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Sarah McKennon (left) talks with Christine Valenti about the volunteer opportunities available with Jonah's Run Alternative School.
Deana Hamlin (center), 14, and her mother, Teresa Hamlin, talk with Ozzy Ramos about volunteering at HOME, a program to help children living with terminal illness. |
By KELLY HANNON
Help is wanted at dozens of nonprofit agencies in the Fredericksburg area.
Web designers are in demand. So are Spanish speakers, American Sign Language interpreters and anyone willing to spend time tutoring children, assisting the terminally ill or keeping the Rappahannock River clean.
None of the jobs comes with a paycheck.
But they do provide intangible benefits, like learning new skills or assisting the community, said Shelby Beck, Rappahannock United Way volunteer coordinator.
Beck's office has been busy lately. She keeps a list of volunteer jobs at nonprofit agencies in the Fredericksburg area, and she's getting more calls from potential volunteers as the local unemployment rate rises.
"A lot of people have more free time," Beck said. "They submit resumes looking for things that they can use their skills at. I think we have a lot more skill-based volunteering coming up, than just your normal send-me-anywhere [volunteering]."
To recruit volunteers directly, the Rappahannock United Way co-sponsored a volunteer fair Monday night with the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center. The fair was marketed as a way to gain skills in a competitive job market. Nonprofits set up tables on the museum's three floors in downtown Fredericksburg. About 80 potential volunteers attended.
One volunteer was Carey Jernigan of Fredericksburg. Facing diminished vision from a medical condition and recently laid off, Jernigan was looking at environmental organizations, and anywhere he could gain more experience with audio work and broadcasting.
"Since my vision has declined I've had a lot of free time on my hands and I just wanted to check out and see some of the things they did, some of the fields of opportunity to volunteer in," Jernigan said. He's previously worked as a cook and in construction trades.
Patricia Mussey of Stafford was collecting material on behalf of her son, a freshman at Virginia Tech and Eagle Scout. He's interested in working outside or office work, and he has Web development skills.
"We're hoping for an internship but if that doesn't develop because of the economy, then we think volunteering would be a great way for him to learn skills and get a feel for what's available," Mussey said.
Plus, "I may find something that interests me," Mussey said.
Mary Washington Hospice set up a table at the fair, searching for volunteers with a range of skills.
"We're very open. I think that every volunteer comes with a particular gift or talent, so whatever they bring to the organization we try to empower that gift allowing them to do what they do best," said Raquel Woodard, certified volunteer administrator for Mary Washington Hospice.
Hospice volunteers have played musical instruments for patients. It also has a youth volunteer group, which attracts students interested in health care.
The disAbility Resource Cent er is looking to expand its core of six to 10 volunteers, said center representative Jennifer Ryan.
The center provides several services for people with disabilities, and is always in need of people to assist with office tasks, transportation for clients, craft activities, American Sign Language interpreting, and fundraising.
"The cup runneth over. We would like to have as many as possible," Ryan said.
For anyone who missed the fair, all local volunteer jobs are posted online at rappahannockunited way.com.
Another online source to search for positions is VolunteerMatch.com.
VolunteerMatch is a national Web site listing volunteer jobs from more than 60,000 nonprofits and 100 corporations.
During the recession, traffic has jumped.
"I think we certainly have seen growth in the last 12 months," said Robert Rosenthal, director of communications for VolunteerMatch.org, based in San Francisco.
Visits to the site have increased 10 percent, and around 250 new nonprofit organizations post opportunities each week, he said.
He agrees that "skilled volunteering" is on the rise, where individuals are seeking ways to use their unique professional capabilities to help their community.
The nonprofit gains the expertise, while the volunteer gains experience.
Some local residents plan to volunteer as a family.
Teresa Hamlin of Stafford checked out openings at the fair with daughter Deana, 14. The Hamlins are interested in building homes with Habitat for Humanity.
"I'm just excited about giving back to the community," said Teresa Hamlin. "We're fortunate, so we definitely want to give back."
Kelly Hannon: 540/374-5436
Email: khannon@freelancestar.com
| VolunteerMatch.org spokesman Robert Rosenthal advises potential volunteers to consider three things before starting a hunt:
Decide on a location. How far are you willing to travel to volunteer? Pick causes that motivate you. Then look for organizations that champion that cause. Determine what type of volunteer job interests you. Think about the day-to-day work. Do you want to work in an office with others or alone at home? Is physically demanding work OK, or do you prefer to be seated? Would you enjoy working with the public, or do you want to volunteer behind the scenes? |
