Volunteer Fair connects community with organizations
Residents and organizations connected at the community building last week for this year’s volunteer fair.
Tina Rogers, programs manager and bookkeeper for Highlands Chamber of Commerce, said the event’s goal is to provide a platform for residents to engage with area nonprofits, noting that many people are interested in volunteering but lack direction on where to start.
“Anyone can come in and talk to each of these organizations and really kind of find out where their passion is. If they’re really into nature, they might go see the biological station or … they could do all of the theater companies in town,” she said.
Ten organizations attended in hopes of recruiting new people to join their teams. Among them was The Bascom.
Zach Rogers, director of exhibitions at The Bascom, said they are looking for volunteers who have an interest in the arts. As for specific qualifications, he said anyone who is available at least a few hours a week would be beneficial during the increasingly busy summer season.
“A few hours a week would be great, especially during the high season that we all experience here in the Plateau, but we are very flexible to work with the schedules of the volunteer,” he said.
Also participating was Highlands Biological Station, which Horticultural Specialist Tara Henderson said is looking for volunteers on Wednesday mornings, with no specific skills required.
“We appreciate any extra help we can get,” Henderson said. “It’s pretty casual. We plant stuff, we weed, we remove invasives. We do any other odd jobs that kind of keep the gardens clean.”
Rogers said events such as the volunteer fair are important because they give the nonprofits a chance to reach out for new volunteers while giving residents a chance to participate in volunteer work in a personal way.
“I think this is important because these are the people who really are hands-on and know what they need. So that’s why we started this and we hope to continue and we hope that the participation is here for us to continue,” she said.
Rogers said she hopes the biggest takeaway from the fair is the sense of community that Highlands cultivates, and that some of the most notable nonprofit organizations in town have the chance to expand on their influence in the area.
“Up here, we’re a small community, but we have an amazing number of nonprofits that do beautiful, amazing work. It takes volunteers to help if that wheel turns because they are nonprofits. And so, I’m hoping that these people that come in here just recognize what a great community we have here,” she said.