Here’s one you might have heard: ‘Tis better to give than to receive. And in the case of local nonprofits, we all receive their gifts throughout the year. Whether finding homes for runaway animals, teaching job skills to the handicapped, or helping kids learn to read, the many good-doing agencies here work tirelessly to improve the quality of local life. Now’s a good time to give back. As you shop for friends and family, peruse the following wish lists and see what you can get—or what you might already have—that will make these social service groups’ work a little easier. If you’re really pressed for ideas, consider volunteering. Time is the best gift you can share.
Adult/Vocational
Albemarle Housing Improvement Program
2127 Berkmar Dr. 817-2447
www.ahipva.org
Deb Brown, volunteer coordinator, public relations, fundraising
The Albemarle Housing Improvement Program provides housing rehabilitation services to area residents who have a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income ($35,600 for a single individual) and also offers an emergency repair program, first-time home-buyers assistance, and affordable rental units, some of which are part of its Rent-to-Own Program.
Wish list:
Trucks and vans (preferably new, but also good used ones) Copy machine
Print cartridges for color printer
Stamps
Copying paper
Ladder jacks
Scaffolding
Aluminum walk boards
1/2" hammer drill
3/8" cordless drill
Jig saw
Metal break
Heavy-duty drop cords
Cash donations
Blue Ridge English as a Second Language Council
214 Rugby Rd., above The Prism Coffeehouse 977-7988
esltutors@hotmail.com www.avenue.org/bresl Frances Lee-Vandell, executive director
Blue Ridge English as a Second Language Council specializes in tutoring adults in the English language. Program focus is on pronunciation and comprehension, and other important skills such as the ability to pass a driver’s license test, fill out paperwork to enroll children in school and understand apartment leases. The organization also organizes day camps and other cultural events for the international community.
Wish list:
Volunteers for tutoring, office help, fundraising and more
New or gently used children’s books and magazines on various topics
Office supplies: paper, toner for printer, file folders, envelopes, etc.
Assistance with translation
Logo design
Jaunt-certified drivers to pick up children and families
Donated time from a CPA to perform annual audit
Donation of space for BRESL Day Camp (three weeks in the summer)
Cash donations
Comyn Hall
601 Park St.
293-8436
Shirley Black, contact person
Comyn Hall provides three home-cooked meals a day, two snacks, room cleaning, laundry services and daily activities for seniors living in its residence hall. Residents are provided with medical administration and weekly housekeeping, if necessary.
Wish list:
Christmas decorations
Deep fryer
Bread/bun steamer
Ice cream maker
Metal shelving for storage
Park benches
Artificial trees
Portable CD sound system
Digital camera
Magazine rack
Vacuum
Volunteers for entertaining seniors or performing minor carpentry
FOCUS Women’s
Resource Center
1508 Grady Ave.
293-2222
www.avenue.org/focus
Martha Susinno, acting executive director
A group built on the foundation of supporting women, FOCUS extends support groups, career counseling, personal and professional development and artistic community outreach for those going through a divorce, adult children of alcoholics and single mothers.
FOCUS also offers classes in its Mediation Center and conflict resolution in areas including family disputes, divorce and custody agreements, landlord/tenant problems and problems in the workplace.
Teensight, another FOCUS program, aids with pregnancy prevention and helping young mothers stay in school and acquire job skills. At-risk youth get help finishing high school or earning GEDs.
Wish list:
Office or dining room chairs (four to six) for conference table
Free/affordable office space
Baby car seats
Baby clothes
Furniture and supplies
Literacy Volunteers
of America—
Charlottesville/Albemarle
418 Seventh St. NE
977-3838
Anne Jellen, administrative director
Mary Mullen, program director
Literacy Volunteers of America—Charlottesville/Albemarle recruits, trains and supports volunteers who provide free basic literacy or English language tutoring to adults. Skills the LVA staff teaches students include writing checks, interpreting maps and bank statements, reading to their children and computer skills. Last year, LVA served 169 people.
