VolunteerSpot loves to highlight the
good works of our users around the country. Busy parent volunteers do a lot of the heavy lifting in our schools, Scout troops and communities. Our spotlight today shines
on Donna Taniguchi, volunteering mom from Glider Elementary School, San Jose, CA.
What's your role as a volunteer leader at your school?
I am currently the Volunteer Coordinator for our elementary school's primary fundraiser. The event is an annual Walk-a-Thon involving 670 students plus teachers, parents and family.
Where else do you volunteer?
With three children, there have been plenty of opportunities for me to be active in a volunteer capacity. Each of the children are involved in parent participation activities including Girl Scouts, basketball, dance troop, Japanese school, preschool and elementary school fundraising events.
How did you become a volunteer leader?
I had a taste of volunteering early on as a Brownie and Girl Scout member myself. I participated in a number of volunteer activities while in college including serving on the student body, officer of a youth volunteer organization sponsored by Kiwanis and volunteering in a local hospital. As a full time mom, it's now part of my job description. I'm very interested in learning of ways our family can volunteer together in our community so our kids can experience volunteering.
What advice do you have for parent volunteers out there?
Every volunteer activity, no matter the scope of participation, really makes a difference. Everyone's contribution adds up to great stuff. It's our own example/actions that will influence the involvement of today's youth in future volunteerism.
Anything else you’d like our readers to know?
Not everyone at our school has access to a computer so we rely on a variety of methods to recruit and inform volunteers. As a volunteer coordinator though, it was still beneficial and efficient to use VolunteerSpot. I entered everyone's name and phone number who didn't have an email address and VolunteerSpot sent ME a reminder message to contact and remind THEM. The others (with emails) all got automated reminders. Nice!
We salute Donna Taniguchi and all the volunteer heroes out there everyday working for our kids, our schools and our communities! If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing, and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at VS@volunteerspot.com.
