Volunteer Efforts

[BrunoBlack]

I’m curious what Volunteer Work other AGF members do. I don’t bring this up so we can give each other a pat on the back. But I would enjoy hearing about the positive efforts we are involved with. There are some great programs being offered by people who have the time and inclination to participate. I’ll start it off.

I work with a food program. Once a week I drive a large passenger van (seats removed) to a local food retailer and completely fill the van with boxes of past-date produce and other groceries. Three other people drive to other local retailers that contribute food. We all meet back at the Community Senior Center where we join another group of people (6-10) who are waiting to break down the boxes of food, organize the food into categories and put all the goods on display — ready for distribution. Once this step is complete we open the doors and serve people who need and appreciate getting this free food. Each week we serve 50 -100 “shoppers” who are grateful to get this terrific & healthy food that would have otherwise gone into the trash. It is amazing how much food is heading to the waste bin.

Now let’s hear your story.

[sayheyjeff]

Don't do a lot yet given I have been retired a few years now and have more control over my time than most. My wife do work with a volunteer organization called PetConnect. The organization fosters dogs and cats and finds them forever homes. We foster kittens. A little 2.75 lb bundle named Bracket went off to a lovely young couple looking for a 2nd cat just this morning. We have 2 fosters left in the house at the moment and 2 former fosters we adopted ourselves. They are difficult to let go once they are with you a little while. I also do a bit of driving to pick up the little ones from shelters and to participate in adoption fairs. Looking to start doing something else in addition in the near future.

jeff

[fazool]

Our family is really big in animal rescue. Our daughter is preparing to apply to vet school and works professionally in a vet hospital and runs the feral cat rescue service for a local shelter. She volunteers at the SPCA where my wife had also volunteered. We trap, vaccine, neuter release ferals and foster in our home for the shelters. Our daughter has, just herself, processed over 300 cats and kittens that she trapped, caught, fostered, adopted out, etc. A few man-hours of every day goes into rescue animal care in our home (in addition to the time others spend at shelters each week).

So animal rescue is big for us. We have temporary foster cages and traps and carriers and just always have a tons of animals in our house.

For me, I am super involved in our local colleges working on several advisory boards on industry needs for curriculum. I also volunteer on a lot of industry committees for workforce development, training initiatives and such. I usually spend a couple man-hours per week on committee topics or meetings. And then I volunteer as a national scholarship reviewer for a national engineering organization.

So, our family's volunteerism is all around animal welfare and rescue and my separate personal voulnteerism is around careers and education.

[Kerbie]

Does moderating count?

I spent several years helping kids learn to read in after-school programs. That was a lot of fun. For over a decade, I've volunteered at various career days talking about my job. And now I spend a little time with a local civic organization dealing with public affairs.

I forgot one... I also spent a year volunteering on a Community Panel for my local newspaper giving them feedback about the paper and its coverage.

[JCave]

Originally Posted by Kerbie

Does moderating count?

In your case, yep. Now where's that suck up smiley....

Donate art work that I create to the various "local" fundraisers. Just discovered another, Mt Hood Hospice. Mt jewelry, wood hair barrettes, and a nice walnut keepsake box with handmade brass elements. I'm looking forward to their auction..

[ylekot]

Fire/EMS for 30 years....

[barley]

I do this for the local District Court:

http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/...lunteering.htm

I only work one case at a time so my time commitment is only about 10 hours per week. There is no instant gratification because of the failings of the parents and the court system. Frustration sometimes outweighs the reward but each child deserves to have someone to speak up on their behalf.

There are so many children suffering in all of our communities. Here is a very incomplete list of children in my state who don’t have what many of us take for granted. The real heroes are the good foster parents and families who adopt children.

https://www.adoptkskids.org/children...ngs=-1&search=

[Gitfiddlemann]

I volunteer my time on a couple of fronts:
Town government
. I was appointed to a couple of Town Committees which have been dealing with open land transfers and conservation restriction (incl. the preservation and renovation of a historical landmark golf course in town, one of the oldest in the country (open since 1885). 
We're there mostly to ensure that precious and historically significant land remains protected and doesn’t end up in the hands of commercial development. 

