Following GV community plan, volunteerism to be encouraged

Early in 2006, the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council unveiled a 10-year plan for the community, “5:15 A Time of Change.”

It suggested ways to welcome the inevitable changes flowing over this predominantly retirement community.

The plan isn’t just gathering dust. Already work is being done on one important element — how to keep and motivate the army of volunteers that makes this place work.

Jon Otto, who was chairman of the council’s Green Valley Plan review subcommittee, heads the volunteer effort.

He organized a one-day workshop and will head a summit conference next month.

“About 25 people indicated they want to be part of the effort to encourage volunteerism,” he said. They’ll be at the August event, he indicated.

“We’ll put our heads together” to made suggestions for a volunteer clearinghouse, where organizations can go seeking help and where volunteers can go to list their skills and interests, both hoping to make connections.

But that’s not all, he said.

“Then we’ll decide what’s our next big chunk,” the next major task to tackle, said Otto.

He said, “Things are beginning to happen” as a result of “5:15 A Time for Change.”

Coordinating Council President Russ Symes praised Otto’s work, for heading the plan’s review subcommittee and for organizing the volunteer summit.

Symes said, “5:15 A Time for Change” is “an ambitious plan and it needs to have people like Jon to stay with it.”

Volunteerism was one of the first issues taken on by the new plan, partly because of a possible decline in the number of volunteers here and their importance to the community.

The “5:15” report said, “Any decrease in the volunteer activity presents a threat to the services provided and is thus a strategic issue to the continued success of the community.”

Among the “5:15” objectives on volunteerism were developing an effective strategy to recruit volunteers and how to engage newcomers, “the fastest growing untapped segment of our population” to be volunteers.

The long-range plan listed three basic trends and challenges —volunteers, impact of many newer residents and a change of Green Valley toward becoming a visitor, resort and vacation area.

Among the goals in “5:15” were to have more and improved medical facilities, increased range of educational offerings, cultural and recreation events and services and that the area be safe from crime and fire.

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749