Volunteers are needed to make the world go round, said a nonprofit leader Wednesday at an event highlighting needs at organizations in the Mankato area.
Erin Simmons, executive director of Mankato Youth Place, made the comment while speaking about the wide range of volunteer roles at the free youth programming nonprofit. Whether it’s helping on reading, ballet, handball, gardening or other programs, she described a fit for just about any interested volunteer.
Mankato Youth Place set a program record by serving 88 children in a day this summer, Simmons said, making the need for more volunteers even more evident.
“We’ve had more attendance than we’ve ever had before and we have the longest waiting list than we’ve ever had before,” she said. “The way that we are going to tackle that waiting list is here in this room.”
Simmons joined Jill Cusick from the Greater Mankato Area United Way and Sherrie Trucker from The Salvation Army in speaking at the nonprofit volunteer and information fair at Bethany Lutheran College, organized as a Greater Mankato Young Professionals event. In total 32 nonprofit members of Greater Mankato Growth participated, up from 12 last year.
The idea behind the fair was to connect people to volunteer opportunities in their community, said Brittany Bowman, coordinator of the Young Professionals program. She noted promotion of volunteering is a big part of YP.
It was a joy to see so many people come and learn about volunteer opportunities, Cusick said. She shared how United Way volunteers help on community impact teams, literacy projects, event committees and more.
“Allow this event and allow the people around you to plant that seed in you today to become a volunteer, to get engaged and make the most of every opportunity to give more than you receive,” Cusick encouraged attendees.
Trucker spoke about first volunteering at The Salvation Army in 1988, leading to what she described as amazing opportunities to touch people’s lives as a case worker. The needs at the nonprofit include volunteering to serve noon meals, run its thrift store, help with youth programs and ring bells leading up to Christmas.
Volunteers can help B the Light, a New Ulm-based nonprofit founded by a breast cancer survivor to support others in her shoes, grow into an even bigger resource in the region, said Laura Doyen, executive director.
The nonprofit has committee and fundraising roles waiting for them. Doyen first got involved with the nonprofit after seeing how much it helped a friend with breast cancer.
Considering how common breast cancer is, it’s likely to be a cause close to many people’s hearts, Doyen said.
“It’s for anybody that feels a calling to help and create a safe space for survivors,” she said.
Wednesday’s fair was important for raising awareness about the nonprofit, she added, while also connecting it with other nonprofits. Those conversations can lead to collaboration in the future.
The Redemption Project, founded in 2016, is expanding its work preparing current and former inmates and employers for work opportunities post incarceration. The aim of the second-chance hiring nonprofit is to reduce recidivism.
The fair helped get the word out about the organization’s relatively new presence in south-central Minnesota, said Sandy Boyes, development director.
Organizations such as the Southern Minnesota Area Human Resources Association, or SMAHRA, wouldn’t be possible without volunteers. The nonprofit human resources organization has openings on its board, for example, said Kaitlynn Steele, a board member and the organization’s marketing co-chair.
“This is something we’re all doing on top of our day jobs, so word of mouth is how we continue to grow and how our profession continues to advance,” she said.
At Lutheran Social Service, there are needs for foster care mentors, on-call crisis nursery volunteers and drivers for a senior meal program. There is much variety in the roles themselves and flexibility in the hours and time they require, said Kate Hengy-Gretz, the Mankato area crisis nursery facilitator at LSS.
She’s seen the need grow for on-call crisis nursery volunteers in recent years. These volunteers take calls from people in need and connect them to resources.
“There’s at least one week a month where I don’t have a volunteer,” Hengy-Gretz said of the current need. “For retired people that’s a great opportunity for them because it’s a very flexible schedule.”
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