LINCOLN – Are you looking to make an impact on your community this year? There is still time.
The Center for People in Need (CPIN) is looking for 100-160 volunteers to help out with their annual Thanks for Giving food and Toyland give away serving low income or refugee families in Lancaster and surrounding counties, and volunteers can sign-up by going to www.centerforpeopleinneed.org and clicking on the “get involved” tab.
Sixty volunteers per shift are needed, and each shift lasts two hours. The Toyland drive is a higher volume event, and more volunteers may be needed for this occasion.
Donations in the form of cash or utilizing a “wish list” of needed items that are listed on their website are accepted as well, and are very needed.
The Thanks for Giving event requires no previous signup, and those interested in utilizing the services would just need to show up if they were interested in going through the lines for food items for their own family and fill out paperwork at that time for possible future services.
In addition, parents could receive help this year with getting Chirstmas toys for children. For assistance, a person would need to apply for services about a month in advance at the CPIN website so they can be prepared with enough toys to serve children in each age bracket.
CPIN also offers seven events throughout the year if anyone is interested in volunteering services or utilizing them:
• The Mothers and Father’s day events are where kids can get gifts for their parents and get help wrapping these gifts.
• Teen for a Day is for girls ages 12-18 to go shopping for clothing, shoes, purses, make-up and hair products to get ready to go back to school.
• Tools for Education provide kids going to school with needed backpacks, supplies and hair products.
• And finally, the CPIN just finished its second year of its Senior Pictures assistance, where photographers donate their time by taking portraits for seniors for the yearbook and for distribution to family and friends.
All services provided by the CPIN are free for those that are income eligible, and volunteers are needed in order to help serve the population.
The Thanks for Giving food distribution will be held on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 20, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Monday, Nov., 21 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The Toyland giveaway will be on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 18, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Monday, Dec. 19, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (and possibly Friday, Dec. 16, depending on the number of applications received).