The December 2011 Project on Promoting and Supporting Volunteerism in a Democracy
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For six days we were pleased to have with us five visitors from Ukraine here on a program focusing on volunteerism. Members of this group were interested in seeing how volunteerism is encouraged and promoted in the U.S. through the education sector and by private business.
The delegation was welcomed to Pensacola by Councilman Ronald Townsend who presented them with honorary citizenship to the City of Pensacola and commemorative city pins. Following this, the group met with Jennifer Grove, the workforce development coordinator of Gulf Power, who explained how Gulf Power works with schools across the nation to provide education that will one day aid them in developing their workforce. The group then discussed the benefits of corporate responsibility and of private businesses encouraging its employees to get involved in community outreach and volunteerism.
After a leisurely lunch in downtown Pensacola, the group made their way to Pensacola Naval Air Station where they met with Faye White, Programs Director of USO Northwest Pensacola. The group received a historical overview of the USO as well as a briefing on the programs and support systems available to servicemen and women in this community.
That evening, members and friends of the council welcomed the group at The Leisure Club where casual conversation over cocktails made for a nice end to a busy day.
The group was fortunate enough to be here over the weekend for the city’s annual Christmas parade. Bruce Wolfe and Dan Shanholtz were kind enough to arrange things so that group could volunteer as parade marshals.
On Monday, the group was met by some of Pensacola’s finest volunteers and volunteer coordinators at city hall for a round table discussion. Councilwoman Megan Pratt, Connie Bookman of Pathways for Change, Jeff Pohlman from the City of Pensacola, Tonya Gant from the Escambia County Commissioners Office, and Elizabeth Brotherton, an Americorps VISTA Volunteer, were in attendance. At the meeting the group discussed initiatives for encouraging volunteerism and how to access and address community needs.
That morning, the group participated in a second volunteer activity, serving lunch to the needy at Serving the Hungry through First United Methodist Church. After being welcomed by Barbara Vititow, Project Coordinator, and introduced to the program, the group gloved up and dished out meals to over 60 of the area’s less fortunate. Many remarked that it was truly a moving experience.
The group then went to Washington High School where Mary Ziemba of the Florida Inclusion Network had arranged an appointment with Ron Williams and Dr. Roberts who were kind enough to give the group a tour of classrooms where inclusion was a primary focus. The group also had the pleasure of speaking with four incredibly articulate 9th grade students who were focused on combating negative attitudes towards students with disabilities within the school.
The evening concluded with attending Chain Reaction’s monthly meeting and speaking with local high students about their volunteerism efforts.
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To see more delegation photos, go to www.flickr.com/photos/gccdc.
To view upcoming events, visit our calendar or become one of the "Fans of the Gulfcoast Citizen Diplomacy Council" on Facebook to see how you can become involved.
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