Volunteering on the Maryland’s Lower Shore is now easier than ever before.

A ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, October 14 at 1 p.m. at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, 1324 Belmont Avenue, in Salisbury will officially celebrate the new home of the ShoreCAN Volunteer Center.

The purpose of the ShoreCAN Volunteer Center is to connect local nonprofit organizations that need volunteers with individuals in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties who are looking for volunteer opportunities.

"This is an exciting time for volunteerism," said Spicer Bell, Foundation President. "Local volunteers are vitally important in building a better community. The new volunteer center will actively connect with people who want to volunteer and offer them meaningful opportunities to serve," Bell added.

The Foundation has taken on the responsibility for operating and promoting the volunteer center in order to increase volunteerism throughout the Lower Shore. The primary means of facilitating the connection between prospective volunteers and the needs of local nonprofit organizations is an interactive website that benefits both.

To help launch the new center and promote volunteerism, the Community Foundation is being assisted by Jonathan Fitzsimmons, a VISTA Volunteer and Salisbury University senior. Local nonprofit organizations are currently being introduced to the new ShoreCAN Volunteer Center through a series of training sessions at the Foundation.

Individuals seeking volunteer opportunities and local nonprofit organizations seeking volunteers are encouraged to visit www.shorecan.org, or call the Community Foundation at 410-742-9911 to learn more. This exciting program has the potential to significantly increase volunteerism on the Lower Shore of Maryland. ShoreCAN enables local nonprofit organizations to match-up their needs with the skills and availability of volunteers who register on the website.