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This article was prepared for the December 18, 2002 edition of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights reserved.
Hands On Helper: Janet Weber-McCarthy
Lives are busier these days. We travel further to
work, and that is somewhat squeezing out volunteerism,” says Janet Weber-McCarthy, director of Hands On Helpers, the three-year-old community service organization that maintains an online database of volunteer opportunities in greater Mercer County.
With software created by Bob Weber of Vaughn Drive-based Weblications, this database has created more than 2,000 links between organizations and volunteers, and it has about 125 visitors a day, each spending an average of 10 minutes. Monthly the site gets 1,300 searches for volunteer opportunities.
“Rather than having to call 20 different agencies until you find
one that can accommodate your needs, you can go to the website that
has 800 opportunities, and the website filters out what is appropriate
for what they can do,” says Weber-McCarthy. Agencies can put in
their new opportunities, and once a new organization or opportunity
is added that automatically goes into a public service announcement
in the Times of Trenton.
Not only can you search for a job by organization or key word, but
also by your particular talent. You can choose one or a dozen criteria,
starting with who you are (an individual, a group, what age) and the
focus of your desired work (choose from three dozen categories ranging
from adolescents to hunger relief to performing arts). You can also
do your search based on location (Belle Mead to Bordentown) and time.
For instance, searching on jobs to do “after work and Saturdays”
brings up 265 positions, and 172 of them are weekly and 25 are for
just one time.
Yet another choice to make is what skills you have to share. Choose
from three dozen skills ranging from “licensed driver” to
“record keeping.” If your skill is being a good listener,
there are 58 opportunities, 24 of them in Princeton. Would-be public
speakers have 23 opportunities. Should you want to limit your speaking
just to Princeton, that narrows the matches down to seven. Want to
do heavy lifting? Fourteen jobs are waiting for you, and some aren’t
all that weighty, just delivering meals.
Agencies used to be more rigid in the volunteer positions they offered,
suggests Weber-McCarthy. “Over the last four years we’ve seen
volunteers become much more aware of their needs and desires, and
they seek positions that best fit into their very busy lifestyles,
versus fitting their life into what needed to be done,” she says.
“Any creative method that agencies can use to encourage volunteerism
is good.”
One trend is for families to sign up. “If families have only a
few hours a week, they want to spend them together, so they can go
to a soup kitchen and serve the meal,” she says.
Before, if you couldn’t make a weekly commitment, the agencies didn’t
want you. But organizations listed with Hands On Helpers now offer
jobs that can be accomplished “sporadically” or “one-time.”
A search on “sporadic” results in 327 positions, and 127 of
them can be accomplished by groups — workplace groups or families.
Or choose from among the “one-time” volunteer jobs, such as
being a hole-watcher at a golf tournament, watching for a hole-in-one.
You may get some false negatives on your searches, and the solution
is to call Hands on Helpers directly or just keep clicking on different
key words. For instance if you asked to contribute your science or
math skills, but on a sporadic or one-time basis, your search comes
up zero. Yet the Delaware Raritan Girl Scouts are asking for people
to “share expertise in specific areas with groups of girls, e.g…,
science and technology.”
And sometimes common sense must supersede any database. Searching
on musical performance opportunities for a group of teenagers produces
no results — until you also put “elderly” into the mix,
and you get the chance to perform at the Mercer County Geriatric Center.
But you already know that nursing homes are great places for adolescents
to strut their stuff.
Weber-McCarthy came to this job 18 months ago. A native
of Long Island, where her father was a manager for the telephone company
and her mother was a manager at Bloomingdale’s, she majored in intercultural
communications at SUNY Albany, Class of 1984. She later moved to Florida,
where she worked for the American Red Cross, most recently as executive
director of a branch. She has also been vice president at the United
Way of Greater Princeton. Her husband, Dennis McCarthy, is an internal
software consultant for a Saddle Brook firm, and they live in Hillsborough
with a six-year-old and two-year-old twins.
She works three days a week, and her assistant, Rob Kantenwein, also
works part time. Her $85,000 annual budget comes from the United Way
and several area foundations and is augmented by very low rent from
her landlord, Family and Children’s Services on John Street in Princeton.
