OMEGA PHI ALPHA SORORITY
* Number of members: 56 * Background: The Sigma chapter of Omega Phi Alpha is a service sorority at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. * Agency: Volunteered at Signal Centers since 2012. * Why they chose it: "We do six projects a year and at least one is always at Signal Centers," says Cailee O'Shoney, Omega Phi Alpha member. "Also, our sorority's national permanent project is mental health awareness." * Their service: Engaging with the adults during various activities, assisting staff with prepping activities, helping with lunch as needed. They also help on special weekend work days and have sent groups on Saturdays to help prepare activities and clean up. According to Signal Centers staff member Megan Grant: "They have consistently served at our holiday parties, most recently Halloween and Valentine's Day. For Valentine's's Day, almost every member of the sorority created handmade valentines to hand out to the adults and baked goodies to share. During our Halloween party, they came in costume to assist with games, trick-or-treating and lunch. Throughout the week, girls from Omega Phi Alpha will come to assist with daily activities, engage the adults in games and art activities and assist staff. One specific member offered her services as a photographer for us to take glamour shots, one of our favorite things. Sania Kahn did an amazing job making each individual feel beautiful and confident in front of the camera." * Uniqueness of service: "It's always a group service project, but we've been lucky enough to receive some individual volunteers because they started with the sorority. Omega Phi Alpha has increased our participants' self-esteem. They've become part of our Adult Center family because of the extreme kindness and compassion they continue to show each time they serve with us. Attendees of the Adult Center feel as if they are their personal friends and look forward to visits and interactions. This spirit of inclusion makes a lasting impression on both ends."
KRISTEN EDGEWORTH
* Age: 16 * Background: Junior at Center for Creative Arts * Agency: Volunteer for Signal Centers during school holidays and summers since 2013 * Why she chose it: "My brother went to Signal Centers' children's program." * Her service: Assists the adult program with daily activities and living skills, including adapted sports, art activities and games. She is responsible for modeling appropriate social relationships, encouraging and socializing with participants and assisting staff as needed. She was recognized, in particular, for large-scale, themed events for the adult program she plans, such as last summer's two-day Harry Potter event. She is already preparing a scrapbooking event for this summer. According to Signal Centers staff member Megan Grant: "She coordinated with staff over several weeks to prepare activities (for the Harry Potter party), bringing in additional materials, creating wands before the parties so on the event day they could come in and have a wand choose them. She took the time to individually sort each participant into magical houses, which included knowing each participant's personality. She came in early on both days to set up the activities and decorate. The participants had a fantastic time making robes, being sorted, playing Quidditch." * Uniqueness of service: "Kristen is unique in that she does not need these hours for school or credit and she comes in of her own dedication to this program and these adults. She is extremely creative and enjoys trying new things with our participants ... she encourages them to socialize and engage in activities," says Grant.
You don't always find them in the cool, high-profile jobs like the divers who jump into the Tennessee Aquarium's glass tanks to feed fish.
They might be behind-the-scenes in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, quietly cuddling infants at T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital at Erlanger or across Central Avenue from the hospital, cooking dinner for families who live at the Ronald McDonald House while their seriously ill children are being treated.
They might be high school students patiently helping other teens with homework at Northside Neighborhood House or adults providing emergency assistance to victims of natural disasters.
Undertaking tasks large and small, volunteers are the manpower that help nonprofits stay within their limited budgets, who donate their time for the purpose of benefiting their communities. They never receive a paycheck, yet their work is invaluable.
"We've calculated that our families gain an extra 36 hours to spend with their children during an average 14-day stay with us," says Jane Kaylor, president and chief executive officer of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga. "That's because volunteers prepare all their meals, do chores and families don't have to worry about anything but their sick child."
"Erlanger Health System is fortunate to have more than 600 adult volunteers and 200 summer VolunTeens," says Ryan Fugate, Erlanger employee and volunteer functions coordinator. "There are nearly 100 volunteer roles and each one is important and needed. Often, volunteers are the first smiling face that visitors see when arriving at Erlanger."
Volunteers will be thanked today through Saturday during National Volunteer Week, sponsored by the Points of Light organization.
Locally, United Way of Greater Chattanooga's Volunteer Center and the Directors of Volunteers in Agencies are sponsoring the annual Volunteer United Awards Banquet on Tuesday night. Times Free Press President Bruce Hartmann will speak on "Volunteerism: The Foundation for Community."
