Submitted
The Pickaway County office of Ohio State University Extension is seeking community residents interested in volunteering for a new program in 2017.
The Family and Consumer Sciences Volunteer Program is designed to build upon the abilities and knowledge of community members to reach broader audiences in key areas, said Michelle Treber, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator.
“We’ve always known that many community members have the skills, knowledge and interest in nutrition, money management, parenting and other areas related to Family and Consumer Sciences,” Treber said. “Now we have a program to tap into that resource and provide local residents a chance to share their knowledge and help promote our programs. The whole idea is to help strengthen Pickaway County’s families and our community as a whole.”
Those participating in the program can choose to advocate or promote local FCS programs. Advocates will work with legislators and other stakeholders to lend support for adequate funding for FCS programs. Promoters will be involved in public awareness campaigns, operate displays at health fairs and be involved in other FCS events.
“In addition, we plan to soon add a teaching component to our volunteer program,” Treber said. “Teaching volunteers will undergo extensive training to help lead established FCS programs.”
Pickaway County’s Extension FCS program plans to begin the local volunteer program in March 2017. Applicants will be asked to complete a screening interview, provide at least two references, permit a criminal history/fingerprint background check and participate in an orientation session.
More information is available online at fcs.osu.edu/programs/volunteer. Anyone interested may contact Michelle Treber at 740-474-7534 or [email protected].
The application deadline is January 15, 2017.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
