Heart Center offers outpatient nicotine dependence program
Quit tobacco through the Outpatient Nicotine Dependence Program at St. Cloud Hospital.
The next session begins Jan. 22 and runs for five consecutive Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the CentraCare Heart and Vascular Center. Deadline to register is Monday, Jan. 19.
Find success through the program’s personalized treatment, support group, medication therapy, relapse prevention and self-help plan.
Cigarette smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable disease and death worldwide. Smoking-related diseases claim more than 393,000 American lives each year. People who use tobacco are at higher risk of stroke and heart attack.
If you are interested in individual counseling or registering for the group sessions, call 320-251-2700, ext. 57448.
Biodiesel essay contest fuels college dreams for Minnesota students
An essay contest is helping to raise awareness of biodiesel, a cleaner alternative to traditional petroleum fuels that is helping to reduce emissions statewide. Essays have a 1,000-word limit and are due on Friday, April 3. The Clean Air Choice Biodiesel Essay Contest is open to all high school seniors in Minnesota with plans to attend post-secondary education. Sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and administered by the American Lung Association in Minnesota, the contest offers a $1,000 first-place scholarship and a $500 second-place scholarship for winning entries. Rules, entry forms and more details can be found at CleanAirChoice.org.
United Way Volunteer Opportunities
Step up for our kids
We all win when young people succeed. That is why we invite you to LIVE UNITED. One-time, short-term and ongoing volunteer opportunities are available with children and youth throughout Central Minnesota. Examples include playing board games, helping with simple homework, sharing your skill or hobby, and reading with children. The opportunities are endless. Contact Mary Krippner at 320-223-7991 or visit United Way’s website: www.unitedwayhelps.org and click on “Step Up for Our Kids” button.
Food shelf stocker
Catholic Charities needs volunteers to help in their food shelf. Volunteers are needed to stock shelves, coolers and freezers with product purchased from Second Harvest, as well as product procured from local grocery store donations, food drives and private donors. This person may also be called upon to repack or sort bulk products under proper sanitary conditions when needed. Responsibilities include: unpack grocery donations or surplus stores and stock shelves, coolers and freezers. Sort through donated product, checking expiration dates and freshness according to guidelines posted in the work area. Repackage bulk products under proper sanitary conditions when necessary. Clean up area at the end of the shift. Job requires lifting and reaching, working on your feet. Also, an understanding, non-judgmental attitude toward low-income persons or people in crisis is important. This position offers an average of four hours per regular weekly shift. Contact Chad Kaushagen, Catholic Charities Emergency Services, at 320-229-4568.
Kids Fighting Hunger
Kids Fighting Hunger is excited to announce the Martin Luther King Day of Service scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 24 at Celebration Church, 1500 Pinecone Road N., Sartell. This event is designed to give adults, children and families in our community a chance to help provide some much-needed food to aid-workers and people who are being quarantined due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. A suggested donation of $10 per child, $15 per college student and $20 per adult volunteer is asked to help cover the cost of ingredients used for packaging meals. Kids Fighting Hunger of Central Minnesota is a volunteer led, international hunger-relief campaign committed to combating hunger and poverty worldwide and locally by providing nutritious meals to those in need. Visit www.unitedwayhelps.org to register. Contact Mary Krippner, United Way of Central Minnesota, at 320-223-7991.
Activities assistant
The Independence Center Inc. needs volunteers to complete activities with our consumers with special needs. These volunteers must enjoy having fun and completing leisure activities on a one-on-one basis or with a small group. Activities our consumers enjoy completing are: reading stories, baking activities, arts and crafts, painting nails, playing cards, accompanying our staff on community outings and much more. Contact Jamie Ludwig, Independence Center Inc. volunteer coordinator, at 320-252-4146.
RSVP…your invitation to serve
RSVP is a volunteer program for men and women ages 55 and better offering a variety of one-time and on-going volunteer opportunities within 220 local human-service organizations. With RSVP, volunteers choose how and where they want to serve. They choose the amount of time they want to give. And they choose whether they want to draw on current skills or develop new ones. Volunteers can utilize optional mileage reimbursement through RSVP. Contact RSVP at 320-255-7295 or visit www.ci.stcloud.mn.us/RSVP.
For more information, contact Mary Krippner, United Way volunteer engagement coordinator, at 320-223-7991 or mkrippner@unitedwayhelps.org.