She has a $3,000 grant in place to upgrade the website to include
a voluntary registration form and an exit survey, and another grant
from the James Kerney Foundation will go for new equipment. She is
about to roll out a bulletin board for volunteer managers to help
them speak to each other effectively.
“We are responding to feedback and focus groups and starting to
do education for volunteer managers to utilize their volunteers more
effectively,” she says. “If a volunteer is not utilized in
a way they feel uses their skills, that is the reason for their dropping
out. Hence our training for managers.”
Several other groups have asked to use the website’s software, created
by Weblications but owned by Hands on Helpers. For this and other
reasons, Weber-McCarthy does not consider the national matching services,
such as VolunteerMatch.com, as real competition. “There, you have
to do a search on a zip code and pick a radius around that. On our
site, you can pick the community, the hours and the type of work you
want to do, and search by minimum age for your family or group. The
national organizations don’t have that many filters.”
“Here you get the best of both worlds. You get the local knowledge
combined with the efficiency of a computerized database.” If you
get confused, or if you don’t find what you are looking for, call.
“We might know of an opportunity, or we can help an agency custom
craft something.”
“It’s a wonderful feeling to volunteer,” says Weber-McCarthy.
As busy as she is, she still does some volunteering, with her son’s
Cub Scout pack and at his school. “Even with a couple of hours
a week, you get back more than you give even if that is not your intention.”
Hands on Helpers, 120 John Street, Suite 7, Princeton08542. Janet Weber-McCarthy, director. 609-921-8893; fax, 609-921-8894.Home page: www.handsonhelpers.orgTop Of PageHelping ChildrenOr Disabled AdultsU.S. 1’s annual Helping Hands issue highlights two organizations,one that offers job development to autistic adults — Eden InstituteFamily of Services) and one that helps abused children — CourtAppointed Special Advocate (see cover story, page 10). Would-be volunteerscan find other organizations in these two categories by searchingthe database at Hands on Helpers. Here is what we found:Anchor House, 482 Center Street, Trenton 08611.Judy Hutton, executive director. 609-396-8329.Mission: shelter for runaway, abused, and homeless childrenin Mercer and Bucks; also a foundation at 609-278-9495.Volunteer jobs: Prepare special meals for the 10-17 year oldsliving at the residence and teach them to cook in the process. Helpfreshen up the residence for 10-17 year old runaways by doing yardworkoutside area, painting inside rooms or helping with general repairs.Tutor our 10-17 year old residents with their homework for an houror two anytime after the school day ends. Provide supervision to the10-17 year old runaways residing at Anchor House. Spend quality timewith them and lead fun group activities.Angel’s Wings, 601 Hamilton Avenue, Seventh Floor,Trenton 08629-1915. Pierina Thayer, director. 609-392-6100; fax, 609-392-0651.Www.angels-wings.orgMission: emergency respite care around-the-clock to DYFS-involvedchildren, ages infant to 12 years, for whom foster care is not available.Volunteer jobs: Help provide emotional support and respite careto DYFS-involved children at the shelter.Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Mercer County, 535East Franklin Street, Trenton 08610. Peter C. Weaver, executive director.609-656-1000; fax, 609-656-1122. Home page: www.princetonol.com/groups/Mission: matching youth with caring adult volunteers in one-on-onerelationships.Volunteer jobs: Spend time each week with a child in a mentoringrelationship. Also donate to Cars for Kids program, 800-859-6526.Boys & Girls Club of Mercer County, 212 CentreStreet, Trenton 08611. 609-392-7837; fax, 609-393-6343.Mission: helping youth of all backgrounds develop qualitiesneeded to become responsible citizens and leaders through educational,physical, social/cultural, recreational and prevention programs.Volunteer jobs: Assist youth with homework by tutoring weekdayafternoons. Assisting in billiards area, running tournaments anytimeon weekdays from 2:30 to 8:30 p.m. Assist with arts and crafts orcomputers for 5 to 17-year-old members from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Assistin the gym with various athletic activities and league games between2:30 and 8:30 p.m.Camp Fire USA New Jersey Council, 535 East FranklinStreet, Trenton 08610. Kathy Conley, co-director. 