Volunteer Appreciation Week is here and Family Tree is delighted to express our gratitude for all of our amazing volunteers!
Volunteers make Family Tree programs possible. In our last fiscal year, 7/1/2018 – 6/30/2019, Family Tree volunteers donated 28,296 hours of their time, valued at $719,567.
When considering the significance of volunteered time, Family Tree knows the value of our volunteers is far higher than this near quarter of a million dollars. Our volunteers also donate their skills and expertise, bettering our programs, fundraising efforts and operations.
So many of Family Tree’s wonderful volunteers have been returning for years, donating labor or support that is more and more skilled. A volunteer that spends one hour planting two trees is valued for that one hour. But a volunteer that returns to volunteer again often now plants three trees in that same hour of time.
Our volunteers are not only complementing and expanding our agency outputs, but are contributing to our strategic, long-term goals. Hours donated now often will pay dividends in the future.
Family Tree volunteers also help us deliver more inclusive services. Multi-lingual volunteers help us serve a more diverse population, facility volunteers make our spaces more accessible. This support is more meaningful than any accompany dollar value.
It was some of Family Tree’s most dedicated volunteers that inspired our new Director of Volunteer Engagement to take on this new responsibility.
Rebekah Hawthorne, Family Tree Director of Volunteer Engagement, started this position in February after five years as the Family Tree Treasure Trunk Manager. It was there Rebekah found a personal appreciation for volunteers, managing approximately 20 regular volunteers, many that have been returning for 10 or more years.
“Treasure Trunk Community Thrift volunteers are so generous with their time and attention and have such giving spirits, it has really given me a new vision for my own future," Rebekah says. "I am very excited that my new role will allow me to continue spending time with these volunteers and supporting their work. Volunteer Appreciation Week is a wonderful chance to show the volunteer team how Family Tree feels about them; incredibly grateful!”
Family Tree is pleased to have Rebekah now overseeing all volunteer services and her Treasure Trunk Community Thrift perspective. She also understands the incredible value of all of our new donors in bringing their own fresh perspectives, energy and passion to Family Tree.
There are many ways to get involved volunteering at Family Tree. Please contact Rebekah at rhawthorne@thefamilytree.org to get started or visit our Volunteer page for more ideas.
We thank all of our new and returning donors for the incredible value you add to our organization. We are proud to deliver our mission in partnership with you and appreciate each volunteer, especially during this time.