If we didn't have volunteers...

Guest blog by Bradley Gulley
Volunteers of America Director of Volunteer Services

With this week being National Volunteer Week, I started to think about how much our volunteers do and what it would mean to go even a day without volunteers. I know staff would all pitch in and make things happen, but we couldn't do it all. Volunteers of America would be a pretty bleak organization if we were just "Of America."

At 8 am the breakfast line at The Mission would be getting long and the clients would know something was wrong because there would be no Emma there to start the coffee, get breakfast ready and open the door with a smile.

Our senior clients would be very sad that no Yard Angel Volunteers came to help get their yards reach for spring.

The students in Grandma Ollie's classroom wouldn't understand why she wasn't there and would be missing their special Foster Grandparent volunteer who helps them with reading.

Thousands of meals would go undelivered in the Meals on Wheels Program and thousands of seniors would go hungry that day and would miss their weekly visit from Kip and Rhonda.

Without our large group volunteers, projects and events would not happen at our Affordable Housing Properties, Family Motel, Irving St., and Brandon Safe Haven.

Without a receptionist at the Bill Daniels Veteran Services Center, veteran's would not be welcomed, questions would go unanswered, and Betty wouldn't be bringing in homemade cookies for the Kuhl Cafe.

Many organizations across the metro area would lose the smiling faces and endless hours of service if RSVP volunteers were no longer there.

Without my super office volunteer, Doris, I would be terribly behind in data entry and be not nearly as organized.

Our volunteers make us who we are and we are better because we are "Volunteers of America." Thank you to all the volunteers who partner with us to help the most vulnerable people in our state!

Happy National Volunteer Week!