609-695-8410; fax,609-695-8420.Mission: abuse prevention programs for pre-school through seventhgrade presented in school classrooms.Volunteer jobs: “Gift of Giving ” volunteers are matchedwith a Trenton elementary school classroom to guide the students ina learning experience an hour each week for five weeks.Technical assistance needed to support computer capabilities. Volunteersmay help create graphics and copy for program marketing efforts andassist with website.Collate, staple and fold child abuse/substance abuse prevention materials.On-going volunteers are need, but volunteer may choose to do smallor large amounts.Cherry Tree Club c/o Prince of Peace Lutheran Church,177 Hightstown Road, Princeton Junction 08550. 609-799-1753; fax,609-799-0958.Mission: weekday preschool program for children of homelessor impoverished families.Volunteer jobs: Prepare and serve lunch between 11:30 a.m. and1 p.m. Guide homeless children in skills development between 10:30a.m. and 1:30 p.m.The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, 635South Clinton Avenue, Trenton 08611-0831. Donna C. Pressma, CEO. 609-695-6274;fax, 609-394-5769. Www.chsofnj.orgMission: domestic and international adoption, infant fostercare, pregnancy counseling, family day care, post-adoption support,birth parent and parenting counseling, child abuse and neglect counselingand prevention, child care, early childhood development, school-basedpeer-led youth primary prevention of risk behavior, community resourcecenters.Volunteer jobs: Volunteers who can relate well with seventhand eighth graders. Must be able to help students with decision making.Knowledge of interactive, positive activities for youth helpful.Classroom aides work with a trained facilitator as part of the AdolescentPregnancy Prevention Program to speak with sixth to eighth gradersabout issues of sexuality, identity, and decision making. Experiencewith youth and ability to speak openly are necessary.Granville Charter Schools, 363 West State Street,Trenton 08618. Gerald Truehart, chief financial officer. 609-656-1300;fax, 609-392-7444.Volunteer jobs: Tutors needed 4 to 6 p.m. for an afterschoolprogram for students in grade K-5 to educate them about business,technology and character building.HomeFront, 1880 Princeton Avenue, Lawrenceville08648. Connie Mercer, director. 609-989-9417; fax, 609-989-9423. Homepage: www.homefrontnj.orgMission: helping families break the cycle of poverty, aid tohomeless families living in Route 1 motels.Volunteer jobs: Write thank-you notes for donations. Staff abooth at a community event to give information on the Center’s work,sell merchandise and accept donations.Field telephone calls and assist receptionist between the hours of10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.Also assist transitional living coordinator with client work. Supportand mentor homeless people in areas like: budgeting, problem solving,self-advocacy. Tutor adult learners by working one-on-one with a personto develop their reading skills. Transport clients to appointmentsat various organizations in Mercer County to help them get their livesback.Latina Women’s Council, 140 East Hanover Street,Trenton 08608. Lydia Santoni Lawrence. 609-443-4464; fax, 609-585-8614.Mission: leadership mentoring program for girls ages 11 to 18,to create a network of empowered Latinas.Volunteer jobs: Volunteers needed to work one-on-one with Latinagirls, ages 11-18, in a structured mentoring program for one year.Lifeties Inc., 2205 Pennington Road, Trenton 08638.Mary Inzana, founder, CEO. 609-771-1600; fax, 609-530-1648. Www.njo/communityconnection.comMission: Triad House — services to youth ages 12-18 whohave been physically, sexually or emotionally abused.Volunteer jobs: Help spruce up the house and yard and help withthe cooking. Teach sign language to staff and residents, or tutorand mentor young people to improve their reading and academic skills.Mercer Street Friends, 151 Mercer Street, Trenton08611. Stephen Kitts, director. 