Volunteers Needed to Help Hopelink Give Hope to People in Need

Prospective volunteers are invited to attend orientation on June 4, 2008 in Bellevue or Shoreline, or June 17, 2008 in Northshore.

Bellevue, Wash. – Hopelink’s Eastside Literacy and other programs are constantly looking for volunteers to give hope to people in need in east and north King County. Eastside Literacy needs volunteers to:

• help adults learn to read or earn a General Education Development (GED) diploma
• assist non-native English speakers to improve their English skills
• teach healthy living on a budget, money management and computer skills including job searching online and resume-writing
• oversee the children of parents who are enrolled in various Hopelink classes
• teach computer skills to children and their parents

Additionally, Hopelink’s various service centers (located in Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Shoreline, Carnation and Bothell) need volunteers to help with such duties as:
• driving to grocery stores to pick up food donations
• driving to deliver food to homebound clients
• providing part-time reception desk help
• maintaining the planting areas and yards around Hopelink’s service centers
• working in the food bank sorting and/or distributing food to clients during food bank hours

The type of help needed varies from center to center. Training for all volunteer positions is provided. Bi-lingual volunteers (English/Spanish, English/Mandarin, English/Arabic, or English/Russian) are particularly helpful. Learn more about volunteering at one of three Hopelink volunteer orientation meetings on June 4 in Bellevue or Shoreline, or on June 17 in Northshore. Orientations are presented in English. They will be held at the following locations and times:

• Bellevue on June 4: Hopelink’s Adult Education Department office, 15015 Main Street, Suite 206 in Kelsey Creek Plaza (across from the main Hopelink center) in Bellevue, starting promptly at 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and repeated that evening, starting promptly at 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Shoreline on June 4: Hopelink’s Shoreline center, 15809 Westminster Way N., in Shoreline, starting promptly at 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Northshore on June 17: Hopelink’s Northshore center, at 18220 96th Ave. NE in Bothell, starting promptly at 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Orientations in the Snoqualmie Valley area are conducted on a one-on-one basis, so residents of the Snoqualmie Valley who are interested in volunteering should call Hopelink’s center in Carnation at 425.333.4417 to schedule a time. Eastside Literacy, a program of Hopelink, offers free literacy instruction to adults throughout north and east King County. For more information or directions, call the Adult Education Department at 425.643.1912 or toll free at 1.800.870.1912.

Eastside Literacy has been the community’s expert on adult literacy since 1969. As a program of Hopelink’s Adult Education Department, Eastside Literacy provides a crucial element in self-sufficiency, helping adults improve their family’s safety, stability and security. Since 1971, Hopelink has helped homeless and low income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities make lasting change in their lives. Hopelink promotes self-sufficiency by helping people meet their needs for food, shelter, homelessness prevention, family development, transportation and adult literacy. For more information on Hopelink and its services, call 425.869.6000 or visit www.hope-link.org.