Many local nonprofits and organizations will host appreciation dinners this month or treat their volunteers with tickets to Volunteer Night at the Lookouts game on Thursday. The Tennessee Aquarium plans to honor its volunteers with a dinner April 28, says Chris Bowman, manager of volunteer services.
Arthur MacFadden, 93, will be there. He's been an aquarium volunteer since 2004, primarily as a docent manning different tanks and stations in both buildings. For two years he fed penguins and cleaned their exhibit. He also lit in the butterfly garden for awhile, answering children's questions and showing them how to transfer a butterfly from his fingers to theirs. His current assignment: chef, meaning he's a volunteer who chops up fish to feed animals at mealtime.
Volunteer worker Kristen Edgeworth runs behind adult client Justin Frazier on the playground at Signal Centers. Kristen is a nominee for Emerging Volunteer of the Year."It's been a learning experience being associated with the aquarium because it's caused me to study oceanography, learn about the monarch butterfly and taught me new things in so many interesting areas," says MacFadden. "I feel like a 16-year-old kid!"
During Tuesday's Live United banquet, finalists in seven award categories will be recognized and winners announced. Those categories are Youth & Education, Community, Health & Environment, Emerging Volunteer, National Service, Family Volunteer and Corporate.
The Emerging Volunteer is a restructuring of the former Youth division, according to Kelley Nave, United Way director of public relations. Emerging Volunteer honors anyone up to age 23, while the previous "Youth" title was unclear whether the nominee had to be a youth or could be an adult volunteering for a youth-oriented agency.
Following are overviews of the first three nominees for Emerging Volunteer of the Year.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.
ERIC PETERSON
* Age: 23 * Background: Eric is a mentally challenged volunteer who lives with his parents, Laura and Brian Peterson. The family moved here from Texas four years ago. * Agency: Volunteer for Samaritan Center for four years. * Why he chose it: Laura Peterson says her son is not employable, so they look for opportunities for him to learn responsibility and life skills. "He needs somebody with patience. I can't say enough about the staff of the Samaritan Center." * His service: Works on the shipping and receiving dock, helps donors unload their items, loads items for customers/clients. According to Samaritan Center Volunteer Director Melissa Tortal: "Eric is always willing to help and to learn. He is always here when he is scheduled and, if something comes up, he lets us know. He takes his volunteering seriously, this is his job." * Uniqueness of service: "Eric is always wanting to learn new things. If there is a new project and he is involved, he listens and then executes. He always has a can-do attitude," says Tortal.
Eric Peterson adds shoe inventory to the floor at the Samaritan Center. Peterson is a nominee for Emerging Volunteer of the Year.Volunteer Week activities
Tuesday * Volunteer United Awards Banquet, Unum Atrium, 1 Fountain Square, 6-7:30 p.m., $15. Call 752-0316 or email annabaker@uwchatt.org for more information. Thursday * Volunteer Night at the Lookouts for all volunteers and nonprofit organizations across the region, AT&T Field, 7:15 p.m., Lookouts vs. Birmingham Barons. * Humane Educational Society, 212 N. Highland Park Ave., volunteer open house and cookout, 6-8 p.m. Volunteers are encouraged to bring a friend or family member who might be interested in volunteering. Friday * Reception honoring Erlanger volunteers, Medical Mall on Baroness campus, 3-4 p.m., drop-in event for food and refreshments. Did you know? United Way's Volunteer Center has recruited about 15,000 volunteers over the last two years. They gave more than 100,000 hours to 200 area nonprofits at a value of nearly $2.5 million. Source: United Way of Greater Chattanooga The value of volunteers According to the Independent Sector, a coalition of nonprofits, foundations and corporate-giving programs, the value of a volunteer's time is $22.55 per hour. Here are three examples of the financial impact volunteers made in 2014. * Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga reports that 825 volunteers donated more than 26,000 hours of service; an estimated value of $586,300 in money saved. * At the Tennessee Aquarium, 540 volunteers -- whose ages span 15 to 93 -- donated 60,431 hours, a financial savings of $1,362,719. * Northside Neighborhood House's 204 volunteers gave 6,083 hours of service last year valued at $137,171. Source: Agency directors or volunteer directors