Opportunities to volunteer offer chances to help in Centennial Hills

But to get out and about and look at the strides local volunteers make each day, perhaps it would be a sight worthy of applause.

Nevada ranked 50th in the percentage of residents who volunteer, according to data accumulated from 2008- 10 by volunteeringinamerica.gov. Broken down, it amounts to about 20.9 percent of Nevadans reaching their hand out to help one another.

On the other hand, volunteers in Nevada gave 75.1 million hours of service, according to the website .

With nonprofit groups always needing help and everyone from city government to the next-door neighbor doing more with less, volunteers have never been needed more in Centennial Hills and the rest of the valley.

Get involved

Saturday is Make a Difference Day, a national day of good deeds and goodwill. Events are planned around the valley, and one is slated to upgrade a piece of Centennial Hills history.

Volunteers are still needed to help spruce up the Variety Early Learning Center, a child-care and nonprofit family services outlet at 990 D St .

The event, planned for 9 a.m., is to install flooring, paint, fix lights and cabinets and perform a general cleaning of the more than 50-year-old facility, project coordinator Arnold Stalk said.

Stalk also is founder of SHARE, a nonprofit group dedicated to pinpointing service projects, funding and manpower. SHARE completed Phase 1 of the Variety Early Learning Center makeover in September, and Saturday’s event is Phase 2.

Stalk said he has noticed a trend of younger people donating their time and talent .

“I’m 57 years old, and it gives me renewed optimism there are young people that care,” he said. “What days like this symbolize is how wonderful it is to give back.”

For more information or to volunteer, call 624-5792.

Park perk ups

The city of Las Vegas Park Ambassador Program gives seniors the opportunity to be of service to the Las Vegas community. Ambassadors greet park visitors, distribute information about the city’s recreational and cultural activities and report any damaged equipment or maintenance problems.

For more information, call 229-4924.

The city of Las Vegas also has entered into an agreement with the Outside Las Vegas Foundation to help enhance the city’s trail systems by developing an adopt-a-trail program. The foundation will assist with the city’s Adopt-A-Trail Program and volunteer program. The goal is to bring residents to the trails and develop a community of stewards for them.

For more information, call 789-3355 or email volunteer@outsidelasvegas.org.

The city of Las Vegas has more than 76 public parks that always could use sprucing up. Volunteer tasks include removing weeds, painting over graffiti, picking up trash and more. Extend the beautification by arranging neighborhood cleanups to cover graffiti, clean up vacant lots and paint fire hydrants and red curbs, said an official with the office of Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Ross, Ward 6.

To get involved or arrange a cleanup, call 229-6154.

Ross is seeking volunteers to help with his annual Cowboy Christmas and Car Show. This event is planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 3 at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, 9200 Tule Springs Road. Volunteers are needed to help with parking, set up and tear down of the event, clean up after the event, games, craft tables and more.

To help, contact Michelle Thackston at 229-6154 or mthackston@lasvegasnevada.gov.

To get further information about the event, visit lasvegasnevada.gov/cowboychristmas.

Getting hands dirty

Simply put, Sharon Linsenbardt couldn’t keep The Farm, 7222 W. Grand Teton Drive, running without volunteers.

She and her husband, Glenn, have owned and operated the 5-acre farm for more than 40 years. But as the couple age into their late 60s, they rely on the kindness and strength of volunteers to keep their food products and animal habitants in working order.

Linsenbardt welcomes service organizations such as Scout groups or honor society members who need to fulfill volunteer hours. Helpers for a day here and there also keep The Farm operational.

But men and women from nearby U.S. Air Force bases are steady help that Linsenbardt is most moved by.

“God, they’re good kids,” she said. “I miss them when they go and I keep them in mind and I worry about them.”

A few weeks ago, Linsenbardt called on about 10 to 15 airmen to help make a hay maze of 1,500 bales . A volunteer created the design, and volunteers brought it to life.

Staff Sgt. Takashi Fujishin oversaw the team. The airmen have community service requirements with the branch.

“A lot of us are from farm backgrounds or have worked them once or twice,” he said. “They’re anxious to help.”

For more information, call 982-8000 or visit thelasvegasfarm.com.

Civic duty

To blend a little elbow grease and civic support, the city of Las Vegas has options for all ages.

Applications are being accepted for the Youth Neighborhood Association Partnership Program .

The program provides up to $1,000 for projects that are designed and carried out by young people.

Adults serve as leaders, but the ideas of the young people propel projects that address important neighborhood and community needs and include a realistic budget and solid plan.

Youths also are needed to serve on the board that reviews the applications.

All applications for funding are reviewed by the Youth Neighborhood Association Partnership Program Grant Review Board.

The board, consisting of seven local youths and eight adults, considers proposed grant applications and makes recommendations to the Las Vegas City Council.

For more information, contact Lisa Campbell at 229-5406 or visit lasvegasnevada.gov/government/boards.htm .

The Neighborhood Partners Fund is another grant program designed to assist in improving the livability of city neighborhoods through community-matched funding for neighborhood projects.

Neighborhood associations, homeowners associations or business associations whose primary purpose is neighborhood improvement can apply for grants up to $5,000, which must be matched by the neighborhood with cash, volunteer labor, donated supplies, equipment or professional services.

The associations must be in the city of Las Vegas, be registered with the Neighborhood Services Department as projects that need to be implemented within the registered neighborhood’s boundaries, have a majority of the association’s members living or operating businesses in the neighborhood, demonstrate neighborhood support for the proposed project or program or be registered as a non profit association with the state of Nevada.

For more information, contact Maria Castillo-Couch at 229-6681.

The city of Las Vegas also has many boards and commissions that youths and residents can serve on.

To get more information and to see a list of the boards and commissions, visit lasvegasnevada.gov/government/boards.htm

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.