First Night - Behind the scenes Part II

Today was another day full of preparation for First Night! This morning Yuan Gao - known by Karen here in America - spent a few hours in our office making trail mix and cubing cheese to be served in the Green Rooms at the First Night venues. Volunteers, entertainers and crew take some time to relax and grab a bite to eat in the Green Rooms. I'm sure they aren't as fancy as they are in Hollywood!

This afternoon, Karen continued her work in helping set up chairs at the Missouri United Methodist Church and First Christian Church along with Jon Culver, Allison Van Riper and Stephanie Hart. We made quick work of things setting up more than 300 chairs in two locations in less than an hour and a half. Oh, and in there Jon swept the floor, too! Thanks to these volunteers for sharing their afternoon to help with this important, but not so glamorous, project!

Karen (Yuan Gao) is very interesting to me. I met her in September when she volunteered to help at the Festival of the Arts. She had moved to Columbia just a month earlier from China to attend school at MU. I was just flabbergasted at the thought of this young lady, moving half way around the world to a place she's never been where they speak a language that's different from your own. (She speaks excellent English by the way.) She's a brave young woman and an excellent volunteer! Karen is another example of someone who has used volunteering to get to know her new home. She will be the site manager at the Methodist Church tomorrow evening and I know she'll do a great job.

First Night - Behind the scenes

Any big event has a lot of work that gets done beforehand - behind the scenes where few see it. Although quiet, this work makes a huge difference in the end!

This week there is a good bit of this "behind the scenes" work being done getting ready for First Night on New Year's Eve. Today, Debra Hardin Program Assistant, had five Columbia Hospitality Corps volunteers in our building working with Linda LaFontaine to stuff bags and sort t-shirts for the participants in the First Night 5K Run.

Many thanks to Barb Seabolt, David & Diane O'Hagan, Sylvia Bradfield and Mary Wise for sharing a few hours this afternoon. We appreciate your time and it will make all the difference with the success of the event.

Lang Award nominations due Jan. 9

About a year ago, the city received a fantastic donation from Leo Hill who was city manager for Columbia in the 1950's. Leo wanted the city to use the funds to create a volunteer award in honor of Howard Lang who was Mayor of the city when he served as manager.

After some discussion, the award was defined to be given to someone who has served our local government - through service as an elected official, on a board or commission, with a special effort or project or as a volunteer in any way. The recipient will be awarded based on impact, initiative and length of service and will receive a $1,000 prize, that they may choose to receive or give to an organization. The nominations for the award are due Jan. 9.

Yesterday I had an interesting call from a young man who was inquiring about the award. He wondered if he started his service now if he might qualify for the award. He also asked if he could nominate himself. I told him while he was welcome to nominate himself or let someone he works with know he is interested, I told him that I expected the nominees to be people who had volunteered for a long period of time in some form of service.

Hmmm... maybe I should have been more encouraging with this young man. I think his call surprised me more than anything else. Maybe the economy is so tough that people are willing to volunteer in the hope of receiving a cash prize. In any event, his call reminded me that volunteering is a long-haul commitment - it's not a sprint. It's difficult for anyone who volunteers to make a big impact in just a few weeks - even if we give it our all! We must be willing to put in our time over a long period and be patient to see the results.

It's that special holiday season...

This time of year, the Office of Volunteer Services is abuzz preparing for First Night, a family-friendly celebration on New Years' Eve. It takes over 100 volunteers to put on this event and we so greatly appreciate the help of each person who has agreed to help us this year or has in the past. As you might imagine, many people travel at the holidays or want to enjoy the night with family and friends, so it's always a challenge to find those 100+ people to share a few hours to make the event possible.

Please let us know if you are interested in helping with this year's event... we can still use volunteers, especially from 8-10 or 9:45-11:30 p.m. Tasks including serving as an usher/button checker, helping in the children's art area, or serving as an ambassador.

Last week we had a special treat from Tom Masters, a long time Park Patrol volunteer. Tom brought us in some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies! In addition to his dedicated service to the Park Patrol, you may also see him at First Night as an ambassador in the Stephens College buildings. You may also find him about any day on Bear Creek Trail. Thanks, Tom, for your service to Columbia and your thoughtfulness.