609-396-1506; fax, 609-396-8218.Mission: after-school programs, long-term health care, homehealth care, food distribution, medical transportation.Volunteer jobs: Work with children who are at-risk of abuseand neglect. Help watch over infants and toddlers while their parentsattend a daytime parenting group. Provide office support by answeringphones, filing and preparing charts for Home Health Care Agency.Also supervise afterschool games and recreational activities and helpwith homework at the Ike Williams Neighborhood Center. Supervise indoorand outdoor games and recreational activities at school-age childcare program in the Hamilton and Trenton Public School.Assist with arts and crafts projects, socialize with clients and helpwith bingo and other board games at the Adult Day Care Center between10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Assist children of single working mothers and low-incomefamilies by helping with indoor & outdoor play, arts & crafts, storytelling,singing and meals at the West State Street Child Development Centerbetween 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.Millhill Child & Family Development Center, 101Oakland Street, Trenton 08618. Steven Rosen, executive director. 609-989-7333;fax, 609-989-7381. Home page: www.millhillcenter.orgMission: cognitive, physical, social, and psychological developmentof children through educational programs for children 2 months to5 years, also childcare.Volunteer jobs: Volunteers are needed to help out in the classroomby reading to children, 2 months to 5 years old, playing and interactingwith the teacher.Copy, file, answer the telephone and work computers in family-basedchild care center — college students welcomed. Grounds and maintenancehelp. Sort clothing for children and parents, teach sewing, computer,basic life skills, budgeting and business etiquette interviewing classes.New Jersey Environmentors Project, 229 LawrencevilleRoad, Lawrenceville 08648. Maureen Quinn, executive director. 609-278-5844;fax, 609-278-5846. Home page: www.environmentors.orgMission: multi-cultural one-to-one mentor program that helpshigh school students form and reach their education and career goals,Trenton and Princeton High.Be matched one-on-one with a high school student and committo 8 month project in which an environmental issue is researched andtested in a scientific way.Parents Anonymous of New Jersey Inc., 12 RoszelRoad, Suite A 103, Princeton 08540. Kathleen Roe, executive director.609-243-9779; fax, 609-243-0169. Home page: www.PA-OF-NJ.orgMission: statewide self-help program for parents with 24 houra day/7 days a week parent stressline (800-843-5437) and free professionallyfacilitated self-help groups.Volunteer jobs: Receive training to facilitate a children’sprogram in your community. Must commit to 2 hours/week for one year.Facilitate parent support groups in your community. Volunteers receiveintensive training and must make a 2 hour-per-week commitment forone year. Take calls on PA’s Stressline and Family Helpline from parentsand teens under stress and in crisis, and from professionals and othersinterested in PA.Prevention Education Inc., 231 Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville08648. Evelyn A. Gill, executive director. 609-695-3739; fax, 609-695-1116.Mission: education, intervention, and training programs relatingto sexual abuse and personal safety.Volunteer jobs: Help support busy office by answering the phone.Princeton Housing Authority, 50 Clay Street, Princeton08542. MaryJo Grauso, executive director. 609-924-3448; fax, 609-924-1663.Mission: provide low-income housing for elderly, disabled andfamilies.Volunteer jobs: Facilitate social, recreational, or educationalactivities for teen or senior groups.Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, 72 Escher Street, Trenton08605. Peter Wise. 609-695-5456; fax, 609-695-1225. Home page:www.trentonsoupkitchen.orgMission: To provide a hot, nutritious meal at lunchtime, weekdays,and dinner, Monday through Thursday, 4 to 6 p.m. To provide adulteducation in literacy, basic math, GED preparation, and computer skills.Volunteer jobs: Kids’ room volunteers, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.,to help children enjoy an arts activity. Good for those younger than13 when accompanied by an adult. Call Cathy at 609-695-5456.Also tutors needed to help adults with basic literacy, math, GED preparationand computer skills, weekdays from 9 to 11 a.m. or Monday to Thursday,2 to 4 p.m.Princeton Family YMCA, Paul Robeson Place, Princeton08540. Richard F. Smith, CEO. 609-497-9622; fax, 609-497-9031. Homepage: www.princetonol.com/groups/ymcaVolunteer jobs: Tutors/mentors needed in our After School Programfrom 3-6pm for students grade K-5 during the school year.Coaches needed for Youth Sports Program — mostly weekends butsome weekdays, all year.Young Scholars’ Institute, 399 West State Street,Trenton 08650. Jerri Morrison, executive director. 