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Letter to the editor

Volunteers grease communities' wheels

Without those good souls donating their time, the public would not get the services it gets, officials say.

By MIKE DONILA, Times Staff Writer
Published September 4, 2007

Employee Becky Bassick (left) and volunteer Ashley Fornshell, 16, prepare food for the animals at Moccasin Lake Nature Park. This is Fornshell's first summer volunteering at the center, and Basick started there as a volunteer before becoming an employee.
	[Times photo: Ted McLaren]

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Ted McLaren] Employee Becky Bassick and volunteer Ashley Fornshell, 16, watch as the snapping turtle walks back to the freshly cleaned pool. Volunteer opportunities at Moccasin Lake Nature Park include leading hikes and programs, caring for gardens, working in admissions and gift shop offices and caring for animals.

As thousands of people packed Coachman Park on July 4 to eat hot dogs, drink beer and watch fireworks, there were only about 10 paid employees on hand to run the show.

The other 200 folks who looked like city workers?

Volunteers.

Ask officials from any city, social service agency or private nonprofit organization, and they'll tell you: Volunteers do a lot of their heavy lifting.

They're the people who work for free and rarely get the accolades they deserve. But most of them really aren't in it for the glory. Instead they do it because they have free time or just want to give a little bit back to their community.

As government budgets continue to shrink, the need for volunteers grows. With so many different opportunities available, there's something for everyone.

For example, volunteers can feed animals at Clearwater's Moccasin Lake Nature Park, teach English as a second language at the Palm Harbor Library, give guided tours at the Gulf Coast Museum in Largo or act as an advocate with the guardian ad litem program to help more than 2,800 abused and neglected children in the county.

And there's a whole lot more.

"Without the volunteers, the public would not get the services they get," said Cecile Creely, volunteer coordinator at the Palm Harbor Library. "We have 27 people on staff and 150 volunteers, and we're using them in every area to do all the functions of the library."

Kevin Dunbar, director of Clearwater's parks and recreation department, said the city's big celebrations couldn't happen without the help of local residents, who last year provided the city with more than $780,000 in work.

"They're crucial. You're talking about big events that we wouldn't be able to do because we just don't have the staff or the budget," Dunbar said. "We've been able to enhance our level of service, largely through their efforts."

Volunteer opportunities: A sample

Clearwater

Sept. 23: La Nueva Latin concert, Coachman Park.

Oct. 13: Raise the Roof Christian concert, Coachman Park.

Oct. 20: Biannual coastal cleanup, Edgewater Park.

Nov. 10: Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3, Clearwater Beach.

To learn more, call 727 562-4803 or visit www.myclearwater.com/gov/depts/parksrec/adopt_a_park.asp or www.myclearwater.com/gov/depts/parksrec/volunteer.asp.

Palm Harbor Library

Pick up a volunteer application at the library, 2330 Nebraska Ave., or call Cecile Creely at (727) 784-3332, ext. 308.

Gulf Coast Museum of Art

Docent volunteers: Learn more about this program from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 11 at the museum, 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo. For a reservation, call Carolyn Klova at (727) 518-6833, ext. 204.

General volunteers: Call Pat May at (727) 518-6833, ext. 213.

Guardian ad Litem program

A thousand children in Pinellas who have been removed from their homes because they were abused, neglected or abandoned need a volunteer to serve as their voice in court. The Guardian ad Litem program offers seven 30-hour training sessions a year that run on Tuesday and Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. The next starts today and wraps up Oct. 3 at the Pinellas County Criminal Justice Center, 14250 49th St. North in Clearwater. Call (727) 464-6531.

Heritage Village

The 21-acre local history museum at 11909 125th St. N, Largo will hold a new volunteer open house from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 22. Volunteer positions are available for docents/tour guides, living history presenters, receptionists, and gift shop volunteers. Call (727) 582-2427 or e-mail heritagevillage@pinellascounty.org

Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center

The center off of Keystone Road in East Lake is looking for friendly, outgoing volunteers to help as exhibit hall docents and summer camp assistants. Call (727) 453-6800.

Hale Activity Center

The center, 330 Douglas Ave., in Dunedin seeks adults 50 and older for its "We fix It" referral program, which pairs seniors in need of odd jobs with handy helpers. Experienced workers are needed in a variety of tasks including light carpentry and electric work. Volunteers also are needed to help staff the center's gift shop for three hours once a week on weekdays. Call (727) 298-3299.

Gulf Coast Community Care

Needs volunteers 30 and older to mentor children of all ages who need positive adult role models. No experience necessary, no costs. Volunteers spend a few hours a week in activities like reading, fishing, baking, teaching a craft or visiting a park. Call (727) 479-1841 or (727) 479-1825.

Volunteer value

In Clearwater alone, volunteers donated 41,569 hours to the city in three areas alone from Oct. 1, 2006, through July 31, 2007, officials say. Based on a federal standard putting the value of volunteer work at $18.77 an hour, that works out to $780,250 in value given.

Volunteering

Beautification projects such as Adopt-a-Park programs and cleanups with Keep Pinellas Beautiful

Hours: 2,513

Value: $47,169

Events such as concerts, fireworks displays, triathlons

Hours: 13,684

Value: $256,849

Recreation such as summer camps, Boy Scout projects and Junior Lifeguards

Hours: 25,372

Value: $476,232

Source: City of Clearwater

[Last modified September 3, 2007, 21:56:51]