Make a positive difference in your life and in the lives of others by giving time, expertise and wisdom to one of the many agencies at the Community Center. Here are only a few to spark your curiosity:

Dover Recreation depends on volunteers to provide multiple sports opportunities, from basketball, baseball and soccer to kids programs of all kinds. You can coach, schedule or manage equipment to name just a few. Contact Gary Bannon at 516-6401.

The Ageless Dreamer Foundation fulfills seniors' wishes — the opportunities are as diverse as the wishes. One recent example - a legally blind woman dreamed of sailing. Volunteer Wally Johnson had the sailboat! To learn more, call 953-0006.

HUB Family Resource Center welcomes volunteers to donate time and talent in support of its mission to help families to raise healthy children in caring homes: children's programs, gardening and maintenance, database management, event promotion, marketing and fundraising, community outreach, shopping and cooking, reception. Contact Taryn Lytle at 749-9754 x10 or e-mail tlytlehubfamilies.org.

Dover Adult Learning Center supports more than 100 volunteers a year at McConnell and throughout Strafford County. Tutor Indonesians in English, help chemistry students with algebra, make sure the public has access to the computer lab by serving as a lab proctor two hours/week, or write press releases and feature stories. Contact Debbie Liskow at 742-1030.

Dover Children's Center relies on volunteers to install equipment, maintain playground toys and aid in the classrooms. Volunteers who want to work with children need to be at least 16; no other special training required. Recently, Rotary Club of Dover members managed the installation of the Center's new playground "race track." Contact Anne Grassie at 742-3332.

Boards of Directors and Advisory Groups are another way to make effective use of one's expertise and stay connected with other people who care deeply for their community. Each nonprofit at McConnell has a volunteer board of directors. The Center has a city-appointed McConnell Advisory Committee. Other agencies, such as Easter Seals, The Family Place (740-3534) also use a wide variety of volunteers.

Volunteers consistently say that they receive much more than they give. Tutors become close friends with people from all over the world or just down the street.

Empty-nesters and high school students rejoice at giving young children the best possible start in life. Coaches see how they shape players' values and teach them life skills. There is no way to put a value on benefits to the volunteer. But there is a way to value the volunteer contributions.

Each year the Independent Sector organization calculates the average value of a volunteer hour. For 2007, that value was $19.52. Given the hundreds and hundreds of volunteer hours per year at McConnell, the total contribution is well into the tens of thousands of dollars.

How do volunteers find their way to McConnell organizations? Many have a connection with one or more agencies. High school students are often required to do community service, while many college students use volunteer placements to earn experience and credits as interns.

The Strafford County House of Corrections has an organized community service team for offenders to fulfill community service obligations. Rotary Club of Dover and other service organizations volunteer as groups. The United Way of the Greater Seacoast organizes spring and fall Days of Caring for businesses to offer employees group and individual volunteer options.

To volunteer, contact any agency at McConnell or check out the rich array of opportunities online at the United Way of the Greater Seacoast's Volunteer Action Center: www.uwgs.org.