Volunteers fulfill variety of duties

What volunteers do:

•At Camarillo Hospice about 85 people give time each week to help with office work and assist in patient care. Volunteers organize Hospice's weekly Farmers' Market in Old Town. Ten percent of vendor proceeds are donated to the nonprofit. Hospice hosts a volunteer recognition event each spring.

•Volunteers support the 14 Ventura County libraries in a number of ways, such as teaching adults to read and sorting books at the Ventura distribution center. Volunteers devoted 35,800 hours, the equivalent of 18 fulltime employees, to county libraries last year. Individual libraries generally have a volunteer appreciation ceremony.

•At the United Way of Ventura County, about 500 volunteers assemble fundraising materials and represent the agency at community events. They pass out brochures and answer questions about 211 Ventura County, a free 24hour socialservice help line. They raise money and decide which agencies will receive it. Employees who run the United Way fundraising campaign for their companies are considered volunteers. United Way does not have a volunteer recognition event.

•At the Ventura County Fire Department, 40 volunteers provide food and other essential services to firefighters battling wildfires, install and educate the public on child car seat safety, help with staged emergency drills, teach seniors how to prevent falls and fire, teach children how to escape a house fire with the department's Fire Safety House, collect toys for the department's holiday drive and provide translation services.

—Michelle Knight