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Volunteers reap rewards of their hometown help

April 3, 2009 12:35 am

Volunteers in the Fredericksburg area donated nearly $1.2 million in time to worthy causes associated with the Rappahannock United Way last year.

But the agencies that rely on those folks aren't the only beneficiaries. The volunteers benefit, too.

That's the message organizers of the 2009 Volunteer Job Fair are touting as they gear up for Monday evening's event at the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center.

Volunteering is a great way to help your community and gain valuable job skills, said Jason Pope, volunteer and education coordinator at the museum.

"We're making the case that in a tough labor market, people really need the best resumes and experience, and volunteering is a way to get that," said Pope, who hopes to make the fair an annual event.

At least 20 agencies that can put volunteers to work in the fields of education, environment, health and human services, and the arts will be on hand.

Admission to the museum is free during the event, which is co-sponsored by the United Way, Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Jonah's Run Alternative School and Central Rappahannock Heritage Center.

Not sure volunteering's for you? Meet some of the folks in our community who thrive on it.

CHARLIE COLUMBIA, GIVING BACK

Charlie Columbia's hands are rarely at rest.

When the morning rush dies down at the Micah Ecumenical Ministries hospitality center on Princess Anne Street, he restocks the kitchen, scrubs the bathrooms and mops the floors.

When he's not volunteering at the nonprofit center that serves Fredericksburg's homeless population, he's passing out his resume, seeking jobs in construction or cooking.

Columbia, 39, used to build docks on Lake Anna, but he lost his job in 2007 as the economy soured.

Then he lost his home. He spent some time at the Thurman Brisben Homeless Shelter before moving on to hotels. Sometimes, he camps out.

In January, he heard about the Giving Back program, which encourages the homeless to volunteer at Micah's hospitality center in exchange for rewards like bus passes or laundry privileges.

Volunteers like Columbia have donated an average of 300 hours a month to Micah, said Sarah Bush, its church and community liaison. They also perform community service, like picking up trash.

Columbia contributes 12 to 15 hours each week at the church-supported center, where clients can use computers, grab breakfast, shower or pick out clean clothes.

"It's my way of saying, 'Thank you,' because this is a service to a lot of people," he said.

Giving Back, Micah Ecumenical Ministries: 540/479-4116, ext. 14, dolovewalk.net

JEREMY VAUGHN, FREDERICKSBURG AREA MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER

Next time you're touring the Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center's new facility on Princess Anne Street, take a good look at the neon Central Lunch sign on the second floor.

It might be the cleanest item in the 19,500-square-foot building.

That's because Jeremy Vaughn scrubbed every inch of the 60-year-old sign with a toothbrush. For days.

Vaughn, 23, volunteers roughly 40 hours a week at the museum, which expanded in December.

He started there as an intern last May after graduating from the University of Mary Washington with degrees in historic preservation and music. When the internship ended, he stayed on, gaining valuable experience while job hunting.

"This place has been an awesome resume-builder," said Vaughn, who hopes to be a curator some day.

He's done everything from photographing and digitally archiving the museum's holdings to creating an oral history kiosk using recordings from the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation.

And, of course, cleaning the Central Lunch sign.

"I was way too eager to do it. It was a grimy mess," he recalled, adding that he'd do it again. "I'm excited about the job interviews I get, but I'm not excited about leaving this work environment."

Fredericksburg Area Museum: 540/371-3037, ext. 136, famcc.org

STEPHANIE AND GRETCHEN NICHOLS, BRIDGE TO BOOKS

Once upon a time, in south Stafford, there lived a mother and her young daughter.

They loved to read together and thought others might enjoy it, too.

So Stephanie Nichols, 37, and her daughter, Gretchen, 4, started Bridge to Books, a reading program at Thurman Brisben Homeless Shelter.

Each Wednesday night, the two read stories, play games and do artwork with the children at the shelter.

They're joined by other volunteers--teachers, librarians, moms--recruited by Nichols, a part-time nanny who was a special education teacher at Ferry Farm Elementary before her daughter was born.

"I wanted to do something in the community. I wanted something I could bring her to and teach her about volunteerism," she said of Gretchen, who enjoys sharing tales of Fancy Nancy and Scooby Doo with the kids at Thurman Brisben.

