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Want to Volunteer?

Start Here:

Greater Cleveland Volunteers

216-391-9500

greaterclevelandvolunteers.org

Or here:

volunteermatch.org

Or try Summit County:

United Way of Summit County

uwsummit.org

Like animals?

Try the Portage County Animal Protective League. Go to portageapl.org or call 330-296-4022.

Want to feed the hungry?

Organize a food drive. Go to greaterclevelandfoodbank.org to learn more.

Interested in immigrants?

Try the International Institute of Akron. Go to iiakron.org or call 330-376-5106.

You don’t have to wear an elf costume — although that’s fun to do — lead a Girl Scout troop or own an incredibly well-behaved dog to be a good volunteer. All you need is a bit of time and a willingness to help others.

Here are a few Northeast Ohio givers. They were nominated by local agencies, businesses and Greater Cleveland Volunteers.

Sister Helen Scasny, SC has been a volunteer for Light of Hearts Villa since 2006. Prior to that, Sister Helen was the administrator for 17 years. She brings her faith and her love for all people to the Villa. She is responsible for managing the Cozy Corner Re-Sale Shoppe. She is an avid beekeeper and sells her honey (Nun Sweeter) at the Villa. She donates honey sale proceeds to the benevolent fund, which provides for seniors who have outlived their financial resources. Sister Helen volunteers an average of 10 hours a week and has accumulated more than 5,000 volunteer hours. The Villa — a faith-based senior living community with independent and assisted living, memory care and respite care — is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.

Bruce Goodman, president of White Dove Mattress Ltd., is a busy business owner who wanted to volunteer. The lunchtime mentoring program My Mentor My Friend, managed by Greater Cleveland Volunteers, piqued his curiosity. He enrolled with the agency, went through the training and began mentoring a fourth-grade student.

“I volunteer because I believe it is my responsibility to give back and help make the world a better place. I selected the My Mentor My Friend program because I believe all children deserve our support, guidance and encouragement to help them build rewarding and productive lives. This program targets children that want and need our support,” he says.

It’s common this time of year to review areas of our lives that we want to change or improve. One thing that impacts us every day is our wardrobe and personal image. It goes everywhere with us and influences how others perceive us and the skills we offer.

Try to be brutally honest as you work through the following steps to a refreshed wardrobe and personal image and take a candid look at the wardrobe choices you made this past year.

Before you go shopping, do an image review. If you’re active on social media such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, there are probably many photos of you. What do you see when you study images of yourself?

– Do you love your hairstyle?

– Guys, how does that beard or mustache look? Well groomed?

– Does your eyewear flatter your face shape and is it modern?

– Ladies, is your makeup still looking fresh and current?

– Are you wearing your power colors, texture, print and shine?

– Does it seem like you are wearing the same thing in every photo? HINT: If you wear mostly black or gray it looks like the same outfit on social media.

While studying those photos objectively, ask yourself a few questions:

– Would I date, hire or want to meet that person?

– Then ask, what is that person visually communicating to me? Modern, confident, influential, relatable, friendly, fun, polished, sexy? HINT: You get to choose.

– Is it possible those photos are saying you’re tired, bored, stuck, frumpy and unrelatable?

Next is the wardrobe review. What do you find?

Do you have items that:

– Don’t fit well?

– You’ve never worn, with tags still on?

– You like but rarely or never wear?

– You put on but then change your mind and take off?

If you watched any or all of the 249 episodes of “The Andy Griffith Show” in the 1960s — or still catch reruns — consider a visit to Mount Airy, N.C. Griffith, who plays Sheriff Andy Taylor in the show, grew up in this small town and used it as a model for his series.

While the show exists only in reruns today, parts of the town are happily stuck in the past. Just six and a half hours down Interstate 77 you’ll find an entertaining getaway that makes the most of its connection to Barney, Aunt Bee, Opie and the rest of the gang.

Glimpses of the Past

During our visit, we slept in the retro, pragmatic and clean Mayberry Motor Inn at the edge of town. Keep in mind, this is a flashback to simpler times, and the motel appropriately small and historic. Rumor has it the owner sometimes dresses up as Aunt Bee while working the front desk.

The best start to visiting the town, after a good night’s sleep, is the Squad Car Ride. While we waited our turn in the Ford Galaxy (the fleet consists of ’62 ’63, ’64 and ’67 models) we checked out the replica of Wally’s Service Station.

Inside the historic corner building, we took turns posing in the jail cell and propping our feet on Andy’s desk. Definitely Facebook moments.

For our ride, we perched on the vinyl backseat and cranked down the old windows. Riding up and down the streets, we learned about the man and the show. We saw places that Andy Griffith/Andy Taylor frequented such as Floyd’s City Barber Shop and The Snappy Lunch.

After getting the lay of the land, we slid into a small booth at the 94-year-old The Snappy Lunch diner for North Carolina’s official pancake-battered pork chop sandwich.

Photo credit for RedCoats pics:

Playing Around

Not all heroes wear red capes; some wear red coats

RedCoat volunteers of Playhouse Square are the first friendly faces to greet you in the theater. Odds are if you’ve attended a show, they’ve greeted you at the door, scanned your ticket, given you a program and directed you to your seat. What would you have done without them?

