Ready to lend a hand?

It's easy to get started if you know where to look.

By SUSAN LADIKA
Published November 28, 2006

Myriad organizations offer opportunities to volunteer, both here and abroad. Many require no special skills and have no age limitations.

In recent months, the St. Petersburg Times' regular feature Focus on Volunteers has included requests for help from museums, Bayfront Medical Center's Pastoral Care Department, county agencies, Junior Achievement of West Central Florida, the taping division of the Pinellas Braille Group Inc. and the Red Cross.

Additionally, volunteers for brief or continuing projects are regularly sought by churches, schools and universities, fraternal and service groups, and organizations seeking to help the environment, state and national parks.

Even for-profit companies back volunteering. In September, Travelocity launched "Travel for Good," promoting what the company terms "voluntourism."

Through the program, Travelocity has teamed with volunteer organizations EarthWatch Institute and Cross-Cultural Solutions, among others, to allow travelers to search for volunteer opportunities.

The Yellow Pages have headings for charities and service organizations - listings range from food banks to an insurance company's automobile donation arm - and a few listings for placing volunteer workers.

Perhaps the fastest way to find organizations, particularly those with a national scope, is to do an Internet search for international volunteering.

One source for a wide range of such opportunities is the International Volunteer Programs Association, an alliance of nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations. Its links include everything from American Jewish World Service to Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Habitat for Humanity also has a wealth of local and global opportunities. It has even created RV-Care-A-Vanners, which normally involves eight to 20 RV drivers spending two weeks at a location, with some travel from site to site.

For local opportunities, check out Senior Corps, which runs three main programs: RSVP, the Foster Grandparent Program and the Senior Companion Program.

RSVP volunteers do a variety of projects, including helping police departments conduct safety patrols and participating in environmental projects.

The Foster Grandparent Program provides tutoring and mentoring to youngsters with special needs.

And the Senior Companion Program helps homebound seniors maintain their independence.

In 2005, nearly 500,000 Americans nationwide participated in Senior Corps, providing an estimated 109-million volunteer hours.

Following is contact information for a number of volunteer organizations:

2-1-1 Tampa Bay Cares

Connects residents to more than 1,700 volunteer and donation opportunities. These services range from reading to children to serving meals to environmental cleanups. Go to www.211tampabay.org or call 727 210-4237.

United Way of Tampa Bay

This umbrella agency offers such volunteer opportunities as ongoing mentoring and tutoring with students. 1000 N Ashley Drive, Suite 800, Tampa, FL 33602. Go to www.uwtb.org or call (813) 274-0900.

Senior Companions Program

Matches senior volunteers with homebound elderly people who need companionship to avoid depression and isolation, and who need assistance with tasks such as grocery shopping, light housekeeping or food preparation. 1306 W Sligh Ave., Tampa, FL 33604-5902. Call (813) 932-5228 or fax (813) 932-9604.

Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Hillsborough County

This matches senior volunteers with nonprofit and community-based organizations, including schools, museums and hospitals. RSVP of Hillsborough County serves more than 55 agencies. 601 Kennedy Blvd. (25th floor), Tampa, FL 33602. Call (813) 272-5031 or fax (813) 272-7145.

RSVP of Pinellas County

Pinellas Opportunity Council, 3443 First Ave. N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713. Call (727) 327-8690.

Global Service Corps

Go to www.globalservicecorps.org, call (415) 788-3666, ext. 128, or e-mail gsc@globalservicecorps.org.

Habitat for Humanity

Go to www.habitat.org, e-mail publicinfo@habitat.org or call (229) 924-6935. The Web site also has information on local affiliates. Offices are located in:

Land O'Lakes: Go to www.hfhof centralpasco.org, e-mail volunteer@ hfhofcentralpasco.org or call (813) 929-0171.

New Port Richey: Go to www.west pascohabitat.org, e-mail wphabitat@yahoo.com or call (727) 859-9038.

St. Petersburg: Go to www.phfh. org, e-mail barbara.inman@phfh.org or call (727) 536-4755.

Tampa: Go to www.habitat hillsborough.com, e-mail info@ habitathillsborough.com or call (813) 239-2242.

Neighborly Care Network

This 40-year-old support organization offers help, especially to seniors, in Pinellas County. Volunteer opportunities range from serving Meals on Wheels to making phone calls to seniors living alone who have asked to have someone check on them. Go to www.neighborly.org, e-mail phofstadter@neighborly.org or call (727) 573-9444 or (727) 456-0222, ext. 291.

Peace Corps

Go to www.peacecorps.gov or call toll-free 1-800-424-8580.

Senior Corps

Go to www.seniorcorps.org or call (202) 606-5000. In Florida, call (407) 648-6117 or e-mail fl@cns.gov.

[Last modified November 28, 2006, 06:50:31]