'Tis Better to Give Than Receive: This Holiday Season, Volunteer Opportunities Abound

These are difficult times for many people, but within those difficulties lays opportunity: Service. This holiday season reach out to those in need with these ten great, and local, ways to help.

• Let those who may need a helping hand this Thanksgiving know that dinner is waiting for them at the . For the third year in a row, the Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant at 4120 Main Street will open its doors to the needy with its "Giving Thanks" program. Thanksgiving baskets complete with enough fully-cooked turkey, fixings and desserts for families of four will be available for pick up from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. There are 150 baskets available to be distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Call 215-482-8220 , ext. 22 for details.

• Even though you may be too chilly to hike, the Wissahickon Park still needs some tender loving care this winter. On Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon volunteers will plant trees, remove invasive plants, pull down vines, and perform some trail maintenance before the first Philly snowfall arrives. And what better way to burn off some of that Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing than with some hands-on woods work? All the work will be an outdoor effort and all tools, gloves, and other materials are provided by the Friends of Wissahickon. Contact project leader Susannah Beckett at susannahb@rhd.org or 215-951-0330, ext. 2175 to get involved.

• Allens Lane Art Center in Mount Airy is a perfect venue for volunteers looking to learn more about both the world of art and the surrounding community. The center is on the lookout for anyone interested in helping usher during theatre performances, working as an attendant to keep the gallery open to the public, painting and refurbishing the art space as needed, or performing general administration tasks in the office. Stay out of the cold and promote your local gallery at the same time. Visit http://www.allenslane.org/volunteer.cfm to fill out a volunteer application today.

• No matter what the season, there are always dozens of ways for volunteers to get into the giving spirit at at 175 Green Lane. Do you want to work with children? Then help with the center's KidZone, where young students come after school for homework help and to do arts and crafts projects. Computer savvy? Help with the technology initiative and monitor the computer lab while giving new users pointers on navigating the Web. Up for a challenge? Work with teenagers in their tutoring and mentoring programs. Contact the center at 214-483-4800 or info@northlightcommunitycenter.org to get started.

• This one's for the teens. Teens, Inc. runs out of the Teen Center in Chestnut Hill and is always on the lookout for young people to connect to volunteer opportunities. The center provides them a place to hang out on Friday nights to watch movies and play games while also empowering them to do  hands-on community service in their neighborhoods. If you are between the ages of 12-18 and looking to do some good this holiday season, contact Marianne Dwyer at 215-242-4976 or at mdwyer325@aol.com.

• Help young mothers develop their holiday cooking skills this winter with the Recipes for Success Program at the  at 5301 Ridge Avenue. On the first and third Sunday of each month, volunteers teach teenage mothers to cook healthfully. No exceptional cooking experience or secret recipes are required. Volunteers can cook with the moms or watch the children while their moms explore the kitchen. The next Recipe for Success date is scheduled for Dec. 5 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Visit http://www.northernhome.org/or contact project leader Elizabeth Krow at krowelizabeth@yahoo.com or 215-620-3262 for more information.

• Are you an area cyclist who's undiscouraged by the chill of winter? Then come share your road and wheels knowledge with interested bikers at the Mount Airy Bike Collective. This volunteer group of biking enthusiasts meets on the first and third Thursday of every month from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 542 Carpenter Lane. Volunteers share tools and cycling experience to promote the safe practice of this green mode of transportation. Call 215-70B-IKE0 or e-mail MtAiryBikeCollective@gmail.com for details.

• The Stagecrafters Theater provides the perfect opportunity for service-minded arts lovers. Founded in 1929, this theater puts on high-end performances at an affordable cost for theater-goers and is always on the lookout for motivated volunteers. Though it may be too late to design sets for the theater's holiday production, Night of the Last Ballyhooby Alfred Uhry, which opens opens Nov. 26 and runs through Dec. 12, the theater's is in need of aces at public relations, fundraising, and promotions, as well as those who can help with lighting and set construction for future shows. Call 215-242-4811 or the theater's main number at any time, 215-247-8881, ext. 812 to learn more, or visit http://www.thestagecrafters.org/.

• Though this initiative won't begin until 2011, set aside some time in your schedule to volunteer at Germantown High School with the Philadelphia Children's Foundation's upcoming Career Club. Come teach students how to prepare for the next step into college or the workforce with resume and cover letter writing, networking, interviewing, dressing for success, and other preparation seminars that will get these students excited about what comes next.Contact Tia Diggs at tdiggs@philadelphiachildrensfoundation.org to start prepping for the new club.
  
  
• The Interfaith Hospitality Network of Northwest Philadelphia provides an incredible set of services to people of all faiths and an equally incredible opportunity for would-be volunteers. NPIHN provides emergency housing, support services, transitional housing and other home-related services to area families in crisis. Volunteers are needed to help stock the centers' food pantries, cook and serve meals, host or provide companionship to displaced families, food shop, drive, or perform a number of other essential services. If you, your family, or congregation is looking for a comprehensive and rewarding service opportunity, contact Neva Pryor at neva@philashelter.org or 215-247-HOME (4663) x138.

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