Wish list:
Volunteers to train as tutors (the next workshop will be in January)
Office volunteers
Office supplies
Working printers
Working copiers
Tape recorders
Headphones
Cash donations
Senior Center
1180 Pepsi Pl.
974-7756
Peter Thompson, executive director
The mission of the Senior Center is to “involve, enrich and empower seniors,” according to Executive Director Peter Thompson. It serves 42,000 local residents annually, emphasizing fitness and wellness, arts and crafts, social activities, recreational travel and volunteering to promote seniors’ independence.
Many volunteers run the programs, provide customer service and help in the administrative side of the Senior Center. The Senior Center receives no government funding—Thompson says that all funds are raised locally from individuals, corporations and foundations.
Wish list:
24 matching card tables
Three quality, high-end paper cutters
Light-weight, sturdy, professional-looking display board system
Multifunction inkjet printer with scanner that can network with several computers
Laptop computers
30 nice, cushioned chairs
Funds or donated expertise in creating a larger office for Senior Center, Inc. Travel Office
Copy paper
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe PageMaker or Quark Xpress
Dreamweaver computer program
Wireless network hub and wireless network cards
Graphic/photo CDs
Automatic flushers for rest rooms
Picnic table
Funds or donated expertise in renovating the lobby
Marketing services for creation of tagline
Storage shed for garden equipment
Virginia Organizing Project
703 Concord Ave.
984-4655
Joe Szakos, executive director
This statewide citizens’ group strives to implement social change through locally based action. A wide range of people volunteer for the various chapters and affiliates throughout the State, lobbying the State legislature, directing petition drives, writing letters to local newspapers and circulating information about the project’s mission. Ten employees and dozens of volunteers rally interest in causes like tax reform, racial profiling, housing and gay rights.
Wish list:
Office furniture
Books on social change
Old cell phones (in any condition)
Calls to UVA President John Casteen at 924-3337 encouraging him to pay all contract workers a living wage
Worksource Enterprises
1311 Carlton Ave.
972-1730
www.worksourceenterprises.org
Chuck McElroy, president
Worksource Enterprises provides on-the-job training and assists with employment for people with disabilities. People can work at jobs within a large group of participating businesses including Breadworks Bakery and the Federal Executive Institute. The results: Hundreds of people have been hired through the efforts of Worksource. The organization’s training also helps clients increase their reading, writing and math skills with the aid of educational software.
Wish list:
Automatic door opener for the front entrance
Laptop computer
Lockers for clients
Picnic tables and umbrellas
Portable public-address system
Refrigerated display case for Breadworks
Scholarship funds for clients without funding
Animals
Charlottesville-Albemarle
Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals
2075 Woodburn Rd.
973-5959
Carolyn Foreman, executive director
As an “open shelter,” the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA takes in as many stray, injured or unwanted animals as possible, providing medical treatment and care to prepare them for adoption.
Thirteen full-time staff members and many volunteers receive and care for more than 5,500 animals a year. They walk, feed and clean animals, as well as perform office duties. Foster families also take in sick animals or large litters of baby animals so that they are not initially separated from their mothers.
The Charlottesville SPCA accounts for the large number of animals that they take in by the rural areas surrounding Charlottesville. Many unwanted pets are left in the SPCA’s outdoor cages overnight and the SPCA receives most calls about abused animals from neighbors. Their new facility will open in March.
Wish list:
Cat food (dry and canned)
Dog food (dry)
Non-clumping litter
Dog treats
Kongs and other dog and cat toys
Vari-kennels (all sizes)
Copy paper (8.5×11.5)
Laminate paper (8.5×11.5)
Bleach
Catnip
Hard rubber chew toys
Carefresh shavings
Latex exam gloves (all sizes)
Tennis balls
Esbilac (replacement puppy milk)
KMR (replacement kitten milk)
Kitten food
Heavy-duty three-hole punch
Paper cups, plates and plastic serviceware
Paper towels
Pencils and pens
Post-Its, pushpins and staples
Scotch, masking and duct tape
Writing pads
Chairs (stacking)
Digital camera
Evidence locker or safe
Gas-powered weed eater
Horse trailer
Two-way radios
VCR/TV combo, portable
Vehicles
Tools
Bolt cutters
Extension cords
Tool box
Voices for Animals
170 Rugby Rd.
979-1200
voicesvirginia@aol.com
Marianne Roberts, member of board of directors
Voices for Animals promotes the idea that all living beings have dignity and deserve respect. They encourage vegetarianism, conscious consumerism and wildlife preservation as well as discourage factory farming, dissection, use of animals in entertainment, hunting and trapping. Every year they hold the Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival and also run a feral cat spay/neuter project.