609-393-2220; fax,609-393-8132.Mission: educational, cultural, and recreational activitiesfor Trenton area youth, grades K-12, in public schools.Volunteer jobs: “Career Speaker” to teach high schoolafter-school program students about a job or vocation. Tutor between5 and 8 p.m. one day a week with children, grades K-12, in varioussubjects. Saturday tutors needed between 10 a.m. and noon. Volunteersto assist in the office with clerical tasks.Top Of PageFor Autisticor DisabledThe Arc/Mercer Inc. (Arc Enterprises), 180 EwingvilleRoad, Ewing 08638. Joseph N. Gousie Sr., executive director. 609-406-0181;fax, 609-406-9258. Home page: www.arcmercer.orgMission: non-profit employing those with developmental disabilitiesto provide services and products to the business community.Volunteer jobs: Serve an inner-city per-school facility thatserves children with special needs and other children from MercerCounty.Assist persons with disabilities in learning job skills necessaryfor current or future community employment. Or in learning how torealize their dreams and desires in life by becoming better self-advocates.Work with Club HERO program to assist persons with disabilities inengaging in meaningful leisure activities on site and in the community.Association for Advancement of Mental Health (AAMH),819 Alexander Road, Princeton 08540. Rich McDonnell ACSW LCSW, executivedirector. 609-452-2088; fax, 609-452-0627.Mission: community mental health center serving adults livingin the Greater Mercer area with diverse range of behavioral healthcare needs with programs including outpatient services, partial careday treatment and employment services, supported housing/integratedcase management services, future planning and long term care services,family education and support group services.Volunteer jobs: Help with folding, labels, and data entry forfundraisers. Assist group therapists providing educational and recreationalgroup activities. Lead the group in learning a new skill or activity.Work on a committee to help plan special events, an eight-month commitment.Citizens for Independent Living, 100 Woods Lane,Monmouth Junction 08852. Linda King, executive director. 732-355-0620;fax, 732-329-6038.Mission: nonprofit organization assisting developmentally disabledadults who are capable of fulltime work and independent living.Community Options Inc./Enterprises Inc., 16 FarberRoad, Princeton 08540. Robert P. Stack, president, CEO. 609-951-9900;fax, 609-951-9112. Home page: www.comop.orgMission: community based services with an emphasis on individualempowerment for those with severe developmental disabilities.Volunteer jobs: Companions: assist individuals with disabilitiesin social and recreational activities. May include taking someoneto the movies, out to eat, shopping to the zoo, ball game, etc. Shareyour favorite hobby or activity.COSAC New Jersey — Center for Outreach andServices for the Autism Community Inc., 1450 Parkside Avenue, Suite22, Ewing 08638. Paul Potito, executive director. 609-883-8100; fax,609-883-5509. Home page: www.members.aol.com/njautismMission: New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for theAutism CommunityVolunteer jobs: Help in the office by stuffing envelopes, folding,stapling material, and completing data entry between 8:30 a.m. and5 p.m.NAMI New Jersey, 1562 Route 130 North, North Brunswick08902. Sylvia Axelrod, executive director. 732-940-0991; fax, 732-940-0355.Mission: organization for families of persons with serious mentalillness; offering information, self-help support, education and advocacy.Volunteer jobs: Do corporate and foundations research to helpin applying for grants. Mentor members who do not have families. Transportmembers to group meetings.New Horizons in Autism, 237 Prospect Plains Road,Cranbury 08512. Oberson Emmerich. 609-409-1965; fax, 609-409-2075.Home page: www.nhautism.orgMission: after school program, based in Neptune.The HUB, 160 Nassau Street at Vandeventer, c/oPrinceton United Methodist Church, Princeton 08542. Rev. Molly Dykstra.609-430-0136; fax, 609-924-0113.Mission: socialization for adults with intellectual or psychiatricdisabilities.Volunteer jobs: Socializing, conversation, table games and snacksare some of the activities that volunteers. Their presence bringsa feeling of inclusion and acceptance to adults with intellectualor psychiatric disabilities.Previous StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
