Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1101565
Volunteers at the Heart of Change Thank you to the volunteers who give their time, seek the good in others, & make our community a better place to live, work, and play. Through our family of programs we are growing a movement–more than 15,000 volunteers strong. As friends, neighbors, business partners, community leaders, and non-profits working together, we build connections that transform our community. scvolunteercenter.org @scvolunteercenter.org We invite you to join us today. Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County I t's National Volunteer Week and for com- munities across the nation this week brings the opportunity to shine the spotlight on the value of volunteerism. Established in 1974, National Volunteer Week demonstrates the power of volunteerism to bring people together for positive change. Each year during National Volunteer Week, the Volunteer Cen- ter of Santa Cruz County and partners host events including appreciation parties, recognitions, and volunteer projects all with the goal of highlighting the tremendous work complet- ed by local volunteers. is year, during Na- tional Volunteer Week the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County will celebrate a record achievement. "We have recognized record growth in the number of volunteers mobilized through our family of programs in the last year. We are now over 15,000 volunteers strong," states Volunteer Center Executive Director Karen Delaney. Founded in 1967, e Volunteer Center opened it's doors when three local social workers inspired by their passion for help- ing others, set up shop at a loaned office space in downtown Santa Cruz to create a volunteer program that would li up residents in need. Within a year, they developed a mentoring program for boys in need of male role models, a tutoring program for non- English speaking adults, a jail visitation program, and 2 programs for home- bound seniors. is foundation laid by just three volunteers has grown into 4 facilities county-wide, 18 programs, and an ever growing list of volunteers who annually partner with more than 9,000 residents in need. "Together, our found- ers launched a powerful movement of local people working together to solve local problems, and every year regardless of the po- litical or financial climate, more and more people walk through our doors with a desire to transform our community for good," states Delaney. "Even in this current polarized and deeply divisive climate, instead of retreating inward – people, and particularly young people, are reaching out in record numbers with the desire to connect, stand up for their values, and create positive change. It is incredibly upliing to wit- ness," states Delaney. is trend of millenni- als — the generation born between 1980 and 2000, stepping up in record numbers, holds true across the nation. Now the larg- est generation, they are outpacing all other genera- tions in their willingness to volunteer. According to recent studies more than 70% of millennials state they volunteer regularly. Growing the Movement of Volunteers in Santa Cruz County ...continues on C4