"The kids live there. They don't have homes," says Gretchen.

Nichols had no problem rounding up donated books, though she's always looking for more craft supplies. And new volunteers are welcome, she said, even if they just want to read once.

"You're leaving, and the kids are saying, 'When are you coming again? I love books,'" she said. "Then you realize why it's so fun and why you're doing it."

Bridge to Books: 540/207-8108,
Email: bridgetobooks@netzero.net

STEVE FLANAGAN, RAPPAHANNOCK BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS AND THE SENIOR VISITORS PROGRAM

After raising a daughter and helping out his parents, Steve Flanagan experienced what he calls his midlife crisis.

"I spent four years on me, me, me. I ate what I wanted, I bought what I wanted," he said. "Then you get to a point where you think, 'Now that I've done those things, now what?'"

Flanagan, 52, wanted more. So he started volunteering.

In October 2007, he was matched with "little brother" Matthew Ross through Rappahannock Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Matthew, now 10, spends most Saturdays with Flanagan, swimming, tossing a ball or watching sports at the University of Mary Washington. The youngster, who has a wicked sense of humor, taught Flanagan how to fish and introduced him to Bakugan toys.

"He is the Jim Carey or Robin Williams of his generation," said Flanagan.

It's not easy forging a relationship with a child you've never met, he said, but the experience has been rewarding.

"You have to realize it's unconditional," he said.

About six months ago, Flanagan also joined The Senior Visitors Program, which matches volunteers with homebound seniors. At least once a week, he visits 67-year-old Charles Smith, a retired Spotsylvania sheriff's deputy.

"He absolutely knows everything about this town. He is just so much fun," said Flanagan, who runs three home-building firms. "Sometimes you think to yourself, 'Can I squeeze all this in?' But the more things you've got going on, it really invigorates you."

Rappahannock Big Brothers Big Sisters: 540/371-7444, rbbbs.org

The Senior Visitors Program: 540/371-2704, mhafred.org

JOSH MCDONALD, BOWLING GREEN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT.

While the smoke alarm blared and fire trucks pulled up to Caroline High School, Josh McDonald and his classmates filed out of the building.

Then McDonald, a senior at the time and a volunteer firefighter since he was 16, caught the eye of his chief.

"He threw a jumpsuit at me and said, 'Here, put this on,'" McDonald recalled. "So I slapped that jumpsuit on and said, 'OK, here we go.'"

With apologies to his science teacher, McDonald re-entered the building, helping extinguish a fire in the bathroom and aiding with ventilation. When he returned to class, other students praised his efforts.

"It kind of made my day for a week," said McDonald, now 20 and still a department volunteer.

McDonald had been on mission trips as a teen, helping fix up homes or care for children. But after a family friend introduced him to firefighting, he was hooked.

The Milford resident completed 140 hours of initial coursework to become a volunteer firefighter, and training has been ongoing.

A full-time meter technician for Rappahannock Electric Co., McDonald spends two or three nights a week and often weekends running calls with Company 1.

"I just love to do it," said McDonald, who is also joining the National Guard. "I like being able to help someone in a dangerous situation."

Bowling Green Volunteer Fire Department: 804/633-6011, bgvfd.com

ELLYN HARTZLER, BRAGG HILL FAMILY LIFE CENTER

Ellyn Hartzler, 78, blames her DNA for her penchant for volunteerism.

"It's the way I was raised. We were a service family," she said. "I was first-born, so I got all that idealism, all of that bone marrow."

Once the executive director of the Thurman Brisben Homeless Shelter, Hartzler worked for several other community groups before becoming a paralegal specializing in homelessness prevention at Rappahannock Legal Services nine years ago.

The job required that she spend two to three hours each week at the Bragg Hill Family Life Center, advising people on landlord-tenant issues.

But she started spending many more hours than that volunteering there--teaching craft classes, driving seniors to doctor appointments, helping them obtain medication.

Hartzler, who freely hands out her home phone number, said she loves the constant hum at the center.

"It's the energy, the work they're doing there, the things they make happen," she said. "It's just power-packed. It's my kind of people."

Bragg Hill Family Life Center: 540/371-3662, bragghillflc.org

Edie Gross: 540/374-5428
Email: egross@freelancestar.com