A gift of you

People put volunteering on their list of things to give this season

We’ve all heard the adage, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” but the holidays tend to test this – we grow weary of jam-packed malls, let alone the interminable circling of their parking lots.

But giving doesn’t have to mean breaking out the plastic one more time, especially when it comes to giving of yourself.

Throughout Arizona and the Valley of the Sun, there are opportunities for you to give of your time and talents. And while you’re making those New Year’s resolutions, why not resolve to help one of these worthy organizations in the coming year? There are no excuses for not knowing who or where to help: the Make A Difference organization, a clearinghouse of volunteer activities, offers an array of giving experiences (see its profile on this page). Latino Perspectives shares some of these opportunities on the next few pages, in hopes our readers will do more than write a check.

And then we can say, as did poet Walt Whitman, “When I give, I give myself.”

Few Arizona residents know the world’s first food bank (now known as St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance) was started 40 years ago in Phoenix by John van Hengel, who later created America’s Second Harvest – the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization.

By his example, Van Hengel has encouraged others to give not only of their finances, but their time. Serving 13 of Arizona’s 15 counties, St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance distributes more than 51.5 million pounds of food -- the majority of recipients are families with children and seniors. This is done with the help of volunteers who give more than 235,000 volunteer service hours during the year.

As you’d expect, the organization is swamped with work during the holidays as schools, churches and civic clubs conduct food drives. With the Food Bank’s trucks stretched to capacity, smaller boxes of donated items need to be picked up; you can help as part of the Food Posse. You choose the area from which you’d like to pick up and the days you can help.

Come alone or with a group of friends to help sort food or pack boxes at the alliance’s five Valley locations. You can also sign up to drive once-a-month with BREAD (Bridges Reaching the Elderly And Disabled) to deliver food, at a time convenient to you, to the same client each month.

“Volunteers are vital to St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance” says Terry Shannon, president and CEO of the Food Bank. “Last year close to 60,000 volunteers provided over 235,000 volunteer hours, so we rely on their generosity and serving spirit; (they) are essential to the work and mission of the Food Bank to promote the elimination of hunger.”

There are many volunteer opportunities you can explore, including special events, fundraising support, clerical assistance or elementary school facilitators. Find out more at the Food Bank’s Web site,www.FirstFoodBank.org or by calling (602) 352-3640. 

Twenty years ago, Scottsdale siblings and Realtors Gil and Troy Gillenwater were readying themselves for a family Thanksgiving feast when they were struck by the dichotomy of the bounty they enjoyed and the needs of others less fortunate.

In a spur-of-the-moment move, the brothers purchased $2,000 worth of foodstuffs and headed to Nogales. A serendipitous wrong turn took them to Agua Prieta, Sonora, and an under-staffed, under-financed orphanage.

That 200-mile journey southward would not only transform their lives, but in the ensuing years, countless others’ on both sides of the Arizona/Mexico border as the Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation, Inc. was born.

Today, Rancho Feliz offers opportunities for people of all ages to volunteer in Agua Prieta. Its new Vecinos Dignos Childcare Center offers educational and health opportunities to 150 children who would otherwise have neither. In addition, Vecinos Dignos Sin Fronteras has provided 42 houses for needy families, and the organization’s La Divina Providencia provides housing for abandoned children and senior citizens on 14 acres that also has housing for visiting volunteer groups.

Giving to help all in need is what humanity, regardless of nationality, is all about says founder Gil Gillenwater.

“I believe that we all need to take care of each other, for we are human beings first and Mexicans or Americans second,” he said.

For more information on volunteering, visit the Rancho Feliz Web site: www.ranchofeliz.com

There are plenty of opportunities to help out at the state’s largest nonprofit founded 50 years ago (1957) and dedicated to caring for our four-legged friends. Its two locations make it easier for volunteers to serve near home: the Nina Mason Pulliam Campus for Compassion is located at 1521 W. Dobbins Road (at the base of the South Mountain Nature Preserve), or its Sunnyslope Facility, 9226 N. 13th Avenue in north Phoenix. Volunteers are also needed at many community events.

A monthly volunteer orientation may help you decide where your skills are best utilized. The AHS asks that adults, 18 and older, commit to six months or 50 hours of service.

Foster care is always needed – whether you take in a cat or dog for a few days or months, your compassion can save the lives of orphaned newborns or young animals, those preparing to give birth or others recovering from illness or injury. AHS provides the food, medications and medical supplies, if needed.

“Of our 800 volunteers, 360 are foster volunteers and though that sounds like a lot, with 50,000 animals coming through our door every year, we need more. They really save lives,” says Sharon Kinsella, manager of Volunteer Services. She credits all volunteers with helping impact the number of animals that can be served.

Also needed are folks willing to love the animals at the AHS facilities. Walking a dog, cuddling a cat, playing with a puppy or bunny may sound like simplistic tasks, but to the animals this affectionate quality time is priceless and may make them even more appealing to a prospective adopting owner.

Other opportunities to help include assisting the Emergency Animal Medical Technicians (EAMT) as they rescue sick, injured or abused animals or helping with on-site paperwork or photography.

