By Caitlin O’Brien

By volunteering and offering your time and effort, you do so much more than simply help people for a few hours. You demonstrate the true kindness, support and concern for the well being and betterment of your community.

It was with this idea that Volunteer UA was created. What started as a simple conversation a little more than a year ago has grown into an incredibly successful collaborative among five community organizations.

At the Upper Arlington State of the City address in January of 2007, non-profit directors
Hayley Head and Amy Schossler met and began discussing ways to inspire, recruit and retain volunteers for organizations such as theirs.

They realized one of the biggest issues is that potential volunteers don’t know what organizations need help or where to go to find out. Their idea to remedy this problem developed into Volunteer UA.

“As a collaborative effort, Volunteer UA successfully demonstrates that positive results are easily accomplished by working in partnership with other organizations in the community,” says Schossler of the Upper Arlington Commission on Aging. “Volunteer UA began with the goal of providing opportunities to potential volunteers and non-profit organizations to meet and find common interests. Additionally, it provides educational sessions for non-profit organizations to network and learn from one another.”

The first expo was held in September 2007 and was widely considered a success. Advertising “a localized volunteer clearinghouse of sorts,” they tried to reach community members and help them find the right volunteer match for their interests.

The variation among exhibitors at the 2007 expo was broad, offering opportunities anywhere from the Upper Arlington Optimist Club to the Arthritis Foundation. In addition to simply getting community members in touch with these opportunities, it also exposed them to success stories and others who had invaluably benefited from previous volunteer efforts.

“Some of our most powerful moments came as we heard firsthand from a family whose son had benefited greatly from the time spent with his mentor through the TriVillage Mentor League program, and as the volunteer relayed how his life has been enriched immeasurable ways by his volunteer experiences. These stories make it real and bring home how even the smallest acts of selflessness can make the world of difference in someone else’s life,” says Emma Speight, Deputy City Manager of Community Affairs for the City of Upper Arlington.

Because of the event’s success, Volunteer UA has since become a year-round effort, and has grown into outlying areas as well.

“The neat thing about Volunteer UA is that it is living its mission of promoting and supporting volunteerism. Though called Volunteer UA because of its roots (the five participating organizations are based in Upper Arlington), Volunteer UA's intent is to support the larger community and offer support within and beyond our borders to organizations and potential volunteers,” says Hayley Head, Director of the TriVillage Mentor League.

In the spring of 2008, Volunteer UA hosted a brainstorming session where representatives of the organizations who participated in the original Expo discussed the challenges facing non-profits, how to raise awareness for those who want to volunteer and ultimately how to secure these volunteers to help run their various programs and activities.

On Sept.10, Volunteer UA is ready to host its second expo, this time with more than 30 organizations expected to attend. Special guest Margie Pizzuti, President and CEO of Goodwill Columbus, will speak at 5:30 p.m. The expo will also feature local volunteers who will share insight from their own experiences.

“Volunteer UA has contributed significantly to volunteer awareness throughout UA. Emphasis is on volunteering within one’s own community, no matter what age, skill level, or availability,” Schossler says. “If everyone in the community could volunteer for just several hours each year, the results to the UA and the organizations that serve it would be overwhelming.”

For more information on Volunteer UA or the Sept. 10 Volunteer UA expo, contact Emma Speight at espeight@uaoh.net or visit www.ua-ohio.net.

Caitlin O’Brien is a contributing writer for Upper Arlington Magazine.