by Tammy Taylor
Staff Writer
When it comes to volunteering, local residents are doing so at a rate double the national average.
According to a survey by Jacksonville Community Council, Inc., volunteerism locally is at 60 percent, while the U.S. average is 29 percent. And for those who give seven or more hours of service per week, the number is 26 percent locally.
“Our high-capacity, or what I call high-velocity rate of volunteerism is about what the national average is for general volunteerism,” said Judy Smith, executive director for Volunteer Jacksonville. “There’s something special going on in Jacksonville.”
To honor those numbers, Jacksonville not only celebrates Volunteer Week as declared by the president, but Mayor John Peyton has dedicated the entire month of April to honor local volunteers.
Volunteer Jacksonville has launched an ad campaign to run throughout April which encourages “Volunteer, Jacksonville” along with the phone number of the organization.
One example of the city’s commitment to helping others can be found downtown at the Volunteers in Medicine clinic on Duval Street.
VIM, a volunteer-run medical clinic which provides primary medical services to the working uninsured of Jacksonville, received the Dose of Caring Award given April 1 by Volunteer Jacksonville during its Celebration of Service 2004 awards ceremony.
VIM was co-founded by retired nurse Dottie Dorion and Dr. Jim Burt, who is also president of the VIM board of trustees. Based on a clinic in Hilton Head, VIM has been open less than a year, and has already helped hundreds of residents.
“Now it’s really up and running and it’s been really wonderful,” said Dorion. “We’ve seen about 350 patients, which comes to about 600 visits. Each day is really different.”
The clinic’s objectives include providing free primary medical care and counseling to improve community health through education and preventative medicine, to encourage care provider and receivers to contribute to the community’s well-being and to promote volunteerism and community spirit.
“There’s something in the inner self that has a need to reach out,” said Burt. “Helping people also helps you fulfill that need. Seeing the smiles and getting the hugs and the handshakes makes all effort worth while.”
Shirley Baker, a volunteer at Volunteers in Medicine, started there about three weeks ago.
Baker, a retired nurse and parochial school teacher, is currently working four hours a week at the clinic. Once she retires from teaching in May, she’ll give as much of her time as needed.
“I really like the idea that VIM provides for full-time workers. With the high cost of medical care, some can’t afford it,” she said.
The opportunities to volunteer are abundant. Businesses and faith-based organizations, two of the main providers of volunteers, offer programs to connect with individuals with organizations. Someone looking to volunteer outside of work or church need only to call a non-profit organization or visit the Volunteer Jacksonville website, www.volunteerjacksonville.org, to select from volunteer postings found on the Volunteer Gateway link.
“Volunteers are unsung heroes in the community,” said Smith. “They see a problem that needs to be solved and they go and solve it. They don’t expect anything in return except living a life for something besides their own personal gain.”