Community volunteers needed

Volunteer Houston is looking for volunteers for the following agencies.

On Feb. 5 and 6, volunteers are needed for the "Souper Bowl of Caring," potentially the largest food drive ever held in the Greater Houston area. Volunteers will staff a food donation station that weekend at a participating grocery store and answer questions posed by potential donors. Most shifts will last about two hours. Assignments are available in Pasadena, Baytown, Deer Park and neighboring locales.

On Jan. 22, a massive tree planting will take place in a broad area between Loop 610 and Maxey Road. Part of the city's official Arbor Day celebration, the event will engage volunteers in planting 25,000 trees. The work will take place from 8 a.m. to noon. Immediately following the planting, volunteers will be invited to a party featuring refreshments and live music. Youth volunteers are welcome.

A pregnancy center in Pasadena helps women with the challenges and concerns involved with unplanned and crisis pregnancies. A wide variety of opportunities for involvement are available to potential volunteers, including answering phones, data entry, teaching life-skills classes, mentoring, running errands or assisting with on-site child care. The center is open Mondays through Fridays.

Spanish-speaking volunteers are wanted at income tax preparation centers that help low-income persons complete their federal tax returns. This assignment doesn't require any tax expertise, just good interpersonal skills, fluency in English and Spanish and a willingness to assist volunteer tax-form preparers in communicating with the persons served at cooperating libraries and community centers in the Pasadena and Baytown areas.

For more information on these volunteer opportunities, call Volunteer Houston at 713-965-0031, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional opportunities can be found at www.volunteerhouston.org.