The following is a list of volunteer opportunities available in and around Ventura County.

Alzheimer's Association: 485-5597. Seeking support group facilitators. In-depth knowledge of dementia desirable. Training provided.

American Cancer Society: 800-ACS-2345; for Moorpark, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks, 529-2530; for Ventura and Oxnard, 278-6100. Seeking volunteers to drive patients to and from their treatments. Driver's license, car insurance and clean driving record required. A volunteer coordinator is needed in Ventura.

American Red Cross of Ventura County: 339-2234, Disaster volunteers needed.

Assistance League of Ventura County: 643-2458. New member volunteers needed to assist in fitting school clothing for underprivileged children and staffing the ALVC resale shop.

Assisted Home Hospice: Dagmar Jacobson, 677-7405. Seeking volunteers to visit terminally ill patients and their families in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Office support and vigil team members are also needed. Training provided.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County: 484-2282. Looking for caring mentors to work with children on a consistent weekly basis or at a special monthly event. Training provided.

Blanchard/Santa Paula Library Literacy Program: 525-2384, 1 to 8 p.m. Volunteers are needed to tutor elementary schoolchildren in reading.

Braille Institute: 682-6222. Seeking volunteers for a variety of services, especially driving visually impaired students to and from classes. No experience necessary.

Brain Injury Support Group: 650-5993, ext. 204. Volunteers needed for simple office work, organizing activities for brain injury survivors and answering phones.

Breakthrough N.B.D.: 985-4176. Needs volunteers to befriend and provide one-on-one supportive companionship for individuals affected by neurobiological disorders (mental illness). Volunteers are screened and trained.

California Coastal Horse Rescue: 649-1090, ext. 2. Volunteers are needed to help with caring for horses, facility maintenance, fundraising, public education, administrative duties and special events. Volunteers are asked to serve five to 10 hours per month.

Camarillo Health Care District: 388-1952, ext. 141. Seeking drivers for its meal home-delivery program, Mondays through Fridays. Hosts, servers and entertainers also are needed at the community meal site Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Seeking people to install Lifeline medical alert units in homes (training provided), and people to assist with activities at the Club Camarillo Adult Day Support Center.

Camarillo Hospice: 389-6870, ext. 18. Volunteers needed to provide practical and emotional assistance to those facing life-threatening illness and bereavement support to persons dealing with grief. Volunteers also needed to assist with the weekly Farmers Market that benefits the hospice, Supper Club (providing a meal to a hospice family), friendly (non-hospice) visiting and pet therapy.

Camarillo Ranch House: 389-8182. Seeking volunteer docents to lead special events, offer educational tours and visit historical sites in the area. Also needed are volunteers to assist in the gift shop, with gardening and with clerical work.

Camarillo Youth Employment Service: 482-0775. Seeking volunteers to interview and take information to match youths with jobs.

Canine Adoption and Rescue League: 652-1001. Seeking volunteers to walk, transport and socialize dogs; provide administrative support; and help with activities, fundraising, public interface and laundry.

Caregivers: 658-8530. Looking for volunteers to assist the frail homebound elderly with transportation needs, errands and visiting for two to four hours per week in Camarillo, Ventura, Santa Paula, Oxnard and Port Hueneme.

Channel Islands Harbor Department County of Ventura Visitors Center: Joan Littell, 985-4852. Seeking volunteers who enjoy being by the sea and meeting people to work at the visitors' center on weekends and holidays.

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and National Park: 382-6149, ext. 100. Train to become a Naturalist Corps volunteer and represent the sanctuary and park on board local whale-watching vessels and educational cruises. Every November.

The Children's Nature Institute: 310-860-9484. Seeking volunteers to lead nature walks for at-risk children from urban neighborhoods.

The city of Ventura: Robin Elander 658-4760, relaner//www.venturaartwalk.org

City Impact: 983-3636. Seeking volunteers to assist young people and their families throughout Ventura County. Opportunities range from mentoring, office and computer assistance to Web page design. Training is available and all opportunities have flexible schedules.

Equine Sanctuary of Ojai: 453-4567. Nonprofit organization specializing in the care, treatment and rehabilitation of injured performance horses, is seeking volunteers to provide horse care (must have some horse experience), office help, event planning and fundraising. E-mail: equinesanctuaryofojai@yahoo.com

1st U.S. Volunteers: 647-8784. Seeking veteran volunteers to provide military funeral honors in uniform.

Focus on the Masters: 653-2501. Seeking volunteers with general office skills, archive or library experience and graphic arts knowledge.

FOOD Share: 983-7100, ext 105. Ventura County's regional food bank is seeking volunteers to help feed the hungry in Ventura County. Available positions are order fillers, counter help, gleaners, food sorters and cooks..

Friends of Heritage Square: 483-7960. Seeking docents and volunteers for Saturday tours, school tour program, special events, exhibits, historical research and clerical tasks at the Heritage Square Visitor Center in historic downtown Oxnard. Volunteers for the Friends of Heritage Square will have an opportunity to learn about Oxnard history and architecture, work with the public and develop educational programs.

Habitat for Humanity: 485-6065. Seeking office volunteers and skilled and unskilled hands on construction crews. Families, squadrons, congregations, businesses and individuals are welcome to volunteer.

Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program: 477-7310 or 800-434-0222. Volunteer counselors are needed, especially those who speak Tagalog, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish or any other language, to assist seniors with Medicare, HMO and long-term care insurance questions and problems. A 40-hour initial training period and 15-hour internship are required. Counselors are registered by the California Department of Aging when training is completed.

Humane Society of Ventura County: For information about volunteering at the Ojai shelter, call 656-5031, ext. 110.

Kaiser Permanente Hospice Program: 818-832-7295 or 818-832-7242. Volunteers are needed to spend time with hospice patients, providing support and companionship.

Laubach Literacy of Ventura County: 385-9584. Volunteers needed as English as a second language tutors for adults.

L.I.F.E. Animal Rescue: 818-707-2007 (dog) or 818-707-6186 (cats). Volunteers 18 and older are needed to clean cat cages and play with pets once per week. Volunteers 14 and older can help with adoption days.

Long Term Care Services of Ventura County: 656-1986. Ombudsman Program. Volunteers needed to visit seniors in long term care settings, such as skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living. Call to schedule an appointment for ther next training session.

Los Padres National Forest: 646-4348, ext. 309. Seeking volunteers from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the first Saturday of each month to help with upkeep of local trails.

Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Tri-Counties: 676-9474. Seeking volunteer wish granters and community representatives. Applicants must be 18 or older for both positions. Bilingual volunteers are urgently needed.

Many Mansions: 496-4948. Seeking volunteers to assist with homework and literacy program, Farmers Market Fridays, special events, office administration and fundraising.

Multiple Sclerosis Society: 682-8783. Volunteers are needed to provide health and wellness information and community resources to clients, assist instructors during weekday morning yoga classes and solicit auction items from businesses.

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Ventura County: 641-2426. Volunteers needed to help increase public awareness of the mentally ill and raise funds.

Oceanview Pavilion: 986-4818. Volunteers are needed to help with all aspects of the theater and adult day care program.

Olivas Adobe Rose Garden: 659-1298. Volunteers sought to assist in ongoing care of a rose garden by deadheading one to two hours per week.

Relay for Life: Volunteers sought for American Cancer Society events throughout county. 800-ACS-2345.