Happy Holidays!! Leigh

CARP volunteers say goodbye to Daniel Gibbins

On Thursday afternoon, several CARP (Columbia Aquatic Restoration Project) volunteers stopped by the Gentry Building to bid farewell to Daniel Gibbins, Horticulturalist with Columbia Parks & Recreation. Daniel was the primary staff person who worked with CARP and it's 39 participating volunteers during the last two years.

Daniel is leaving Columbia to take a job with the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Cedar Rapids was hit hard by the floods this last summer and Daniel will be helping them with green space and new parks.

The volunteers who worked with Daniel on projects in our parks enjoyed his sparkling personality and the great faith he had in their work. Just about every project was a big one - with hundreds of plants to install and lots of work to be done. I think volunteers appreciated those challenges and stepped up! He also set high standards for the work and made sure it got done correctly. I think that sends a message to the volunteers that what they do is so very important and makes a lasting impact for years to come.

CARP is going to continue with the next class planned for March 2, 9 and 16 with Brett O'Brien providing the leadership until the new Horticulturalist is in place.

Goodbye, Daniel! Thanks for your work with Columbia volunteers and good luck in Iowa!

Leigh Britt

Goodbye, Dylan!

The Office of Volunteer Services says goodbye to one of our great youth volunteers, Dylan Conn. Dylan, a junior at Hickman High School, has been volunteering with the city as well as many other community organizations since he moved to Columbia at the age of 11. He was among the first Youth In Action volunteers (a summer volunteer program for youth 12-15) helping with dozens of projects and logging hundreds of hours of service.

Dylan has also been very active with March of Dimes, raising thousands of dollars to support them and taking a role at the national level with their youth board. Locally, he was active helping the Columbia Public Works Solid Waste program and the Missouri Theatre, to name a few!

In April 2008, Dylan was honored with the youth HERO award by the Columbia Daily Tribune and the Voluntary Action Center. This was a well-deserved award for his dedication to service!

Dylan and his family will be moving soon to the Chicago area. Volunteering was a great way for Dylan to get to know Columbia when he moved here and I know that when he arrives at his new home, he will use volunteering as a way to meet people and learn more about his community. Thanks, Dylan, and good luck!!

Leigh Britt

Santa Hotline - Dec. 6

Saturday, December 6 was the annual Santa Hotline sponsored by Columbia Parks & Recreation. Area children are invited to call the North Pole and share their gift requests with Santa and his helpers. Volunteers staff the North Pole call center, located for one day at least, at Paquin Tower.

Many thanks to Paquin Tower residents, Jamie and residents from Boone Landing and members of Sigma Rho Sigma for sharing a few hours to create memories for local children. This is just another of many ways that volunteers add to our community!

The results are in - volunteer hours up in FY08

Last night, I provided City Council a report of volunteer hours for FY08 (Oct. 1, 07 - Sept. 30, 08). The great news is that volunteers shared 43,323 hours of service - an 8% increase from the previous year. We estimate that more than 8,000 people volunteered in some way for the city during this time. Members of City Council had many positive things to say about the volunteer program and expressed their appreciation to the many citizens who contribute to the program's success.

Using the national value of $19.51, this time is worth more than $845,000. While putting a dollar figure to this contribution has become fairly easy, I don't think it reflects the true value of volunteering. The true value is in the ownership volunteers have in the community, the pride they can show by being a part of our city services and activities and the relationships they make along the way.

Over the last few years, Columbia has gone through the Visioning process with hundreds of citizens thinking about the future of our community. In the end, the Vision summary is stated:
Columbia will be a connected, informed and engaged community. I find that encouraging. The very vision that has been created is exactly the same thing that volunteers have been doing for Columbia for years!!

Congratulations to our volunteers on a great year and thank you to the more than 8,000 who made this positive report possible.
Leigh Britt

Fowl Shoot - Sidewalk Assessment - Nov. 15

Saturday, November 15 was a busy morning for volunteers!

Sidewalk Assessment: Twenty-five volunteers braved the cold to come to the GetAbout Columbia office and help with a sidewalk assessment. After a 30 minute review of how to conduct the assessments, volunteers were sent in groups to review sidewalks in an area east of downtown, around Stephens College and into the Benton-Stephens Neighborhood. They got 20 blocks reviewed Saturday morning, in spite of the cold and blustery conditions. (At least it was not snowing or raining!) The information collected will be used to help make decisions on how to improve our sidewalks, with special consideration to those who use wheelchairs.

