By Kristina Mageau
Volunteering allows the community members to engage with one another in a way that is mutually beneficial to everyone involved. The United Way Day of Caring is an annual, nationwide event devoted to volunteering in communities. In Thurston County, this day was on Friday, September 23rd this year. There were many organizations that needed help, and they were paired up with folks excited to help.
One group, the AmeriCorps Youth in Service team, which is primarily based out of Olympia, volunteered in Rochester at the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) and Rochester Organization of Families (ROOF). The BGC is a place most individuals are aware of, since they help so many kids all over the nation. The kids are offered fun and educational after-school programs.
ROOF and the Rochester BGC share some of the same space. The Rochester School District owns this shared property, which is used by many of Rochester’s residents so that the kids can have a safe place to go. Ali Gosman, ROOF’s AmeriCorps Youth in Service second year team member, stated: “ROOF and BGC share the park, parking lot, and general area and so they could both really use the help that the Day of Caring event provides. Both sites are really busy with minimal staff so I’m excited to be able to help them get a lot of things done in one day.”
The folks at ROOF have their hands full providing services to folks who need it most. According to ROOF’s website, “The mission of the Rochester Organization of Families (ROOF) is to address community needs by providing resources and services to children, youth and families to achieve a healthy, positive, and drug-free community in the Rochester area.” Some of the services they offer include a food bank, energy and rental assistance, parenting classes and resources, an after-school program, and income tax preparation.
This is a lot for one organization to take on, so the AmeriCorps Youth in Service team was glad to relieve some of the stress. They helped by painting the gym and kitchen, gardening and weed whacking, installing lockers, replacing rotting boards on the playground, and first-year team member Rea Droter even saved a dog! The last task was spontaneous, and it shows how far AmeriCorps Youth in Service members are willing to go to lend a hand.
The day had another surprise in it. The weather was sunny, which allowed for the AmeriCorps Youth in Service team to have an ever better time while working hard. As Allie Miceli, the first year team member who is the Resident Services Assistant at Evergreen Vista, said: “I really enjoyed the opportunity to make a tangible difference and to beautify a place that supports and improves the community.” (Allie Miceli is on the left of the photograph taken by her fellow team member, Ashley McKinstry. In the middle is Neal Jensen, and on the right is Jayna Otonicar; both are second year team members.)
The AmeriCorps Youth in Service team was glad to participate in the United Way Day of Caring event. The team, which is comprised of 24 members and one team coordinator, has participated for over 5 years now. Neal Jensen, a second year AmeriCorps Youth in Service team member, speaks on the significance of volunteerism: “If more people were involved in non-profits and community service I think people would get more of the social services that they need.”
At a time like this, when the 2010 US Census reported that poverty is increasing, the number of folks with health care coverage is decreasing, the number of food stamp recipients is increasing, in this state and in the country, volunteering is important. The need to be involved and help has become more prevalent.
“The problems of our community and country are so numerous,” says the AmeriCorps Youth in Service Team Coordinator, Allen Stanton, “and it is really easy for people to feel like they can’t have any effect on them. Participating in a project that has real, significant results that you can experience at the end of the day is really empowering.”
What better way to help than to start with your community?