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People with Disabilities

Blue Mountain Industries Adult Employment Services

Contact: Brenda Bamford, Programs Director, 2616 E. Isaacs, Walla Walla, (509) 525-5433, brendab@lilliericecenter.org

Mission: Blue Mountain Industries offers five different types of work experiences (Manufacturing Assembly, Grounds Maintenance, Janitorial, Individual Supported Employment, and Volunteer Employment Experiences), each which provide a stepping stone for vocational skill development, enrichment, and training, with emphasis on employment for adults with developmental disabilities.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Required Skills:

Skills Learned:

Training:

Volunteer Types:

Individuals who can come on a regular basis
Individuals who can help out with a project occasionally when it fits his/her schedule
Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
Groups of volunteers who can come on a regular basis
Groups of volunteers who can help out once with a big project

Parent to Parent

Contact: Cyndy Knight, PO Box 1595, Walla Walla WA 99362, 509-524-2940, cknight@co.walla-walla.wa.us

Mission: Parent to Parent offers support and information to families who are raising children with disabilities. We also offer recreation opportunities year-round for kids with disabilities.

Volunteer Opportunities: Providing one-on-one support to children involved with our recreational programs including; Basketball, Baseball, Yoga, Christmas Open House, Parent Nights Out, Easter Egg Hunt, Support Groups, and Summer Day Camp. We also help coordinate a Buddy Program matching college age students with young adults with disabilities.

Required Skills: A positive attitude and general acceptence of children with disabilities. A love for kids of any ability. On time and respectful to Parent to Parent Coordinator. Willingness to learn. Volunteer will be asked to fill out a Peer Mentor Application that requires references and a background check.

Skills Learned: The volunteer will be more aware of what it is like to have a disability; Autism, Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Physical Disabilities. The volunteers will learn about sensitivity, confidentiality, problem solving, the myths and truths about persons with disabilities, person first language and how to interact.

Training: Our goal is to build awareness in typically developing students about children who have disabilities. Our training "With a Little Help From My Friends" is conducted typically on a Saturday in January and is 6 hours (lunch included). The volunteers are given a handout at the training that allows them to sign up for various activities scheduled for the year.

Volunteer Types:

Individuals who can come on a regular basis
Individuals who can help with a project occasionally when it fits his/her schedule
Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
Individuals who can earn credit (service-learning) by working with your organization
Groups of volunteers who can come on a regular basis
Groups of volunteers who can help out once with a big project

Rising Sun Club House

Contact: Nicolette Harral, Director, 35 West Chestnut Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362, 509-529-0120, risingsunclubhouse@yahoo.com

Mission: The Rising Sun Clubhouse provides a support place reflecting the clubhouse model of social rehabilitation opportunities which empower members with mental illness to reach their full and considerable potential while rediscovering their self-respect, dignity, and abilities, through the opportunity to perform productive work, create meaningful relationships, and to belong to a community.

Volunteer Opportunities: Work side-by-side with members doing a variety of activities which are part of a work ordered day. Examples are putting pantry shelves in order, major cleaning projects such as window washing, participating in helping members to work on their own personal growth plans, writing their autobiographies, learning or working on computer skills.

Required Skills: Good listener, a person who has a variety of experience, positive attitude, self-starter, able to keep information confidential, creative, someone who can look for things to do, willing to use thier talents. Volunteers must be comfortable with persons with mental illnesses, flexible in their way of dealing with people, and upbeat and cheerful in their manner.

Skills Learned: They will learn more about how much mentally ill people are just like everybody else; they will lose their uneasiness around persons with psychiatric disabilities, and they will gain insight and sympathy for persons who bear the terrible stigma of mental illness. They will also gain firsthand knowledge of how symptoms of mental illnesses (such as hearing voices, problems with being withdrawn and paranoid) affect the people who suffer from them, and how kindness and understanding can help people overcome some of their symptoms. Finally, they will learn how kind persons with mental illnesses are toward their peers at the clubhouse and how a community can benefit them.

Training: At the start of their volunteer experience and then on-the-job through supervision.

Volunteer Types:

Individuals who can come on a regular basis
Individuals who can help out with a project occasionally when it fits his/her schedule
Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
Groups of volunteers who can come on a regular basis
Groups of volunteers who can help out once with a big project

United Blind of Walla Walla

Contact: Vivian Conger & Barbee, 1519 Whitman Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362,509.526.4967, blazie.girl@gmail.com

Mission: The purpose of this organization is to promote the special interests of the legally blind in Walla Walla, Washington and the surrounding area. In addition it is the goal of this organization to expand equality, independence, and opportunity for the legally blind citizens of Walla Walla.

Volunteer Opportunities: Assisting folks with shopping, yard work, reading, cleaning

Required Skills: Caring, willingness to learn, good people skills, and various other talents

Skills Learned: Learning to work with individuals who are blind or visually impaired

Training: brief instruction before or at event

Volunteer Types:

Individuals who can come on a regular basis
Individuals who can help with a project occasionally when it fits his/her schedule
Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
Groups of volunteers who can come on a regular basis
Groups of volunteers who can help out once with a big project

Valley Residential Services

Contact: Nancy Riggle, 240 Bush Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362, 509-522-0400, nancy@valleyresidential.org

Mission: Client care

Volunteer Opportunities: Client care

Required Skills: Respectful, caring, dependable

Skills Learned: Varies

Training: Volunteer orientation

Volunteer Types:

Individuals who can come on a regular basis
Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
Individuals who can earn credit (service-learning) by working with your organization
Groups of volunteers who can come on a regular basis
Groups of volunteers who can help out once with a big project

Volunteer Chore Services

Contact: Robin Dowsett, 408 W. Poplar, Walla Walla WA 99362, 509-525-0572, rdowsett@ccspokane.org

Mission: Volunteers provide a wide variety of household tasks and assistance that enables recipients to remain in their homes with dignity and connection to their community.

Volunteer Opportunities: Tasks include housework, laundry, transportation, shopping and similar independent living requests.Volunteers also participate in one-time projects such as moves and yard clean-ups. There are also opportunities to serve in an indirect capacity doing data entry, filing, taking pictures, making promotional materials, cooking, setting up for, serving or entertaining for volunteer recognition events, making thank-you cards, legislative advocacy for low income elders and disabled services, distributing promotional materials, mailing surveys to clients, and many other tasks.

Required Skills: Desire to help low income elders and/or disabled adults in the community.

Skills Learned: Enhanced interpersonal skills.

Training: Initial orientation is in the Catholic Charities office during a one-on-one meeting with the Program Manager. There are opportunities for additional training as well as volunteer appreciation events throughout the year. There is also a newsletter.

Volunteer Types:

Individuals who can come on a regular basis
Individuals who can help with a project occasionally when it fits his/her schedule
Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
Individuals who can earn credit (service-learning) by working with your organization
Groups of volunteers who can come on a regular basis
Groups of volunteers who can help out once with a big project