Many opportunities exist for community involvement through volunteering. Positions require a serious commitment to a program and provide a chance to interact in the arts, civic affairs, education, the environment, animal welfare and health and human services. Some of these volunteer positions require orientation, training and screening.

The following are a few examples of Santa Fe's larger organizations committed to these efforts:

The Santa Fe Community Foundation, 988-9715, matches individual interests with a community organization. The foundation publishes The Volunteer's Yellow Pages, a listing of about 175 local agencies. They include the following:

Challenge New Mexico provides services and support to people who are physically and mentally challenged and to their families; The Community Farm donates its entire harvest to alleviate hunger in our community; Open Hands provides services to the frail, elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged; Santa Fe Teen Art Center/Warehouse 21 provides opportunities for adults and youth to explore their creative talents through media, performing and literary arts; Neighborhood Housing Services provides homebuyer training, mortgage counseling and home-repair assistance services to improve the quality of life for Santa Fe's lower-income families.

United Way of Santa Fe County, 982-2002, works to improve the lives of Santa Fe County residents in a variety of ways. Its newest initiatives include an Early Childhood Development Project focused on fulfilling the needs of young children, and 2-1-1, a free, dedicated phone number that will be available in early 2005 and will link people in need with organizations that can help them. UWSFC also provides financial support to carefully evaluated health and human services programs in Santa Fe County.

The Santa Fe Public Schools reaches students through four specific mentoring programs: Wise Men and Women-Los Sabios matches a caring friend/mentor with children grades K-6. Mentoring New Mexico matches adult mentors with at-risk students in grades 6-12. For information on both programs, call 988-1611. Help One Student To Succeed (HOSTS) provides children in grades 1-8 with one-on-one academic tutoring for one hour per week. All materials and direction provided by teaching staff. For information, call 467-2027.

The public-school system has additional volunteer opportunities and can be reached at 467-2027.

The Santa Fe County Fire Administration, 992-3070, oversees 15 district stations, all of which are in need of energetic volunteers. Volunteers might require training to work as firefighters, EMTs or office staff. For more information on how to get involved in a critical service to the community, contact coordinator James Maxon at 670-2639. v

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