Kristin Re, a Washington University student who led the project as part of an internship with GetAbout, shared a story about a woman killed by a driver in St. Louis. She used a wheel chair and was forced to ride in the street since there were not adequate sidewalks. This tragedy reminds us of the importance of good, usable sidewalks.

Thanks to the 25 volunteers who made the sidewalk assessment a success! Volunteers included several individuals from the community as well as a group of MU Engineering students who are members of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Fowl Shoot: Just a block away from the sidewalk project, six volunteers were helping with the Fowl Shoot at the Armory Sports Center. The Fowl Shoot, sponsored by Columbia Parks & Recreation, is a free-throw shooting contest with the winner in each age group receiving a coupon for a free turkey. The Columbia Channel has done a wonderful video promoting the event - I invite you to watch it - it's hilarious!

Thanks to the ladies of The Little Sisters of the Gold Rose, Mike McCarrick and Dayton Grover, Jr. for their help with this event. They all helped create memories for the participants at the Fowl Shoot!

Leigh Britt

Tiger Night of Fun

Halloween night is a fun night for kids and volunteers! For many years, Columbia Parks & Recreation and local businesses have teamed up for the Tiger Night of Fun - a safe alternative to door-to-door trick or treating held at the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse. Volunteers play an important role in the success of the event.

More than 50 local civic clubs, businesses, and other organizations, brought a game or activity for kids 6th grade and younger. Pictured here are the staff from the Fun City Youth Academy who brought a ring-toss game.

I enjoy volunteering at the Tiger Night of Fun because it exposes me to current culture. With every new costume, I learned something about what is popular with kids these days. The new one for me were characters from High School Musical. I guess I need to get out more often!

More importantly, it allowed me - and the dozens of other volunteers - to interact with children and their families and create memories.

In the course of two hours, more than 2,700 children and their families entered the fieldhouse and had their night of fun. It was all possible because of the work of hundreds of volunteers. Thank you!!

Medical Surge Drill

On Tuesday, October 28, local hospitals came together to hold a medical surge drill. The scenario was a tornado that hit town, overwhelming the emergency rooms of our local hospitals.

The drill was held in the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse and included setting up the room as it might be in a real event. Participants were registered using the Elliott badging system - the same system that would be used to identify and track volunteers following a real emergency.

In the afternoon, participants, made up largely of area nursing students, served as "pretend" patients while others were part of the labor pool.

Volunteers with the Columbia/Boone County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) also helped with the drill. MRC volunteers would be part of the response and would assist local hospitals as needed. One of the best ways that you could assist following a disaster is to affiliate now with a local group, like the MRC, the American Red Cross or the fire department's CERT team.

To learn more about getting involved with the MRC, contact Betsy Smith at the Columbia/Boone County Health Department - 874-7285 or ECS@GoColumbiaMO.com.

Plant the Promise

This week local youth will begin planting 1,300 red tulip bulbs at schools, churches, public housing facilities, homes and businesses, mostly in the central city, to "Plant the Promise." The project is a joint effort of the City of Columbia's Office of Volunteer Services and the Youth Community Coalition. Through "Plant the Promise" youth will make a promise to think about their actions and stay drug and alcohol free.

Not only do we want this project to be a valuable experience for youth to give more thought to making good decisions... we also want to help beautify central Columbia.

Most of our Adopt-A-Spot Beautification projects are on the fringe of the city as part of a new street project. Unfortunately, that has meant fewer projects in the middle of town. The bulbs will be one step toward bringing additional beauty to the central city.

This project is one that although has been on my mind for some time, did not get put together until a few months ago when Becky Markt with the Youth Community Coalition approached me with the Plant the Promise concept. In a short amount of time, we have had commitments from many youth groups who want to do the planting and from contacts representing more than 45 planting sites all over town.

The bottom line here is that every part of our community - public, private, nonprofit - see the value in adding beauty. Giving our youth another opportunity to think about staying away from drugs and alcohol is important to all of us, too. When we can join those two efforts we can have a fantastic project!

So, if you see a group of young people planting bulbs this week, ask them what they are up to. They may be Planting the Promise! We'll all enjoy their work next spring with a show of red tulips.

America In Bloom Symposium

I returned on Sunday from the America in Bloom (AIB) Symposium held in Columbus, Ohio October 2-4. Earlier this year, Columbia entered the AIB competition. Through the program, participating communities are evaluated on eight areas related to appearance, environment and community involvement. City staff completed a comprehensive report on city activities and our community was visited in June by two judges who took a careful look at many aspects of our city and met with dozens of city staff and citizens.

