Volunteer Voices: Volunteer Mentorship Program Announced

Leadership Door County and the Volunteer Center of Door County are partnering to create a mentorship program to grow an engaged network of active volunteers throughout the county that spans across all generations.

The Leadership Door County Class of 2016, through their class discussion and education, has identified a growing issue in the county with our volunteer population. Many of our current volunteers, which help make Door County such a special place to live are being stretched too thin and are aging.

This Leadership Door County class is partnering with the Volunteer Center of Door County to create a mentorship program that will match experienced/seasoned volunteers within our county with the next generation of those interested in volunteering. The idea is to create a database of mentor (seasoned) volunteers and match them with mentees (new) volunteers. The mentor will share their knowledge and experience with new volunteers and build a succession plan to sustain the strong volunteer force for years to come.

Who are the next generation of volunteers? Leadership Door County and the Volunteer Center would like to see younger adults become engaged volunteers – several school districts require volunteer hours for graduation so this could help fulfill those requirements. The groups also want to spread the word about the benefits of volunteering. Young adults just entering the workforce can benefit from volunteering by building their resumé and expanding their list of potential job references. A volunteer position can even lead to a potential job or internship. Volunteering also allows a person to explore career opportunities.

The seasoned volunteers who become mentors in this program will share their knowledge and experience and gain a sense of fulfillment, knowing they are building a succession plan to sustain a strong volunteer force for years to come and not leaving their cause or organization with a gap of volunteers. The mentors will truly be leaving an impact on this community.

Your help is needed! The Volunteer Center and Leadership Door County are looking for your support to recruit active volunteers to fulfill either the mentee or mentor roles and get involved. This will be a streamlined process to match up the best people with the best opportunities. Help get the word out about this project and help build the next generation of volunteers in Door County!

Contact the Volunteer Center of Door County at [email protected] to find out more information and get involved in this new project.