Volunteers Find Reward in Their Work

Dozens of people brushed by the girl as she politely begged outside the downtown post office, but when Lance Monroe saw her, he stopped.

“Her appearance didn’t appear to be what a street person should look like,” he reflected months later. “She was like Dorothy in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ She looked like she was from Kansas. She just didn ‘ t look like she belonged on the streets of downtown San Diego.”

Monroe, 25, left that day, having emptied his pockets of change for her. But he took a thought with him: What more could he do to help such unfortunate teen-agers as “Dorothy”?

Then, when he answered an ad for the Volunteer Project, it all came together.

For the past eight months, Monroe has volunteered a few hours each week--both as a tutor and companion--at the Family Care Resource Center, a foster care program for children 2 to 18. The center is just one of 11 agencies connected with the Volunteer Project that are designed to help youths, struggling communities, senior citizens and the homeless.

‘Often Feel Helpless’

“We often feel helpless when we hear about these gigantic problems,” said Carolyn Nelson, executive director of the Volunteer Project. “We say, ‘What can we do?’ Well, there is something you can do.”

Though it won’t solve all of society’s problems, volunteerism is part of the answer, she says.

The Volunteer Project began in 1985 as part of a three-year national demonstration program funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and San Diego State University’s June Burnett Institute, Nelson said. It was first operated by San Diego Youth & Community Services, but when funding ran out last year, four private foundations--ARCO, Fieldstone, Parker and Copley--picked up the tab.

More than 400 volunteers in San Diego County now fill positions such as tutors, counselors, mediators and mentors, as well as provide a range of emergency services, Nelson said. Last year, volunteers donated 138,834 hours to San Diego agencies, according to a report issued by the Volunteer Project.

Even with an increase in volunteers, some programs are still in desperate need of help, Nelson said.

“We especially need someone to act as companions for black children at the Family Care Resource Center, and we need bilingual tutors for the Golden Hill program, Neighborhood Outreach Program.”

Screening and Training

Before someone can become a volunteer, they must first complete a screening and training process that can range from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the agency the person desires to work in, Nelson said. After the initial interviews, would-be volunteers undergo a background check, training and orientation.

Surprisingly, most volunteers are working people, Nelson said.

“We think of the stereotype of a woman who’s at home with nothing to do, and so she goes out into the community, but that’s just not true anymore.”

Mary Thiele, 40, of Clairemont, became a volunteer at the Storefront, a downtown shelter for 12- to 19-year-old street teen-

agers after members of her church visited the Storefront on Christmas day.

“When I heard about kids living on the street, it really touched me,” said Thiele, who has no children of her own. “I couldn’t believe it was possible, that people didn’t want their kids around and their kids were living on the street. We went down there Christmas day, and it was just the most beautiful experience for me. I knew I had to be a part of their lives.”

It is Thiele’s efforts to make a difference in the lives of wayward teen-agers that earned her the honor of being the Storefront’s “Volunteer of the Month” for May, but Thiele says it is she who has been changed in the process of helping others.

‘Neat to See These Kids’

“It’s neat to see these kids. It’s changed my life, it really has. I’m far more aware of the things in my life that I take for granted,” Thiele said. “We’re just there for the kids if they need someone to talk to . . . if they need a hug, we’re there for them.”

Claudia Arguelles, 29, a decorator for Sears, works four hours on Thursdays as an emergency services volunteer at Ocean Beach Community Services.

“I find out what (a homeless person’s) needs are and put them in touch with a shelter or where they can get free medical attention,” she said. “Some are just lost and want you to give them a direction. Some of them come in looking for a job so I can refer them.”

Arguelles said aiding the homeless for the past year has taught her that governmental systems are inadvertently designed to keep the homeless homeless.

“I’ve learned how the system works and doesn’t work. It enables people to stay (homeless). For the ones that want to get out, it’s really hard.”

No Alternatives

Arguelles said she works with many homeless alcoholics who have hit rock bottom but have no real alternatives other than drinking themselves into a stupor.

“They want to pull themselves together and get off the streets, but once you get there it’s really hard. The free detoxification programs have huge waiting lists, and the ones that aren’t free cost around $2,000. And there’s so much red tape, they can hardly fill out the paper work. It’s a vicious circle. . . . It’s made me aware of a lot of holes in our system.”

Despite some of the frustration that sometimes comes along with the territory of being a volunteer, all three volunteers echo the sentiment that they love their experience helping others.

“It’s real rewarding to know that you’re putting something back into the community, and you become more aware of how things work,” Arguelles said. “It’s people like us who make the laws that affect the homeless, so it’s important to be aware and involved.”

Thiele agreed that more citizens need to become involved in their communities.

“There definitely needs to be more (volunteers). There’s a lot of people who don’t have time, but they could donate clothing, food . . . maybe they can’t give an evening a week, but doing something like that is helpful.”

Anyone with the proper motive can become a volunteer, Monroe said. “All you have to do is be concerned.”