The volunteer needs of 93 non-profit organizations were front and center at the recent 8th Annual Volunteer Fair sponsored by the Crown Point Community Foundation.
Hundreds of visitors — of all ages and experience levels — perused the colorful displays in the Crown Point High School gymnasium as they discussed opportunities for service to others.
“I came to this event after I retired four years ago, I was looking for ways to help in my community,” said current Meals on Wheels volunteer Jim Haag, as he helped set up his organization’s display with volunteer manager Joan Vith. “I met Joan at that time and was impressed with what they did, so I signed up. I’ve come back here to this fair with her every year since then to help recruit new volunteers.”
The Crown Point Fourth of July Parade Committee needs many volunteers for that one day only, but with the enormous amount of responsibilities involved, the committee also needs lots of help with the planning. “There’s so much to do on that day — we need volunteers everywhere for everything,” said Trudy Tarpo, as she greeted guests to her booth. “We now have 10 committee members and we’re looking to expand that to 15. Hopefully, we’ll find some people today that are interested.”
Visitors to the event consisted not only of recent retirees, although there were plenty of those. High school students, moms and children alike also stopped at the tables to pick up application forms.
“I wanted to find something my daughter and I could do together,” said Erica Marks of Highland, as she left the booth of Exceptional Equestrians in Hobart, which accepts parents and their children as volunteers.
‘I’m also finding things my daughter can get involved in, such as Girls on the Run.”
The latter consists of a program for young girls — third through eighth grade — that incorporates running with lessons focused on developing essential life skills.
Suzanne Schell of Munster just moved to Northwest Indiana last month from Michigan and heard about the Volunteer Fair from her new neighbors.
“I want to stay active and busy while I’m job hunting, so I think volunteer work is a good thing for me right now,” she said, as she looked over the long list of nonprofits. “You never know what contacts you will come across. I actually know friends that have gotten jobs through their volunteer work.”
The Volunteer Fair began eight years ago as a way to connect the nonprofits — which usually don’t have the money to hire all the staff persons they need to keep things going — with persons looking for ways to fill their time.
All organizations appearing at this year’s fair agreed that volunteers are the backbone of their operations, and their value is immeasurable.
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Heidi Forman of Hammond is very familiar with that statement, as she saw the inner-workings of how nonprofits work when her mother spent many hours as a volunteer at the local Humane Society.
“When I was old enough, I was there too,” Forman said, as she talked with representatives of Power Paws for Kids, Inc., who were looking for help with their children’s programs. “I know there are many animal lovers out there. And they need to know they can help in so many ways at the shelters and with the programs in their neighborhood.”
Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.