How we did: While we did not win our size category (50,000-100,000 population), Columbia did earn four out of five blooms and received special recognition for our Community Involvement efforts. Columbia has thousands of volunteers who support our municipal efforts on everything from litter control to beautification projects and neighborhood watch to household hazardous waste - and everything in between and beyond! I was very pleased that we recognized in this area because it reflects so well the dedication of our residents and also the commitment staff have made in so many city departments. Congratulations Columbia!

Community Gardens: The most impressive part of my visit to Columbus were the community gardens in cooperation with the Franklin Park Conservatory. Abandoned city lots have been leased to neighborhood groups for $1 per year. Those empty city lots which were once havens for trouble and crime have been turned into an oasis of beauty and community pride. This photo is of a juvenile offenders garden that included neat raised vegetable gardens as well as a landscaped garden along the perimeter. I know we have some programs like this in Columbia, but after hearing from those in Columbus, I think there are lots of reasons to expand what happens here. What a great way to bring people together, build pride, increase safety and produce locally-grown food!

I will soon post all the documents related to our results in America In Bloom. You can read them, as well as the rest of the details about our entry on line.

Leigh Britt

Another Busy Weekend...

This last weekend - September 27-28 - was another busy one for City of Columbia volunteers. Pictured here is a father and daughter who picked up trash near Flat Branch Park as part of the Hinkson Clean Sweep. Volunteers left their mark on our city several ways:

• volunteers assisted at the Columbia Festival of the Arts with set up, children's events, surveys, staffing the information booths and booth sitting for artists.
• the TreeKeepers planted trees at Auburn Hills Park, a new neighborhood park on the north end of Derby Ridge Road.
• volunteers from Karis Community Church and other concerned citizens worked to remove graffiti in the central city.
• more than 200 volunteers worked to pick up two tons of trash in our creeks through the Hinkson Clean Sweep.

We live in an amazing community where literally hundreds of people share their time each week. I invite you to view a slide show with more photos from Saturday.

Leigh Britt

Medical Reserve Corps

Who will help if we have a major medical emergency in our community like the pandemic flu? Who will provide medical assistance in shelters following a disaster? Who provides the extra hands during flu clinics? The Medical Reserve Corps!

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a group of volunteers who work in cooperation with the Columbia/Boone County Health Department. The group includes those with medical training as well as laypeople.

The Boone County MRC meets once a month, normally the fourth Thursday at 6 p.m. at the health department. Last night they met to talk about a state-wide volunteer database of medical volunteers and also to create a photo ID for each volunteer that will assist them in having access to sites where their help is needed. In this photo, they are working with the Elliot badging system.

The Medical Reserve Corps is gearing up for fall flu clinics and welcome new volunteers. To learn more, contact Betsy Smith in the Columbia/Boone County Health Department at 874-7285.

CARP Celebration

Last night we held a special picnic for volunteers in CARP - the Columbia Aquatic Restoration Project. Over the last two years, volunteers have shared Saturday mornings with parks staff planting aquatic plants, doing maintenance along shorelines (aka - weeding!) and other projects to enhance our aquatic resources. Much of their work has been done at Stephens Lake, Flat Branch Park and Twin Lakes.

Pictured here is Ken Torke (center) one of the dozen volunteers who was recognized for sharing at least 18 hours with the program. Councilman Chris Janku is to his left and Daniel Gibbins, Horticulturalist with Parks & Recreation, is on his right.

CARP volunteers begin the program by attending a three night class where they learn about aquatic management, plants, insects, stormwater, etc. - information that assists them during the volunteer experience. The 2009 class will be held on Monday evenings, March 2, 9 & 16 at the Park Management Center.

The CARP volunteers are hard workers - each dedicated to lending a hand in our parks. They also have a great sense of humor and like to have fun! I'm sure you would find being a CARPer quite rewarding and I invite you to join us as we start the program again in March.

Leigh Britt

Westwinds Park, Heritage Festival - September 21

Saturday was a banner day for volunteering! To start with, TreeKeepers volunteers and residents of the Westwinds Park Neighborhood Association joined forces for a work day at Westwinds Park under the leadership of the Parks & Recreation forestry crew. The group planted several trees to create a screen from Stadium Boulevard, mulched and composted around the trees, and then tackled re-graveling a section of trail damaged by the recent heavy rains.