Wish list:
Volunteers to offer permanent homes
to cats with FIV and leukemia
Volunteers with accounting skills
Humane cat traps
Large cat carriers
Macintosh G4 computer
CD burner for Macintosh or PC
Canopies
Tablecloths
Cash donations
Children and Youth
Book Baskets
125 Cameron Ln.
245-2880
bookbaskets@hotmail.com
Donna Morris, chair
Book Baskets gathers donated books and distributes them to children, from infants to middle school age. Their main mission is to place books in the hands of children who would otherwise have none. Last year, 10,000 books were distributed to children in the area.
Book Baskets’ main source of book collections is through schools, where libraries and PTAs encourage parents and students to drop off books they have outgrown. Most of the distribution occurs at local service agencies, including Abundant Life and Children, Youth & Family Services.
Wish list:
New or gently used books—anything from
cardboard books for infants through books
appropriate for middle school students, dropped off at Venable Elementary
Cash donations
Boys and Girls Club of Charlottesville-Albemarle
Smith Recreation Center on Cherry Avenue
977-2001
www.avenue.org/bgcville
Tim Sinatra, executive director
The Boys and Girls Club offers programs in a safe, nurturing place for kids ages 6-18 to go after school and during summer vacation. The group offers activities such as sports, arts classes and academic tutoring. The club also has a computer lab where kids can surf the Internet or work on their typing skills. Both full-time staff members and volunteers teach classes. During the school year, instructors focus on helping kids with their homework.
Wish list:
Balls of all kinds
Hula hoops
Jump ropes
Large parachute
Cones
Whistles
Computers with printers
Reference books
Educational computer programs
Puzzles
Games for all ages
Notebook paper
15-passenger school bus
Field trip sponsors
Party supplies
G-rated videos
Facilities renovation
30 matching folding chairs
10 new folding tables
Bulletin board paper
Poster frames
Camp Holiday Trails
400 Holiday Trails Ln.
977-3781
Patricia Delany, executive director
Camp Holiday Trails is a camp for children ages 7-17 with chronic illnesses including asthma, diabetes, HIV, organ transplants and cancer. Children from all over the eastern seaboard, including New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Richmond, participate in camp activities such as horseback riding, canoeing, fishing, archery, hiking, camping and swimming. Four summer sessions last 10 days each and year-round programs include family weekends. Medical professionals are on hand for assistance.
Wish list:
Wheelbarrow
Croquet set
Paddle boat
Fishing poles
Shower curtain replacements and rings
Washing machines
Shelving boards
Comfy chairs for staff lounge
Battery-operated lanterns
Port-a-John for June, July, August
New mops for cabins
75-watt light bulbs
Softballs and bats
Nets for the sports court
Children, Youth &
Family Services Inc.
116 W. Jefferson St.
296-4118
www.avenue.org/cyfs
cyfsinfo@cyfs.org
Nancy Letteri, development director
CYFS promotes the health and well-being of children, youth and families through education. Three focus areas are parent education and support, child care and clinical support. About 20 to 25 full- and part-time staff and volunteers work in individual programs including Play Partners, for children in private daycare; Healthy Family/Family Partners, for parents to receive support in their homes; and the Good Dads program, which offers help for dads looking for jobs or further education to better support their children. Clients are self-referred or referred from courts, other agencies, or childcare facilities.
