Daily Hampshire Gazette – Meeting the need: the volunteer fair returns, giving those who want to donate their time a chance to see what’s out there

NORTHAMPTON – The partnership between HEC Academy and Western Massachusetts Rabbit Rescue began when a non-verbal student wanted to get involved in the community.

Many of the volunteer opportunities the therapeutic public day school offers for students in grades 9 through 12, such as work at the MANNA Soup Kitchen, rely heavily on verbal communication. In other words, none of the organizations meet the specific needs of the student.

But rabbits have no need for conversations. Just a caring hand and a warm body to cuddle with. It was a perfect match.

A competition that opened up a whole world for other HEC Academy students, such as Key Club Vice President Veronic Dos Reis and Key Club representative Abbie Ford. The two students regularly volunteer at the rabbit rescue, bonding with the bunnies and helping with rabbit care, such as laundry and cleaning the litter box.

“You can take the time to do something that you might think about for a few hours or even a few minutes, and it really has a more positive impact on the way other people live,” said Dos Reis. “And even though I help animals, it remains something sentimental for me.”

In return, the HEC Academy has become an integral part of the rabbit rescue mission.

“They work their butts off and ask for nothing in return. They just come and they want to do it. And I’m so proud of them,” said Jordana Starr, founder of the rescue.

This is just one example of the type of match that nonprofits and other organizations in the Valley are looking for in their volunteer programs. However, for aspiring volunteers, finding a place that matches their interests, skills and needs can be a difficult task.

That’s where events like last Thursday’s Volunteer Fair 2024 at the Northampton Senior Center come in. Sponsored by the Senior Center, Northampton Neighbors and RSVP of the Pioneer Valley, the fair – timed to coincide with National Volunteer Week – sought to connect these interested individuals. with 27 different volunteer organizations in the Pioneer Valley.

The fair returned this year for the first time since its closure due to the pandemic, giving potential volunteers the opportunity to work with organizations serving children, seniors and even animals.

Diane Porcella, executive director of Northampton Neighbors, said the idea for the volunteer fair came from one of the organization’s members, who suggested a fair would be a good way to see which organizations in the Pioneer Valley need volunteers.

“It was an all-volunteer effort, all coming from one person who said I’d like to see what’s out there,” Porcella said. “I’m quite impressed that this room is full, vibrant and varied.”

A large and fluffy dog ​​named Comet, a member of Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, greeted people at the entrance near a Girl Scouts Nonotuck Service Unit cookie sign. Groups that focused on children’s programs, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County and the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families, were located alongside organizations that offered medical and social services to the elderly, such as Life Path and Highland Valley Elder Services.

Volunteers who don’t want to work directly with people can volunteer their time with It Takes a Village to organize community cupboards or build homes with Habitats for Humanity.

“I’m a younger boomer and I think we’re more project-oriented than ongoing volunteerism, and that’s hard for some organizations to deal with. For others it’s easy,” said Wendy Parrish, a regular volunteer at the Northampton Survival Center. “That’s what it’s all about: finding out who fits what you need and what fits what you want to do.”

Parrish spends her volunteer hours inspecting the quality of donations for the survival center. She has been with the organization for eight years and gets satisfaction from staring at the empty shelf of incoming goods, knowing that it is the result of her hard work.

“I know they trust me to make certain decisions and that’s valuable for a volunteer,” Parrish said. “The main thing I like is just seeing that clear plank at the end and knowing that I made something better that day in that spot.”

While each organization was happy to accept volunteers of any kind, most sought to fill a specific need. Northampton Recovery Centre, a peer-based center for people in recovery, needs people to run the reception to fill the centre’s recently extended opening hours.

Northampton Neighbours, which provides a range of services and support for over-55s in Northampton, needs people to help with transport and their ‘Hello Neighbor’ phone check-in programme.

The Cooley Dickinson Patient Family Advisory Council, a group that connects community needs with top hospital administration, needs people with interest and expertise in the health care system.

“By having the voices of patients in the community, we are better able to share the offering in a way that is very clear and helpful,” said Lisa Ekus, co-chair of the council.

Yet every group, regardless of need, noticed how important volunteers are to the organization’s missions.

Jesse Buckley, volunteer coordinator for the Northampton Recovery Center, said the center uses an inverted triangle organizational chart, with members coming up with program ideas at the top and volunteers carrying out members’ visions just below. But the greatest need right now is volunteers who run the reception.

“Volunteers are absolutely critical to achieving that mission of providing choice to people recovering from making their own life decisions and making decisions outside of the center,” Buckley said. “Volunteers are really the ones who make everything possible.”

Emilee Klein can be reached at [email protected].