In a little more than two hours, the group had all the work done, showing that many many hands really do make light work! When the work was completed, the group gathered at the Westwinds shelter for food and fellowship and a visit from Councilman Jerry Wade. This was a fantastic example of a neighborhood that got involved and made a difference! Thanks to the TreeKeepers the more than a dozen residents who came out to help.

After leaving Westwinds Park, I went to Nifong Park to visit the volunteers at the Heritage Festival. It was a beautiful day so the volunteers in the children's area were busy!! They were doing all kinds of things - making rope from yarn, creating mushrooms and pumpkins out of newpaper, and finding arrowheads in the sand and keeping them as necklaces. It took more than 75 volunteers to help with the Heritage Festival. Thanks to each of them who helped create a special memory for children and families.

Leigh Britt

Stream Extravaganza!

Last night the Stream Extravaganza was held at Flat Branch Park as part of Twilight Festival. This special event, organized by the Public Works Stormwater program, aims to educate the public about our streams, stormwater, and the animals that exist in the environment. Hundreds of people came to the event - including many families.

Events like the Stream Extravaganza don't happen without the help of volunteers! Pictured here are David Melegrito and Rachel Pia staffing a table on behalf of the Master Naturalists on the topic of ground and surface water systems. David and Rachel were among many volunteers who came to educate the public about their passion for the environment.

David and Rachel are active volunteers in many ways! David is active with the Fil-Am Association with an Adopt-A-Spot beautification bed in Rollins Road and Rachel is part of the city's TreeKeepers program.

To view more pictures from the Stream Extravaganza, visit our Flickr slide show. Thanks to the many volunteers who made last night's event a success!!

Leigh Britt

Meet the Aktion Club!

Let me introduce you to some great people - the members of the Aktion Club! Aktion Club was created about five years ago as a service organization for a special group of Columbia residents. They have been active City of Columbia volunteers by participating several years in Cleanup Columbia. You might also see their lovely Adopt-A-Spot beautification bed at the corner of Paris & Hinkson, just east of College Avenue.

Aktion Club members are some of the friendliest people I know! They nearly always remember my name and have lots of enthusiasm. John Pierce, past president of the club and current vice president, always asks how Mayor Hindman is doing and keeps up with City Council meetings by watching the Columbia channel.

The Aktion Club is a great part of the fabric of our community. I'm glad to know them and so appreciate their service to our city.

"Anybody can be great because anybody can serve." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Volunteering enhances the college experience...

Today was the annual MU volunteer fair - a great opportunity for us make contact with dozens of students who are looking to share their time. I think back to many years ago when I was going to school and volunteering never crossed my mind. "What? Me? Volunteer? What's that all about?" Of course, at the time I'm sure the whole world revolved around what I wanted to do and not what I could do for others.

Thankfully times and attitudes have changed. Students on all of our campuses and public schools share their time by volunteering. Volunteering can have a big impact for students:

• Experience for a future job


• Time to spend with friends


• An opportunity to learn about Columbia


• A chance to see the world in a different perspective

I am so thankful for the work students do for us as volunteers and can't wait to meet the new batch. In addition to the great young people at MU I met today, I had a chance to visit with nearly 300 freshman at Stephens College on Friday and Debra Hardin in our office will be at Hickman tomorrow.

Pictured here is Mike Heimos who works with the Public Works Volunteer Program talking with a potential volunteer about their opportunities to help the environment.

Leigh Britt

Step Forward Day

Saturday, August 23 was "Step Forward Day" - an opportunity for MU students to share their time by volunteering before school starts. I had a great morning with five young ladies - Kiara, Kim, Sam, Evan and Maddie. They assisted with an Adopt-A-Spot located on State Farm Parkway near the recycling area. This bed was started by Derek Moeller as an Eagle Scout project and will be taken over by the Master Naturalists.

Under the direction of Jane Fore with the Master Naturalists, we did some lasagna gardening. We laid down newsprint and spread mulch on top. The newsprint will hopefully suffocate the grass and weeds below. We had fun pulling the newspaper out of the recycling bins and asking people for their newsprint. This was recycling at its best!!

Later this fall and next spring, the Master Naturalists will plant the bed with wild flowers. Many thanks to our Step Forward volunteers for their hard work!! Be looking for great things to happen in this spot in the coming months.
Leigh Britt