Volunteering opens up new possibilites for everyone involved

Sue Keller
Published: May 31, 2008

Here at the Piedmont Volunteer Center, connecting organizations with volunteers is our mission. So why would you want to volunteer? Volunteering is an easy way to meet new people, become a role model for kids, gain job experience, share your expertise, use your talents and skills and learn more about your community.

Volunteers connect people to hope and offer a new chance to build a stronger community. The volunteering may start with a simple act of kindness, but it often leads to a lifetime of enriching experiences. Individuals, families, and organizations volunteer for a variety of reasons and volunteers span all age groups and backgrounds. Knowing what you want from volunteering will make it easier for you to identify an opportunity you will enjoy and one that will make a difference in your life as well as the lives of others.

The 1-800-Volunteer.org website is a great way to find a volunteer opportunity that is just right for you. Simply insert your zip code in the search box to view opportunities and organizations that need help in your community. The Piedmont Volunteer Center is a program of the Piedmont United Way serving Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties. Contact the Volunteer center by the 1-800-Volunteer.org Web site, or contact the Volunteer Center at 540-825-0317.

In the past several weeks, there have been many tornado watches and warnings across the commonwealth of Virginia. There have also been many cases where tornadoes have destroyed homes and other property in Brunswick County, the City of Suffolk, and most recently in Stafford County. Because it is still only the middle of May, the tornado season here in Virginia has many more months to endure this year. The American Red Cross has already been very active in these and other emergency situations. The Red Cross provides shelter, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation’s blood supply; teaches life-saving skills; and supports military members and their families.

The Piedmont area is served by two Red Cross chapters. The Central Virginia Chapter serves Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison and Rappahannock counties with offices in Culpeper and Warrenton. The Rappahannock Chapter serves Orange County.

The Red Cross is a charitable organization – not a government agency – which depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. All Red Cross disaster assistance is free. The Red Cross also welcomes volunteers, and is only one of the 70 organizations which the Piedmont Volunteer Center and the 1-800-volunteer.org Web site work with. So whether you can volunteer some time with the Red Cross, or another organization, volunteers are needed and appreciated. Everyone knows that volunteers are definitely partners in caring.

Sue Keller works with the Piedmont Volunteer Center. Phone 825-0317 or e-mail