Volunteers needed

National Night Out: In past years, the St. Charles Police Department has hosted a community picnic at Pottawatomie Park in conjunction with National Night Out against Crime. Its purpose is to bring members of the police department and citizens together to promote crime awareness and prevention.

This year, the police department is moving this community event back into the neighborhoods. The department is looking for volunteers to organize and host a gathering in their respective neighborhood. This could take the form of a block party or just a get-together in a specific neighborhood location, such as a park or backyard.

The National Night Out Committee will assist the residents with their party and provide an instructional kit that includes a checklist and tips for planning the event. St. Charles Police Department officers and other city officials will visit each individual party on the night of Aug. 5.

Interested citizens or neighborhood associations should contact Crime Prevention Officer Tim Beam at the police department, (630) 377-4435, and complete a block party application.

Volunteer tutors needed: If you would like to help an adult read, write and speak English, you will want attend Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley's tutor training workshop starting July 21 at the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. Sixth Ave.

You will learn the innovative methods used to help adults read, write and speak English while discussing the issues people face when they have little knowledge of the American culture.

Workshop participants will explore the qualities of students and tutors, cultural awareness, student survival skills, conversation techniques, practice drills and more.

Once you are trained you will be matched with one adult learner who lives or works in St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia or Elburn. You can tutor morning, afternoon or evening as your schedule allows. Most tutors meet with their students for about an hour each week.

Many tutoring locations exist including the St. Charles Public Library, Batavia Public Library, Pheasant Run Resort and Hosanna! Lutheran Church.

You do not need to know a second language or have a background in education to help. According to learners, the most successful tutors are good listeners and give practical information. Coordinators will provide continuing support.

To register or for more information about the workshop, visit www.lvfv.org or call (630) 584-4428.

Music lovers can volunteer: People who love music have an opportunity to support a good cause - Marklund - and at the same time see a favorite performer and enjoy great music with friends, family, or co-workers.

A Marklund corporate supporter, The Buona Companies, has a division called Beyond Events. This particular division manages the concessions for Chicago's Northerly Island concert venue, Charter One Pavilion, which was known formerly as Meigs Field.

Each volunteer will work in Beyond Events' main concession tent serving food and drinks for the concerts, while Buona will donate a portion of its sales to Marklund. In 2007, $9,000 was raised. In 2008, there is the potential to raise $50,000 for Marklund.

Volunteers will be close to the stage, can enjoy the music while working and dinner will be provided.

"Businesses can use this opportunity for corporate team building," said Stevie Armbruster, development coordinator. "Entire neighborhoods can take part as well as clubs, friends, families or co-workers."

Fifty volunteers are needed per concert. All volunteers must be 16 years old and over, but only volunteers over age 21 will work the cash registers and/or serve alcohol. The total time commitment is approximately eight hours including travel time, from midafternoon to approximately 11 p.m., although times will vary depending on concert start times.

Buona will provide transportation from a convenient location, and training will be provided before the gates open. Marklund volunteers will work together operating cash registers and serving food and beverages. Beyond Events staff will work side-by-side with volunteers.

Breaks and dinner will be provided as will uniform aprons, hats, name badges. Volunteers must wear khaki pants (no jeans), rubber soled closed shoes, socks and a white t-shirts. There will be no heavy lifting or extensive cleanup.

One hundred percent of funds raised will go to Marklund's programs and services that directly benefit the lives of infants, children and adults with developmental disabilities.

The concert dates and performers are:

• Friday: Yes

• Saturday: Umphreys McGee With Sound Tribe Sector 9

• July 22 - John Mellencamp with Lucinda Williams

• July 23 - Boston and Styx

• July 24 - OAR with The Beautiful Girls

• Aug. 23 - Music Builds Tour Featuring Third Day and Switchfoot

For information or to sign up, e-mail Stevie Armbruster at sarmbruster@marklund.org or call (630) 593-5473.

The mission of Marklund is to provide quality, compassionate care for people with disabilities. Marklund's services encompass the full realm of needs, including medical care, residential facilities, habilitative therapies, educational and day services and community-based programs. Marklund's main campus in Geneva consists of six 16-bed residential homes for adults with severe and profound developmental disabilities, as well as an educational and training center that provides for the intensive medical, social, emotional and physical needs of the residents. In Bloomingdale, the Marklund Philip Center for Children encompasses the Children's Home, a pediatric nursing facility for infants, children and medically fragile adults; the Day School, an education program for children ages 3 to 21; early intervention for infants and toddlers age birth to three; and Marklund's respite program.

Green volunteers needed: The Geneva Green Market, a market featuring locally grown and minimally processed produce, is seeking volunteers to help them one day a week to the end of October. Responsibilities will vary from handing out fliers to manning the Geneva Green Market booth to directing visitors to the vendors they are seeking. Contact Karen Stark at karcryo@mac.com if you are interested and available. The Web site is www.genevagreenmarket.org.

Batavia farmers market: The Batavia Farmers' Market runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon through Oct. 11. People interested in working a shift (three hours, either open or close) once a month are encouraged to call Dawn Williams at (630) 761-3528 or email farmersmarket@downtownbatavia.com.

The mission of Batavia Mainstreet is to enhance the identity of Batavia's downtown area as the heart of our community.

Volunteer at Fabyan: Preservation Partners seeks volunteer guides for the Fabyan Villa Museum and Japanese Garden. Being a volunteer guide is fun, rewarding and educational at the Fabyan Villa Museum and Japanese Garden in Geneva.

The Villa and Japanese Garden were once part of a 300 acre estate that included science and code breaking laboratories, a small zoo, Dutch windmill, and much more. Now the estate is the Fabyan Forest Preserve, and volunteers give tours of the Villa, a Frank Lloyd Wright redesign, on weekend afternoons through Oct. 15. Volunteers may also assist with Wednesday and Thursday afternoon public hours, private tours and special events.

Japanese Garden volunteers are needed for public hours on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons through October. Garden guides greet visitors, give introductions and answer questions at the garden gate.

No prior experience is necessary. Training on the fascinating Fabyan history and Frank Lloyd Wright architecture is provided. All that is required is an interest in interacting with people, and a minimum time commitment of one afternoon per month.

Call Lynn Dransoff at (630) 377-6424 or email fabyanvilla@ppfv.org for more information. The Fabyan Villa Museum and Japanese Garden are owned by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County and operated by Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley.