“Trust Paves the Way for Strong Relationships”
Arielle Baker (second from left), with some of the clients served by her volunteers
Arielle Baker, Calvary’s Senior Manager, Community Engagement, was recently featured on TwentyHats.com, a blog focused on volunteer management. In the article, she talks about the importance of building trust, expressing support, and being well organized in order to keep up a high-impact volunteer program.
She’s been leading the volunteer program at Calvary for 2 years now, in which she has managed to significantly increase the number of corporate volunteers that serve the women at Calvary, created new volunteer opportunities that led to enhanced services, and diversified Calvary’s educational program.
“We used to have a very generic write-up with just a couple of volunteer options mentioned – it was hard for prospective volunteers to picture themselves in the role,” said Arielle. “Now, we specify an array of options so that volunteers can identify a position that suits them. We seek geography experts, Zumba instructors, nutritionists, and knitters. By getting specific about the diversity of skills needed, we have been able to attract volunteers of all ages, races, and professions.”
It takes an engaged community to provide excellent services – and Arielle’s proactive approach shows that she knows that very well.