Wish list:
CD/cassette player
Diapers, all sizes
New developmental toys for children under 6
Presents for new moms and dads
HP LaserJet 2200D printer cartridges
HP 940C color printer cartridges
Clear storage bins with tops, all sizes
White copy paper, legal and letter
Color copy paper, legal and letter
Pens and pencils
Spiral notebooks
Yellow legal pads
Cabinets and countertop for refurbished work/volunteer room
New carpeting for hallway, small rooms and stairwell
Volunteer help
Host an open house for Runaway Emergency Services Program
Tumbling mats
New car seats (infant, toddler and booster)
Vinyl banquet-size table covers
Cloth tradeshow or banquet table covers,
6′ or 8′
Children’s Medical Center
P.O. Box 800773
Charlottesville, VA 22908
924-8432
Patrick Belisle, director of annual giving
The UVA Children’s Medical Center records more than 130,000 patient visits each year. These visits include children from all over Central and Southwest Virginia, as well as neighboring states. CMC provides specialty care in more than 26 service areas ranging from check-ups for healthy children to the most complex care—heart transplants, care for extremely premature babies, brain surgeries and long-term rehabilitation.
CMC’s philosophy of “family-centered medicine” aims to make those traumas a little easier to cope with by offering rocking chairs and cots for parents who want to stay in their child’s room and in-patient schooling to help kids maintain their sense of structure. CMC also offers opportunities for healing, through activities like the horticulture therapy program, play rooms with video games, lots of toys and CMC TV.
Wish list:
Basketballs
Bright and Easy board books
Busy Box books
Dr. Seuss/beginner books
Fisher Price Little People lift-up flap books
Magazines
Board games
Milton Bradley Memory games
Wooden and jigsaw puzzles
Large Lego sets
Dora the Explorer Electronic Talking Bingo
Music CDs
Digital camera
First Years Vibrating Star teether/massagers
High chairs/booster seats
Gliding rocking chairs
Musical mobiles
Toys that light up and/or play music
Toys with limited pieces
Nintendo or Super Nintendo unit and games
TV/VCRs
G- and PG-rated videos
T-shirts, ball caps, UVA merchandise
Wild bandanas, hip wrist bands
Velcro catch game and Wiffle bat and ball
Nail polish and body lotions
Computers4Kids
999 Grove St., Suite 105
817-1121
www.computers4kids.net
Kala Somerville, executive director
Computers4Kids attempts to close the technology gap between Charlottesville and Albemarle County children by providing computers for those who can’t afford them. In addition to donating computers to area youth, Computers4Kids provides free computer training and matches every youth with a volunteer mentor. Together the mentor and student creatively explore various aspects of computers and technology.
Wish list:
Mentors
56K modems (internal)
Cat 5 cables
CD/DVD burners
Laptop computers
(Pentium 300 processors or higher)
Hard drives (2GB or higher)
Hubs
Memory
Printers (bubblejet and inkjet)
Sound cards
Digital cameras
Blank CD-Rs (new)
Blank DVD+R (new)
Laser color printer
Table-top trade show display
The Learning Center
2132 Ivy Rd.
977-6006
Elizabeth Cottone, executive director
The Learning Center provides one-on-one tutoring for students who are enrolled in public, private and home schools in grades K-12, as well as some adults. Tutors assist with a variety of subjects, with the main focus on reading. Tutors receive Wilson language training, especially helpful for students with learning disabilities. Tutors are available for testing and evaluations as well.
Wish list:
New or recent thesauruses
Graphing calculators
Updated language arts materials
Bookcases
New phone system
Personal computer
Cash donations
Music Resource Center
1108 Forest St.
979-5478
Sibley Johns, executive director
The Music Resource Center was founded in 1995 by local musician Jonathan Hornsby, who wanted opportunities and a place for at-risk youth to make music. At their location on Forest Street, MRC can host about 20 middle- and high-schoolers a day. In February the organization will move to its new home at the former Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Ridge Street. Students can use many different instruments and studios, including two computer-based studios and a DJ room with turntables. The center also has a CD library that students can borrow from. Staff members give vocal and music engineering courses in addition to the regular instrumental instruction. The center recently received a major donation from Dave Matthews Band.
Wish list:
Mac G4 computers for computer music lab
MIDI compatible keyboards
DVD players for media center
Flat-screen computer monitors
Drum kits
Volunteers to run check-in desk
Free or reduced copying services
Donation of bulk-rate postage permit
Brass and woodwinds instruments
Guitars
Microphones
Amplifiers
Strings for guitars/bass
Drum sticks
Music videos and movie videos
Blank CDs
Keyboards
Fax machine
Cash donations
Food Aid
Blue Ridge Area Food
Bank Network
Thomas Jefferson
Area Branch
500 Henry Ave.
296-3663
Sarah Althoff, area supervisor
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network and its Thomas Jefferson Area Branch provides food to the needy in eight counties. Economic uncertainty and increasing job layoffs are adding to the number of people looking to the Food Bank for help. Donated food items should be non-perishable and not in glass containers. For each dollar donated, 92 cents goes toward the mission of feeding the hungry.
