins and plenty of flora and fauna.

Week 2 (June 13th -16th)

Prairie Park Nature Center: Help beautify the enclosures for the owls, hawks, falcons and eagles! We will also help with other projects as needed around the Center. Prairie Park Nature Center is an 80-acre nature reserve in Lawrence that features a lake, trails, and wildlife and houses various ecosystems, including wetlands, prairie and woodlands.

GaDuGi SafeCenter: GaDuGi needs your help to create media outreach for awareness about sexual violence in our community! GaDuGi SafeCenter provides comprehensive services for those affected by sexual violence in Douglas and Jefferson Counties. Ages 14 and up only for this project please.

Week 3 (June 20th – 23rd)

School Gardens Week: Help at four local elementary schools grow food, nourish flowers and other foliage and keep weeds at bay in their gardens. Spend one day each at Deerfield, Pinckney, Sunflower and Kennedy Elementary Schools.

Senior Focus Week: Young and old work together on various activities, such as creating living histories, helping out with yard work, and more. Spend one day each at Brandon Woods, Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging, Project LIVELY and Meals on Wheels.

Week 4 (June 27th – 30th)

Douglas County Child Development Association (DCCDA): Support the local food movement! Assist with a garden at a local childcare center all week. DCCDA is working to make locally grown foods more available to young children and their families.

Hunger Focus Week: Try out your cooking and serving skills! We will help prepare and serve food to those who need it throughout Douglas County. Spend one day each at Salvation Army, Ballard Community Services, Just Food, and LINK.

Week 5 (July 11th – July 14th )

Eco Week: Have you been to all of Douglas County’s ecosystems? Visit them, learn about them and help clean and preserve them! We will spend one day each at the Wakarusa Wetlands, the Baker Wetlands, the Kansas River and Clinton Lake.

Operation WildLife (OWL) : Work with injured animals, from birds and bobcats to minks and muskrats! We will be helping with animal rehabilitation and other projects as needed. Operation WildLife provides rehabilitation and veterinary services to injured and orphaned wild animals. Must be 14 or older for this project.

Week 6 (July 18th – July 21st)

Midnight Farm (Community Living Opportunities): We will help create a sensory trail for Midnight Farm’s therapeutic horseback riding program. CLO operates Midnight Farm, where children and adults with developmental disabilities can explore and enjoy nature.

Boys and Girls Club: Do you like hanging out with kids? At Boys and Girls Club we will help with various activities for younger children throughout the week. Boys and Girls Club provides after-school and summer programming for youth throughout Lawrence.

Make Your Summer Matter!

Contact us to sign up: Youth Volunteer Corps; (785) 865-5030; youth@rhvc.org. And find us on Facebook: Youth Volunteer Corps of Lawrence, KS