The Volunteer Center of
Washington County
Wisconsin

Linking Volunteers to Community Needs
for Over 25 Years
Volunteer Coordinator Networking Summer Picnic

 

On Thursday, June 24 volunteer coordinators from 10 of our member agencies met in the new bandstand at Regner Park for a potluck lunch. NOVA Services hosted the event which included networking, a presentation on public relations by Tracey MacGregor, marketing director at Cedar Community, and wonderful food! Thank you to all who participated. It was a fantastic day!

 

                      

 

Volunteering in America & Wisconsin Highlights

 

The Corporation for National & Community Service recently released it's 2009 data, which illustrates trends and demographics in volunteerism around the nation. For the purposes of the research, volunteers are people age 16 and older who serve through or with and organization without pay during a 12-month period. Check out the key findings!

  • In 2009, 63.4 million Americans, or 26.8% of the adult population, contributed 8.1 billion hours of volunteer service worth $169 billion.
  • 2009 was the largest, single-year increase in the number of volunteers since 2003.
  • 22% of young adults (age 16-24) volunteered in 2009, remaining about the same as last year.
  • Wisconsin has the 13th highest volunteer rate in the country.
  • 33.5% of adults volunteered in Wisconsin in 2009, contributing 158.6 million hours of service.
  • Wisconsin has an average annual volunteer rate of 33.3%, with 1.5 million volunteers serving 162.4 million per year.
  • The Midwest region has the highest volunteer rate at 30.2%.

To see additional volunteer highlights click on http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/
Marshfield Clinic AmeriCorps Summit

 

Brian Blahnik and John Oman of the Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach hosted an information session at the Volunteer Center explaining the application process to receive an AmeriCorps Member for the 2010-2011 program year. Representatives from 8 interested member agencies attended the event. There are currently 5 AmeriCorps Members serving in Washington County through the Marshfield Clinic program.

 

Thank you, Brian and John, for taking the time to travel to Washington County and explain the application process. The Volunteer Center and our member agencies thank you for your time and commitment!

 

 

Brian explains the AmeriCorps application process to representatives from our interested agencies.

 

Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach AmeriCorps Program Director Brian Blahnik and Program Coordinator John Oman with Megan Petri, Melanie Bloom, and Allyson Weber - current Marshfield Clinic AmeriCorps Members serving Washington County.
Celebrate Families

 

The Volunteer Center showed kids how to "catch the helping bug" while Citizen Corps taught kids which items are needed in their emergency kit at this year's Celebrate Families event. The annual event was held at the Washington County Fair Park on February 14.

 

Thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers who helped us complete hundreds of art projects, play games, and talk to all of the families! We couldn't have done it without you!

 

     

Citizen Corps Activated for H1N1 Response

 

The Washington County Health Department officially engaged Citizen Corps and the Volunteer Center of Washington County for H1N1 response on September 25th, 2009. The request was made in response to Governor Doyle’s H1N1 public health emergency declaration for the State of Wisconsin and in anticipation of H1N1 vaccine shipments to the County.

To date, 80 volunteers have responded to this community need and contributed more than 500 hours of their time. Thank You!!

For more information, view the Citizen Corps newsletter!

 

                                                  

          Volunteers in training prior to the Nov. 15th clinic.                           Volunteers guide patients to vaccination stations.

 
 

Quote from President Obama at the Presidential Forum on Service,
   Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Points of Light

 "Service isn't separate from our national priorities or secondary to our national priorities - it's integral to achieving our national priorities.  It's how we will meet the challenges of our time...

 That's always been the story of this nation--the story of those who stepped forward in our darkest hours to serve it. Those who rose to answer the defining questions of their time: Colony or country?  Free or half free? Separate but equal, or truly equal? 
 

Those folks weren't in it for the money.  Those folks were volunteers.  Their service wasn't "extra."  
It was the work that changed this country."        ~President Barack Obama
   Time for a little Q and A    
       Q   What impact is the economy having on volunteering and on the Volunteer Center?
       A  Volunteerism is strong.  Our connections of volunteers to community needs in the first months was up 64% over the same time last year!   Groups of volunteers are flocking to our doors.  In the first 6 months of 2009, we served 35 groups.  People who are unemployed are turning to volunteering to help for so many reasons - keeping skills fresh, learning new skills, putting extra time to use on something they care deeply about, building their resume and references!  Our volunteer registrations are up 27.5% over the same time last year!

     
       Q  What ways do volunteers help in emergencies?  What opportunities are there to help?

       A  When the Volunteer Center is activated by a local incident commander, we do what we are asked - volunteers are involved in whatever ways we are invited.   

  • In the H1N1 Immunization response, we are being asked by the local incident commander, our Washington County Health Department, to recruit, register, background screen, assign and manage volunteers at the Immunization clinics.
  • There are many roles to play - traffic control, registration, nurse helpers, runner, volunteer manager, etc.
  • Our Citizen Corps is made up of volunteers with offers of time and skills, who want to help in emergencies.  Consider joining Citizen Corps to register your help!

The Volunteer Center   ...     Now Serving 59 Member Agencies

New in 2010:
Welcome!
 Blue Lotus Farm & Retreat Center

West Bend Builders Association
  New Agencies in 2009:
Washington County Rotary Clubs

West Bend Children's Theater

View a complete list of agencies.

Volunteer Center of Washington County
 1530 Corporate Center Drive, STE 1
West Bend, WI 53095
 262-338-8256
Business Hours: 
Monday through Friday, 9 am to 3 pm
Evenings and Weekends, By Appointment


The Volunteer Center is grateful to the     United Way of Washington County for funding support.