If working indoors is more your style, offer to help in the Sunnyslope site’s thrift store where all proceeds are earmarked to help the animals; help also is needed in the office answering phones, filing, typing or assisting with special projects.

For more information, visit the society’s Web site, www.azhumane.org

If you like the immediate gratification of seeing results of your volunteer time, Tempe-based Rebuilding Together is for you. In this largest home rehabilitation organization in America, disabled and senior citizen homeowners are assisted as teams of painters and construction workers paint and fix-up their houses. The Valley of the Sun chapter, organized in 1991, has come to the aid of 900 homeowners since its inception. In addition, they’ve successfully tackled more than 40 large community service projects like the repainting of St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance last year, and last October painted the Arizona Center for the Blind just in time for its 60th anniversary celebration in early November.

The organization’s 4th annual Rock & Roll Paint-A-Thon held late October brought volunteers together to paint 133 houses and four large community projects. Rebuilding Together provided the paint, brushes, rollers and drop cloths – volunteers brought the willing hands.

Rebuilding Together manages a number of programs throughout the year that impact communities around Maricopa County. Another major project is the annual Rebuilding Day where serious issues like plumbing or roofing needs are addressed.

Volunteering with friends and co-workers is highly recommended, according to Rebuilding Together Valley of the Sun Executive Director Dennis Flynn.

“We offer a great team-building experience for corporations, schools, churches and civic organizations to make a positive impact in our local communities,” said Flynn. “Volunteers work with low-income homeowners so they get to see their money and sweat equity helping real people – seniors and disabled homeowners who in turn are sometimes overwhelmed with gratefulness when they see the completed work. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

For more information, visit Rebuilding Together’s Web site at www.RebuildingTogetherphx.org  

Organized in 1993 by Marty Moore, Make A Difference has evolved into one of the Valley’s premier volunteer organizations – serving as a clearinghouse to aid both volunteers looking to help and agencies seeking volunteers. Continuing the founder’s vision of helping busy people give back to their communities, it offers many chances to help others on weekends or after work.

And its 14 years of efforts are working. In addition to three large-scale days of community service a year, Make A Difference hosts between 40 to 50 volunteer projects monthly. They also offer film and book discussions on important community issues. All of this adds up to more than 14,000 people contributing more than 50,000 hours of service to the community each year.

The opportunities are limitless: mentor a child, help revitalize a neighborhood by painting out graffiti, plant a neighborhood garden, play bingo at a nursing home, provide meals to the homeless. Volunteer opportunity listings are posted on its Web site. All volunteer projects aid more than 300 pre-screened community service organizations, schools and neighborhood associations.

“We work year-round to empower people to become more than volunteers. We help them become a force for their neighborhoods, schools, communities and for themselves,” says Rhonda Oliver, president and CEO of Make A Difference. “Our programs give them the tools they need to learn more about our community’s issues and to become engaged in the solutions.”

You can search or browse volunteer opportunities and learn more about Make A Difference at its Web site, www.makeadifference.org

The nonprofit Area Agency on Aging focuses on enhancing the quality of life for all seniors. Not only do they use volunteers to help with special programs such as the Benefits Assistance Program (helping untangle red tape and confusing issues of Medicare, for instance) and the Ombudsman program (advocates for people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities), but they encourage and assist seniors in serving as volunteers.

A prime example is their Opportunity Corps/Adopted Grandparents program that places teams of seniors, ages 55 and older, in elementary schools where they assist with programs such as student tutoring, music lessons and after-school programs.

The agency’s RSVP program places senior volunteers with more than 150 non-profit organizations and public agencies throughout western Maricopa County, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Fountain Hills, including schools, food banks, museums and libraries. Volunteers in their Presentations by Seniors program work with children in grades K-12, challenging them on topics from growing their self esteem to combating bullying.

No matter what your age, to learn more about volunteering with the Area Agency on Aging by visiting its Web site, www.aaaphx.org or call (602) 264-2255. 

Holy Cross Brother Andre Bessette (1845-1937) knew from first-hand experience how rough life can be. As a young man, he worked as an itinerant field hand in Canada and the U.S, including a stint in the old west town of Phoenix. Today his name fittingly graces the portals of Andre House where the homeless and castoff come for shelter and services given in Christian love. Founded in 1984 and located at 213 S. 11th Ave., Andre House welcomes volunteers to help in preparing and serving suppers Saturday through Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. More than 600 plates are served nightly; clean-up volunteers are also needed. Plan ahead to volunteer, as this program is often filled in advance.

“The vast majority of the people who volunteer with us usually confess to getting more out of the experience than they put in. That’s the big secret of doing volunteer service: quite often it is we who are changed by doing the work,” says Father Bill Wack, who has served as director of Andre House for six years.

Volunteers are also needed to help sort donated clothing for Andre’s Clothes Closet, and assistance in the office is also welcome. With temperatures starting to dip, the quest to find blankets for those without shelter is paramount. Helping collect and distribute up to 3,000 of these much-needed items is a critical, as is assistance with the Saturday afternoon Niños Program which offers area youth from ages 7 to 13 years old cultural, educational and recreational activities.

For more information on volunteer opportunities and the work of Andre House, see its Web site at www.andrehouse.org.