In any location there are public and private organizations that provide valuable services to the community. Some of these organizations work with children, while others work with the elderly, low-income, or disabled. There are also organizations that work with animals, and others that involve themselves with the cultural, historical, and recreational aspects of the community. Many of these organizations rely upon volunteers to perform many of their duties.
Orange County Animal Services is located at 1601 Eubanks Road, in Chapel Hill. The facility houses scores of dogs and cats, and occasionally other animals, that have been lost or abandoned by their owners. The staff at the animal shelter care for the animals, provide any necessary medical treatments including spaying and neutering, and in general work to increase the likelihood that the animals are adopted. Volunteers are needed primarily to walk the dogs and socialize with the cats, to insure that they are more used to human contact and more likely to be adopted. The volunteer coordinator is Sarah Fallin, and she can be reached at 919-942-7387, or you can check out the website link below.
Bennett Place State Historic Site is located at 4409 Bennett Memorial Drive, off of Highway 70 not far past the Durham County line. This is where Generals Joseph E. Johnston and William Tecumseh Sherman met to discuss the surrender of the Army of Tennessee at the close of the Civil War. Volunteers are needed to greet visitors, care for the vegetable garden and the rest of the grounds, run the gift shop, help transcribe documents, and lead visitors on guided tours. Some people are more comfortable with one task while others prefer to do another, but there is plenty to choose from. John Guss, the site director, can be reached at 919-383-4345, or go to the website.
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is located at 5501 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard, between Chapel Hill and Durham. Home necessities ranging from books to lamps to beds to stoves are donated to the ReStore, then sold to raise money for the Habitat for Humanity organization, which builds homes for people who might not afford them otherwise. The organization recycles discarded items, provides used items to the public at a steep discount, and raises money for a worthwhile organization. Volunteers at the ReStore run the cash register, tidy up the store, unload donations, and maintain the inventory. Information on how to volunteer can be found at their website
These are just a few organizations in the Orange County area that can use your help to make the county a better place to live.