Wish list:
Canned meat, fish and poultry
Canned or packaged meals
Peanut butter
Cereal
Soup
Canned vegetables
Canned fruits
Pasta sauces
Baby formula, baby food
Diapers
Baby bottles
Cash donations
Meals on Wheels, Inc.
2270 Ivy Rd
293-4364
Mandy Hoy, executive director
Community Meals on Wheels, Inc. delivers hot, nutritious lunchtime meals Mondays through Fridays to homebound residents of the Charlottesville/Albemarle area on a temporary or long-term basis. The goal is to provide not only nutritious food but also valuable and daily social contact to people who would otherwise be hungry and alone.
Wish list:
Volunteer drivers to help with packing and delivering meals (can work throughout year or on holidays)
Volunteers to work on special events committee
Tray favors (i.e. holiday cards, napkin rings, valentines, American flags)
Canned goods in October and November for “Blizzard Bags” (sent to clients to keep on hand in case inclement weather pre- vents drivers from delivering hot meals)
Cash donations
General Crisis Relief
Legal Aid Justice Center
1000 Preston Ave., Suite A
977-0553
www.justice4all.org
alex@justice4all.org
Alex Gulotta, executive director
The Legal Aid Justice Center offers civil legal services to low-income families throughout Central Virginia and to low-wage immigrant workers statewide, while also engaging in legal advocacy for all low-income Virginians. Programs include the Civil Advocacy Program to assist with legal problems regarding housing, public benefits, employment, consumer protection and more; the Virginia Justice Center for Farm and Immigrant Workers, addressing the employment concerns of the 50,000 migrant farm workers and other immigrants who come to Virginia every year; and the JustChildren Program to ensure that at-risk youth in the education, foster care and juvenile justice systems have access to the services and support.
Wish list:
Copy machine
Laser printers (with software) Color laser printer
Scanner
Typewriter
Decent office chairs
Reception area sofa
Outdoor picnic table
Cash donations
United Way,
Thomas Jefferson Area
806 E. High St.
972-1701
www.unitedwaytja.org
unitedwaytja@unitedwaytja.org
Jim Fitzgerald, director of marketing
The United Way raises funds for people in Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson. The United Way also provides services including a childcare scholarship for working parents and an information referral center. Focus areas for funding include the needs of young children and their families, the needs of the elderly, individuals in poverty and those in emergency situations.
Wish list:
Financial donations totaling $1,460,000 for programs in the community
Medical-Disability Services
AIDS/HIV Services Group
P.O. Box 2322
Charlottesville, VA 22902
979-7714
www.aidsservices.org
Kathy Baker, executive director
ASG offers support services to people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS with client services including case management, crisis care, housing assistance, medical co-pays and prescription costs assistance and more. Prevention education programs reach out to more than 7,000 people annually including high-risk groups such as youth, African Americans, Latinos, men who have sex with men, and the general public, through the schools, in the neighborhoods and on the streets.
Wish list:
Pick-up truck or car for client
transportation
Light wood mini blinds, 27-28" x 36"
Network card for a Canon 2000 Printer
Flat panel LCD monitors (15")
Small loveseat and two armchairs for
client work/meeting space; must be new
Stamps
Food, including frozen or refrigerated items
Phone cards
Central Virginia Chapter
of the American Red Cross
1105 Rose Hill Dr.
979-7143
www.avenue.org/redcross
cvcarc@avenue.org
Lonnie Kirby, director of financial development and public relations
The Red Cross Central Virginia Chapter serves Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties, providing relief to victims of disasters and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
The Red Cross provides relief to victims of disasters both natural and man-made as well as conducting training in vital skills such as CPR, first aid and water safety. Locally, the Red Cross gives shelter, food and necessary counseling to victims of the most common disasters such as home or apartment fires.
