WHO ARE VIPs?
Potential volunteers will complete a Volunteer Application form.
Upon review of the application, the Coordinator or Volunteer Services
will interview the applicant regarding his/her interests and qualifications.
After a thorough review of a potential volunteer’s skills and goals,
she will match those needs with available positions.
The key to a successful program is to match the needs of the department
to the needs/benefits of the volunteer. Although the City acquires vast
skills and talents not readily available or financially feasible, volunteering
is not a one-way street. The reasons people volunteer are as numerous
as the volunteers themselves. People want to utilize untapped skills,
maintain job skills, return something to the community, explore new career
paths, get acquainted with the City, meet people with similar interests,
and to basically help someone else.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
Just imagine yourself with any of these great new benefits:
• Gain valuable experience and references
• Acquire new skills
• Explore new careers
• Associate with other people
• Receive personal satisfaction by helping others
• Work for a better Plano
• Feel useful and important to the community
• Learn about City government and services
• Make a difference
Of course, the City also benefits through your volunteerism:
• Complement paid staff and enhance services
• Provide resources and expertise
• Accomplish more with less
• Provide departments an opportunity to test new ideas and
initiate new services
WHAT ARE THE TIME COMMITMENTS?
• Daytime opportunities available from 8-5 p.m.
• Certain programs use weekend and evening volunteers.
• Special projects can be created for groups and full-time
employed volunteers.
• A commitment of four to eight hours a week for a period of
at least six months is suggested to each volunteer during the interviewing
process. This is for the benefit of both the supervisor who will have
to take time to orient and train the volunteer.
• A good volunteer program does not take all of the volunteers'
leisure time or overload them with volunteer commitments. To do so would
cause burnout and frustration. Although one newly retired executive requested
a volunteer position of 39 to 40 hours per week, such a request is very
rare.
• Commitment will depend on the position.
• Background checks are required for some positions.
HOW DO I SIGN UP?
Call Robin Popik at 972-941-7114 and let her place you in a great volunteer opportunity.
If Robin isn't available, try her assistant Judy at 972-941-7436 or by
email at judig@plano.gov.
You can also drop by our office in Human Resources at 1409 Avenue K, Suite
130, Plano TX 75074.
If you'd like, send an email to robinp@plano.gov
(be sure to send her your name and telephone number so she can call to
schedule an appointment).