Volunteer spirit needed now
"Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer."
--Author Unknown
Have you ever heard the old saying "Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer."
Volunteerism has always been a big part of my life and the employees and clients of Tri-Valley realize the importance of giving back to their communities, as well volunteering when the opportunity arises.
The employees and clients have donated countless hours serving in through community blitz projects, maintaining pockets parks, serving on community foundations and helping at the homeless shelter to list only a few.
Volunteerism is an important part of any community. Those communities with high percentages of volunteerism have been shown to be more positive, more active, and in general, happier.
However, statistics from the Department of Labor over the last five years indicate that volunteerism has decreased across the country. In the state of Kansas, volunteerism has dropped from 40.9 percent in 2004 to 35.2 percent in 2009, but Kansas still ranks as one of the top 10 states in volunteerism.
In terms of who volunteers, women are more likely to volunteer than men and the one statistic that shocked me the most was the age group that was more likely to volunteer -- 35-44. From personal experience, I would have bet the farm that those over the age of 55 were most likely to volunteer, especially those that retired, but data shows that is not the case.
While volunteers have always had a large part to play in the success of Tri-Valley, we have never utilized them to their full potential. In the past, we have always had enough employees to provide services, leaving little need for those outside of the organization to assist with the day-to-day operations.
That has changed in the last few years as we have experienced a reduction in staffing due to budget cuts from the state. We work hard to ensure that no one goes without the services they require, but that is getting harder and harder to do with each passing year.
One way we can maintain the quality services we are known for is to strengthen our volunteer program and increase the number of persons volunteering within the agency.
Previously, volunteers were used for fundraising events and serving on the board of directors, but that is changing and expanding as the need for volunteers will become more of necessity in the near future as we cope with funding reductions and the elimination of employee positions.
When people think about volunteering at Tri-Valley, the first thing that comes to mind is working with the people we serve (with staff support) and in most instances that will be the case, but there are other opportunities as well.
Some opportunities for volunteers include assisting clients on community outings (coffee club, Meals on Wheels, activities in the park, etc.), helping in the greenhouse in Fort Scott, helping teach classes (cooking, educational, arts and crafts, etc.), leading exercise classes, helping in the computer lab, answering phones, helping with sub-contract work and many others.
Volunteerism assists Tri-Valley in many ways including being able to provide additional service without additional costs, enabling employees at TVDS efficient time for planning purposes, and ensuring a positive relationship is developed between the community and TVDS.
In addition, the volunteer obtains benefits as well. Volunteers become involved in lives of persons with intellectual disabilities, new talents that one never knew one had are discovered, there is a sense of personal satisfaction and there is the ability to meet new people and develop new friendships.
The people we serve are able to benefit by having a positive role model and being able to develop a friendship outside of their family or friends at work.
When you reach out and help an organization or individual in need, you help the community as a whole. Please consider giving your time to help those less fortunate, whether at Tri-Valley or any other non-profit. Volunteers are needed across all our communities.
For more information on how you can become a volunteer at Tri-Valley, please call Lea Chickadonz at (620) 431-7401 or e-mail Lea at lchickadonz@tvds.org.
Editor's Note: Tim Cunningham is the executive director of Tri-Valley Developmental Services, which serves developmentally disabled people in Allen, Bourbon, Neosho and Woodson counties.