US based electrical standards
. I’m currently a member of two Standard Technical Panels for Underwriter’s Laboratories. Our main task is the formulation of UL standards which are used to certify electrical products to be in compliance with the requirements of the NEC (National Electrical Code). 
Our main area of emphasis (for those of you that may be familiar with the NEC) are Article 409 (Industrial Control Panels) and 670 (Industrial Machinery).

In both cases I’m but one voice with only the ability to “put my .02c in”, but collectively, volunteers can make a significant impact on outcomes.
It’s been frustrating at times, but ultimately rewarding when good results are produced that benefit many.
To those of you that volunteer your time to animal care and rescue: A special

[reeve21]

When my kids were living at home it was coaching their sports teams and their youth groups at church.

Now it is more community oriented. I serve on a couple of town boards, one is focused on economic development and the other on land conservation. My wife is involved in the behind the scenes part of local politics, so I help her out with that stuff on occasion.

I also am lucky to be self employed in a job that allows me to donate or sharply discount my work for various non-profits.

Going way, way back, 40 years ago I founded a chapter of Big Brothers at my college. I recruited a few friends, who each recruited a few friends, and we had over 80 pairings within a matter of a few months. There was an orphanage down the road and it was a very sobering place. Those kids really loved to come to our campus, especially at Christmastime.

I just googled it and was pleased to see they still have over 100 pairs of "bigs/littles" on campus (now including sisters) which is pretty impressive for a school of just over 3,000 students.

I just kind of fell into this, I don't even remember how I got involved... maybe I was missing my 3 "real" little brothers back at home? Not likely

[Mr. Paul]

In another life I was a Scoutmaster for a few years as well as a soccer and basketball coach.

I am on the Board of the only all volunteer radio station in Colorado. It takes a lot of work to pull it off, that's why nobody else is doing it . I started off as a DJ and still do that as well.

This September will be my third year co producing a Community Dinner that this year will draw 2300 locals (over half the county) to share a meal on our local Main St. A lot of work but a huge payoff.

[Nyghthawk]

Originally Posted by barley

I do this for the local District Court:

http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/...lunteering.htm

I only work one case at a time so my time commitment is only about 10 hours per week. There is no instant gratification because of the failings of the parents and the court system. Frustration sometimes outweighs the reward but each child deserves to have someone to speak up on their behalf.

There are so many children suffering in all of our communities. Here is a very incomplete list of children in my state who don’t have what many of us take for granted. The real heroes are the good foster parents and families who adopt children.

https://www.adoptkskids.org/children...ngs=-1&search=

I worked for Child Protective Services here in Texas from 2001 - 2005. God bless you for the CASA work. Ditto the comment about Foster/Adopt families. Too many kids grow up and age out of the system without ever really connecting with anyone.

[Dirk Hofman]

I help build and maintain bike trails with Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC). Giving a little back for the massive use I get from the trails. My company gives us unlimited Volunteer Time Off a year, and encourages us to do at least a week yearly.

[Gmountain]

I've served on our homeowners association board for many years.

I served on the county animal task force. I volunteer with a horse rescue foundation and serve on the advisory board.

I was a county chairman of a political party. I also volunteered with the Boy Scouts for many years. I volunteered for many years with an abused women's shelter. I also was on the county emergency ham radio ARES/RACES group.

I have been and am the chairman of a three county Friends of NRA committee, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for youth programs.

[srick]

I was on the Board and eventually Board Chair Of our local Children’s Museum. It wasn’t the most pleasant of times, as I presided over a period of down-sizing and re-branding. At the beginning of those ten years, I had a lot more dark hair than I have now!

I’ve also done a lot of volunteering and advocating for my small section of the town. And it’s worked. About twenty years ago, the area was run down and really second class. A group of us pushed for the town to make sure that all neighborhoods were treated equally. Plus, we’ve removed a bunch of concrete and asphalt, and planted a bunch of new trees.

Before that, Cub Scout den leader for four years and Committee Chair for two more.

My most recent act of volunteerism is being an AGF Moderator!

[J Patrick]

....I used to play music in the chemotherapy room at a local hospital until the program ended..(geez I hope it wasn't my playing!)....I also volunteered at the Oregon Garden with the horticulture team...and did a little work with Habitat for Humanity and Empty Bowls....those were regular volunteer gigs...I've played many benefits over the years and am always interested in helping out...to be of service to our fellow humans is good for the soul...I wish we had a "like" button so I could give everyone who posted here a thumbs up ....