Group plans luncheon to honor volunteers

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers LOCAL VOLUNTEER- Volunteer Juanita "Jean" Toomey helps Richard Barraza of Newbury Park in the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP) boutique at the Goebel Senior Center on Friday afternoon. RSVP workers help programs that benefit local senior citizens. Volunteers keep the county's nonprofits humming, and to show their appreciation the Ventura County Volunteer Coordinators Council will host a luncheon Tues., Sept. 16 at Spanish Hills Country Club in Camarillo.

The council, a 27yearold nonprofit, is a support and mentoring group for volunteer coordinators from hospices, government programs and other nonprofits.

Council President Karen Jensen said that because volunteers tend to work behind the scenes, the public may not be aware of just how important they are to nonprofits.

"Some organizations purely would not exist were it not for the volunteers," Jensen said.

The luncheon costs $30 per person, and smaller organizations may be able to afford to take a couple of volunteers. But organizations with a large volunteer staff are forced to choose which volunteers to take while not offending the others. Or, like the American Red Cross which relies on 1,300 volunteers, simply not attend. "It's kind of difficult to pick one or two when you have a number of volunteers to recognize," said Pat Muntz, American Red Cross volunteer manager.

The Red Cross and several other large volunteerbased organizations, including the Camarillo Health Care District, already hold annual recognition events for their volunteers.

Even so, the nonprofit healthcare district will take four of its 130 volunteers to the luncheon and hope the others will understand, said Camarillo Health Care District spokesperson Kara Partridge.

"Yes, it is like having to choose children," Partridge said, adding that volunteers help raise funds and assist in a nail care clinic, adult day care program, senior lunch program and emergency alert communication system known as Lifeline of Ventura County.

The four volunteers, who devote an average of 115 hours a month, have worked a total of 41 years for the healthcare district, Partridge said.

Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Thousand Oaks will also send a few of its many volunteers to the luncheon, though the situation is slightly different. RSVP places about 1,200 volunteers with scores of Conejo Valley nonprofit organizations that have their own appreciation ceremonies, RSVP Director Cindy Powers said.

The luncheon will be "an extra special little treat" for eight volunteers who directly support RSVP by working four hours or more a week in its boutique and snack bar at the Goebel Senior Adult Center in Thousand Oaks, Powers said.

The volunteers also donate time to other nonprofit agencies.

"They're so loyal and faithful, so it wasn't difficult" to choose them, Powers said.

It was a difficult choice for Matt Gillig of Habitat for Humanity. Gillig said Habitat depends on a core of 30 consistent volunteers who perform behindthe-scenes services that must be in place before a home can even be built. The agency has 3,000 volunteers on its mailing list and about 500 who donate their time once or twice a year.

Gillig said he's invited to the luncheon a 10year Habitat volunteer who spends about 25 hours a week helping locate vacant property throughout Ventura County and attending numerous city council and other meetings leading up to development.

And he plans to take a oneyear volunteer who works a fulltime job but devotes at least 10 hours a week working on Habitat construction projects, performing translation services for the nonprofit and playing an instrumental role in an upcoming fundraiser.

"There isn't a part of our organization that isn't touched by volunteers—they're our life blood," Gillig said. "There are so many deserving people, (but) we have a limited budget."

For more information about the luncheon or the Ventura County Volunteer Coordinators Council, call Karen Jensen at (805) 427-4751.