By Allyson Etherington For The Sonoma Index-Tribune
I had the great fortune of traveling to Turkey last month. After over 13 hours in the air, I landed in Istanbul with an excited anticipation of this adventure. Within a few minutes of finding my way to the passport control line, I made eye contact with a petit, grandmotherly looking woman wearing a hijab. She smiled at me, and I grinned back. The line wove back and forth, as airport lines do, and we ended up just across the rope from each other. She looked at me again, opened her arms, hugged and then kissed me on both cheeks and on the mouth. I was so surprised and delighted by her kind and affectionate greeting. Her daughter spoke English and thanked ME for my kindness. I said, “no, it’s your mother who is so kind”. I asked where they were from and she said Iran. This absolutely stopped me. As the U.S. and Iran have historical and ongoing political conflict, the opposite happened to me. I’m writing this here, in the volunteer section of The Sonoma Index Tribune, because I see this as further evidence of the value of human interaction. I have said it before and will continue to do so, your life will be profoundly changed by those good people you will meet … And meet them you will at any of the many organizations who need your time and talent. I hope you will feel a little of what I felt during that brief moment in the warm embrace of that beautiful Iranian woman.
Allyson Etherington, Use Your Grain
La Luz Center
La Luz is looking for volunteers for the after school tutoring program: Learning Hour-Wednesdays, October 15 to December 10, from 2:00–3:00 PM. In addition they need volunteers for food distribution on the first and third Saturday of each month. Please reach out to Miriam Zenon at miriam@laluzcenter.com with any questions or to sign up.
Sonoma Community Center
Fall Clothing Swap is seeking help with sorting clothes at Refill Madness the first week of October, and during the Oct. 4 event. On Oct. 5, there will be a showing of “Nosferatu” (1922) with live music accompaniment. All volunteers are welcome to watch the show for free. Seeking ushers, concession support and clean up. On Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, support needed during the Día Altar Decorating and Lighting Event. Help with coloring butterflies for decor, decorating the public altar, supporting a kids art activity, and providing post-event clean-up.If you are interested in volunteering in any of these opportunities, please contact norine@sonomacommunitycenter.org. For more info go online to sonomacommunitycenter.org
Pets Lifeline
On Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, there is a fun volunteer opportunity with the annual IPA10K races, which benefits Pets Lifeline. A donation is made to Pets Lifeline for everyone who volunteers for a shift there under their name. You can review the volunteer shifts and sign up to volunteer by clicking this link or once online, visit, https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/CA/Sebastopol/IPA10K After selecting shifts and entering your information, please enter Pets Lifeline for he organization you are volunteering with. For regular volunteer opportunities, please visit petslifeline.org/volunteer or contact Judy Hall at Volunteer@petslifeline.org.
Sonoma Arts Live Theater Company
An opportunity available to join their board. SAL is a nonprofit providing year round entertainment at the Sonoma Community Center. Join a growing company, help with its five-year mission plan, as well as participate in fundraising and development. Reach out to info@sonomaartslive.org. Board experience is a plus, but all may apply.
Friends in Sonoma Helping (FISH)
Drivers are needed to provide transportation, free of charge, to medical appointments for Sonoma Valley residents. A FISH driver provides ”peace of mind” to people who do not have a way to get to their appointments. A ride finder contacts the dispatcher each day to both take and provide information about rides, call the drivers to fill ride requests, answer questions from the driver, help solve problems and provide reassurance to the driver. This is a wonderful and satisfying opportunity to directly connect with their clients. In-depth training and support provided. Also, someone is need to review, reorganize and update the group’s current driver-client list. To volunteer, go to fishsonoma.org or call 707-996-0111.
Homeless Action Sonoma
A nonprofit organization serving the who are homeless in the Sonoma Valley seeks to add to its board of directors. Join them for two meetings a month and contribute your time and talents to guiding and growing the work of this important mission. This position involves connecting with the Sonoma Valley community and collaborating with other organizations, along with the city of Sonoma and Sonoma County programs. A volunteer who is interested in and talented with social media is also needed to keep the agency’s website updated and its Facebook, Instagram and other platforms current and compelling. For more information email Valli Vieira at valliv@hassonoma.org or call 707-280-2420.
Friends of the Sonoma Valley Library
This agency seeks a board member, who will be interested in serving as the membership chair for the group. Board meetings are once a month. If interested, please email info@svfol.org. Volunteers are also needed to help sort books at the library. Donation days occur 9 to 10:30 am. the first Saturday and second Thursday of the month.If interested, please email booksales@svfol.org.
Council on Aging Day Respite Program
The Council on Aging works to enrich the lives of older adults with cognitive decline. As a volunteer, you’ll play a vital role in helping participants stay engaged and active in a fun and lively setting. Volunteers work two to three days per week. Shifts last four hours and focus on assisting with group activities and general supervision of participants. Contact Leigh Galten, the volunteer coordinator at 707-525-0143 x 121, or email: lgalten@councilonaging.com.
Sonoma Valley Hospital
The Sonoma Valley Hospital Volunteer Program is looking for goodwill ambassadors to assist hospital employees and patients. Chief among these are staffing the Volunteer Desk that welcomes all visitors at the front door of the hospital, escorting patients to and from rooms, and making deliveries to patient rooms. If you or someone you know is looking for a challenging and rewarding volunteer experience, please contact our volunteer coordinator. You can find more information at sonomavalleyhospital.org/svh-volunteer-program/ , call 707-935-5177 or lwhite@sonomavalleyhospital.org
Farm to Pantry
Help ensure there is access to healthy for all, help heal the Earth and fight food insecurity by volunteer in a fun outdoor environment. Harvest nutritious fruits and vegetables for a couple hours at 9 a.m. most weekdays, some weekend and seasonal farmers market opportunities available, too. You will be helping prevent food waste. Bring your friends and family to explore beautiful local farms and orchards all over Sonoma County. Fresh produce is expensive — giving it away for free to those who need it most — be the bridge between Sonoma County’s abundance and its need. Gleaning entails about three hours on a farm or property from around 9 a.m. to noon the possibility of a drop-off to one of their partners to see first-hand where it all goes. The calendar on their website is continually updated with available harvest, gardening and food pick-up/delivery opportunities. You will receive confirmation communication with details on where and when to meet. If you are experiencing financial hardship/food insecurity, they welcome you to come glean with them and take home food for you and your family. For more information contact gleaning@farmtopantry.org, 707-955-9898. To sign-up for shifts visit farmtopantry.org/calendar.
CarePartners Initiative
It is a Sonoma Valley nonprofit that supports family caregivers who are dealing with a loved one with dementia and other forms of memory decline. Their focus is on “caring for the caregiver.” They offer support groups, social activities and “memory cafes” to provide respite for the caregiver and shared activities with loved ones at no cost. A range of volunteer opportunities are needed with particular focus on social events and fundraising—identifying grant opportunities and writing proposals. Please contact Barbara Hughes for details at bah218@aol.com or call John Randazzo, board president, at (415) 971-8979 for more information.