Wish list:
Televisions
VCR
DVD player
LCD projector
Fax machines
Charlottesville Free Clinic
1138 Rose Hill Dr., Suite 200 296-5525 www.cvillefreeclinic.org info@cvillefreeclinic.org Erika Viccellio, executive director
The Charlottesville Free Clinic provides free primary medical care and prescription medications for working uninsured adults in the greater Charlottesville/Albemarle community. All services are provided by volunteer health care professionals—physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, lab technicians, etc.—three nights a week, year-round. In fiscal year 2003, Free Clinic volunteers treated 1,164 patients with 3,224 visits to the clinic and volunteer pharmacists filled 12,095 free prescriptions.
Wish list:
Volunteers (pharmacists, dentists,
follow-up nurses, psychiatrists,
gynecologists)
New refrigerator
Hand-held vacuum
Large bulletin board
Pregnancy Center
of Central Virginia
320 W. Main St.
979-4516
www.cvillepregnancy.org
diane@virginiapregnancy.org
Diane McClintock, Charlottesville center director
The Pregnancy Center of Central Virginia provides confidential services to pregnant or possibly pregnant women, including limited medical services, counseling, testing and more. The center is sponsored by individual donors, families, local businesses and church organizations.
Wish List:
Baby clothes (only 0-3 months; have an abundant supply of other sizes)
Maternity tops
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
1021 Millmont St.
293-4797
Janet Ewert, production director
Angie Durand, volunteer coordinator
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic provides oral literature for those in the community who have visual or physical impairments that keep them from being able to read easily.
A library lending service is available for a yearly fee to individuals and to educational institutions, and the organization relies on the efforts of more than 250 volunteers a year. Volunteers record educational materials ranging from 4th-grade geography and high school math books to college-level and post-grad textbooks. Readers pair off with a director in a soundproof booth to record, where they can stop and fix mistakes or discuss how to explain complicated material such as graphs or charts.
Wish list:
New Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionaries
Audio books (new or used)
Spelling Bee and Dee teams of four from your organization for April 16 even at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel ($500 per team)
Golf/tennis teams for annual golf/tennis tournament
Playback devices for blind and dyslexic students
Software playback systems for blind and dyslexic students
Satellite recording booth ($3,000) and a place in the community to put it
Scholarships to set up Learning through Listening™ sites at area schools.
Ronald McDonald House
300 9th St. SW
295-1885
Mary Kirwan, executive director
The Ronald McDonald House provides inexpensive housing for out-of-town families of children receiving medical care at the UVA Children’s Medical Center. The House was founded in 1981 by a group of local doctors and concerned citizens, and in 1988 it became one of more than 200 Ronald McDonald Houses all over the country. Though it is licensed by and is a fundraising partner with the McDonald’s corporation, the Charlottesville house raises most of its own funds.
Wish list:
Canned tuna, Spaghetti-O’s, Beefaroni
Sugar, creamer
Salt and pepper in disposable containers
Snack bags of chips, pretzels, cookies, etc.
Pop Tarts, cereal
Kleenex
Aluminum foil, plastic wrap, gallon-size Ziploc bags
Gift Certificates to Wal-Mart
Queen size mattress pads
Clorox bleach
Shout stain remover
Dishwasher detergent
Size D alkaline batteries
Stamps
The Salvation Army,
Charlottesville Corps
207 Ridge St.
295-4058
Kim Wentz, regional resource development director
The Salvation Army offers programs such as a childcare center, an emergency shelter, transitional housing, two thrift stores, soup kitchen and an emergency services program. The emergency shelter provides 60 beds to the needy for overnight stays of up to several months while at the same time providing them with three meals a day, all free of charge. Another housing program, the Center of Hope Transitional Housing Program, offers nine one- and two-bedroom apartments for small families or singles who may live there for up to two years, while paying a small fee for the furnished apartment, childcare, food service and counseling.