It takes nearly 90 RedCoats to staff an average Broadway performance. Since expanding its KeyBank Broadway Series, Playhouse Square is on the lookout for more of these right-hand men and women.

Ella Wilson of Shaker Heights found herself with a little extra time on her hands when her daughter went off to college. Since she’s been drawn to theater, she decided to become a RedCoat. “I absolutely love every moment of it.”

Wilson especially enjoys the children’s programs at Playhouse. One busy evening at the theater, she felt a tug on her jacket. She looked down and heard a little boy say, “Excuse me, thank you for helping me.”

“That just brightened my whole day,” Wilson says.

Jim and Linda Borsuk of Westlake decided to become RedCoats together.

“My wife and I attended Playhouse Square as patrons for years,” Jim Borsuk says. “Every time we went there, everyone we ever came across weren’t just happy but glad to help you.”

They decided it was time to join the team.

“We had always talked about when we retire, when we have time, because we are both extremely busy people. Then last year, we finally said, ‘Let’s just do it.’ We just wanted to give others the same great experience we always had at the theater.”

Borsuk says it doesn’t feel much like work at all. “I can disconnect from what I do on the 9-to-5 basis and enter this other world of happiness.

Colorful lights, extravagant Christmas decorations, and the mess and mayhem that comes with the holiday season can be a lot of fun — unless you’ve got a For Sale sign in the front yard.

Few people choose to sell a house during the holidays, but sometimes they don’t have a choice. A job transfer, a sudden illness or death, or another unforeseen or unavoidable circumstance can land a house smack dab in the middle of the notoriously slow-selling holiday season.

Tight Market

The housing market is tight right now both here in Northeast Ohio and across the country. People are living longer, retiring later and generally staying put in their homes, creating a crowded market for potential homebuyers and young people trying to buy a home.

That can be good news for those who find themselves managing open houses and showings from mid-November through Groundhog Day in February. People are looking for houses year-round because there aren’t that many choices, particularly in desirable neighborhoods.

If you’re selling a house during the holidays, keep decorations simple. This isn’t the year for a Christmas tree in every room or inflatable Santas and Grinches in the front yard. Excessive décor can be distracting to potential buyers.

And although the holidays are a time for family visits and parties, it’s vital that sellers make their homes available for Realtor showings throughout the season. Be flexible. Keep your home show-ready; stash the holiday wrap, move the cookie tins, and clear out clutter to make rooms look open and appealing.

Keep a box of shoe booties near the entrance so people don’t track salt, mud and snow into your home. It will cut down on messy floors and make it easier to get ready for a last-minute showing if your Realtor calls.

Keep the walkways and driveways free of snow and ice.

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ― Mother Teresa

The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year that can also be the most horrible time of the year if gift-giving is part of the festivities.

Your spouse, friends, parents, in-laws, grandkids, neighbors — the gift-giving list goes on and on. Many of us don’t have a clue what to buy.

To find the perfect gift, you can always do the obvious: ask the person what they really want. Or you can use the following suggestions for inspiration, both practical and whimsical.

What are their interests?

Make a list of all the things that define the person. This should be a long list once you start thinking of their hobbies, interests or a wish list they may have shared. Then add something to every item, big or small, from obvious to off the wall. This will get you thinking creatively about some cool gift ideas you normally may not have thought about.

What do they need?

Everyone needs something. Think outside the box. If the person enjoys day trips, put together a survival kit with a beautiful water bottle, snack packs of cookies, nuts, pretzels or mints, or even a travel size toothbrush and toothpaste. Thinking of their lifestyle can offer lots of ideas and will help you reframe your usual view of that person.

Make them laugh.

Perhaps the person remembers assembling model kits or enjoying a special candy as a child. Search local vintage stores for their favorites. If they watched a popular television show or cartoon, search for memorabilia that brings back great memories and laughs.

“A great gift is one that brings a smile to both the person giving the gift and also to the person receiving the gift.

Volunteers are the backbone of many organizations, especially nonprofits. Without their tireless work, many organizations would be unable to provide valuable services.

Nonprofits are involved with many activities that may expose the organization, the officers and the volunteers to potential liability. We might not have as many volunteers if they faced liability for their acts. Fortunately, federal and state governments have laws in place to help.

Protections for You

In 1997, Congress passed the Volunteer Protection Act (VPA) to provide protection from lawsuits that might be filed against individual volunteers for nonprofit organizations for activities they do on behalf of the organization.

Ohio has a similar law that also protects volunteers so they can be confident that their good work doesn’t expose them to legal liability.

The federal and state volunteer protection laws provide that an unpaid volunteer of a nonprofit organization or a government entity acting within the scope of their responsibility are not liable for ordinary, accidental negligence.

The law doesn’t cover willful or criminal misconduct, gross or reckless negligence, or a conscious or flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed. It doesn’t cover injuries caused by operating a motor vehicle. It also does not cover volunteers for businesses or the organization using the volunteer.

However, if you volunteer for AARP or for a political campaign, as long as you use common sense and perform lawful acts within the scope of your work, you can’t be sued for your actions.

Agency Protection

What about the organizations? How are they protected? Under the VPA, organizations can be sued for wrongful acts of their volunteers. Luckily, most larger nonprofits have insurance to cover this, and the insurance will pay. Unfortunately, some smaller nonprofits or organizations might not be able to afford insurance. One horrible mistake could put them out of business.