WSCC Hosts Volunteer Expo

Organizations from all over Suffolk County came out to the West Sayville Country Club in the hopes of drawing in volunteers.

The Volunteer Opportunity Expo was hosted by The Suffolk County Parks Foundation on Oct. 18. Some of the groups included: the Great South Bay Audubon Society, Sagtikos Manor, Ketcham Inn Foundation, Hallockville Museum Farm, Seatuck, Starflower Experiences, Long Island Maritime Museum, L.I. Radio & TV Historical Society, Maritime Explorium at Port Jeff Harbor, and the W.S. Commerdinger Historical Preservation Society.

“Our parks and historic sites have amazing programs and activities happening every day thanks in part to our partner not-for-profit organizations,” said Tom Malanga, executive director of the Parks Foundation. “There are great opportunities for Suffolk residents to volunteer their time and talents with these groups, such as helping to give tours, cleaning up hiking trails, and even website design or administering Facebook pages.”

This is the third seminar held by the organization. The first two focused on being an effective board member and the fundamentals of fundraising. Prior to the Expo, the organizations took part in a volunteer management seminar hosted by Ann Marie Thigpen, executive director for the Long Island Center for Nonprofit Leadership at Adelphi University.

Attendees learned about recruitment, training and retention of volunteers. “We have had a really good turnout,” Malanga said. “What I found particularly interesting about the seminar was what different generations are looking for out of their volunteer experience. For example, Baby Boomers are looking to make a difference, while the Milleniums need plenty
of leadership. The Gen Xers are very interested in titles.”

Bert Seides, president of Center Moriches-based Ketcham Inn Foundation, echoed the sentiment. “The seminar definitely gave us food for thought,” he said. “It spoke to the nature of how we approach each individual volunteer.”

Phyllis Chan Carr is one of the volunteers at Sagtikos Manor. She has been doing the marketing there for about five years, and says the organization is trying to capture volunteers who are interested in history. The program at Sagtikos Manor is all volunteer based, and they host about six events and special programs throughout the year.

Hallockville Museum Farm, located on Sound Avenue in Riverhead, is seeking volunteers to care for animals and collection, design exhibits and the website and help with school programs and special events.

For more information, call (631) 854-4970 or visit www.suffolkparksfoundation.org.