Wish list:
12 6′ tables
100 stackable chairs
New waiting room furniture for the social services lobby
Cash donations
Sexual Assault
Resource Agency
1013 Little High St.
295-7273
www.sexualassaultresources.org
Melissa Hoard, administrative office manager
SARA is a private, non-profit organization whose volunteers and staff are dedicated to reducing the vulnerability of women and children to sexual violence as well as facilitating the recovery of sexual assault victims. Recognizing the prevalence of sexual assault and abuse and the long-term impact on victims, SARA has adopted sexual assault issues as its sole agenda. In addition to a comprehensive educational and training program, SARA provides confidential emotional support, crisis intervention, support groups, advocacy, companion services, counseling and referrals for victims of sexual assault, their families and close friends.
Wish list:
Park benches for our healing garden
Donations of educational supplies (particularly a new display board to be used in public presentations)
Laptop computer and power-point projector for educational presentations
Tool box
Emergency clothing (sweats, underwear, socks, etc.)
Comfort packs for victims
Puzzles, games and toys for children who visit us
Gifts for volunteers or for fundraisers (certificates for dinners, massages, etc.)
Travel boxes for brochures and handouts (file boxes with handles)
.ash donations
Shelter for Help
in Emergency
293-6155
www.shelterforhelpinemergency.org
info@shelterforhelpinemergency.org
Carty Lominack, executive director
The Shelter for Help in Emergency Victims offers survivors of domestic abuse temporary shelter, free counseling and support groups as well as legal advocacy and court appointments. Those living in Planning District Ten—Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Louisa, Greene, Nelson and Fluvanna—can call the 24-hour hotline at 293-8509.
Executive director Mary Carter Lominack says that 200-250 people a year spend time in the residential facility. The shelter offers help to men and women of all economic backgrounds.
Wish list:
Calling cards
Bus passes
Activity passes (i.e. movie tickets)
Household supplies (paper towels, toilet paper, etc.)
Personal hygiene supplies (shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.)
Art supplies (i.e. construction paper, glue, markers, pencils, etc.)
Cash donations
Volunteer Services
Habitat for Humanity
P.O. Box 7305
Charlottesville, VA 22906
984-4321
www.avenue.org/habitat
cvillehabitat@nexet.net
Kelly Epplee, development director
According to the Albemarle County Housing Advisory Committee, more than 3,000 homes in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area are classified as substandard. Habitat for Humanity helps to solve this problem by offering qualifying low-income families Habitat homes with a no-interest mortgage. All labor is done by volunteers and there are no profits for builders, so most families pay less per month than they paid in rent for substandard housing.
Wish list:
Land for building Habitat homes
Volunteers with handy-person skills, able to lead other volunteers
Office volunteers on a weekly basis
Trucks in good running condition
Contributions of new or used building materials and furniture and vehicles to the Habitat Store
Cash donations
Monticello Area
Community Action
Agency (MACAA)
1025 Park St.
295-3171
www.avenue.org/macaa
jeff@macaa.org
Jeff Sobel, development director
MACAA works to eradicate poverty and improve the lives of people in the City of Charlottesville, and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson counties through a variety of services that provide educational opportunities, self-improvement programs and emergency help to individuals, children and families in poverty. MACAA’s best known programs include Head Start, Hope House, Jefferson Area CHIP, Project Discovery and emergency services in the outlying counties. Their programs serve about 2,000 clients each year.
Wish list:
General operating support
Furniture in good condition for Hope House
Clothes and food for thrift shops in outlying counties
Volunteers to work the Charlottesville Ten Miler (April 3)
Volunteers to read to Head Start children
Donation of cars in good shape for Wheels to Work
Volunteers to help with reception and telephones and events
Silent auction items for Men Who Cook fundraiser
Cash donations
Piedmont Housing
Alliance
2000 Holiday Dr.
817-2436
Karen Klick, deputy director
The Piedmont Housing Alliance creates more affordable housing and community development opportunities to improve the lives of low and moderate income families. The Alliance reaches out to families in Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties and the City of Charlottesville, and after joining forces with the Charlottesville Housing Foundation in 1997, the Alliance has now raised more than $2.5 million and has provided housing services and development worth over $20 million in 50 years between the two agencies.
Wish list:
Volunteers for clerical work, website management or landscaping assistance
Land and real estate donations
Laptop computer
All-in-one printer/copy machine
CAD software
Furniture for waiting room (sofa, love seat, chairs)
Cash donations