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Are you interested in becoming more active in your
community? Do you miss the "let's work together" spirit that seemed so common in
the "old days"? Are you a parent who would like your child or teen to get involved
in giving back? If so, there's a new organization in Southern Colorado that aims
to help fill some of the gaps. Just over a year old now, the Sangre de Cristo Volunteers
for Change (VFC) has vowed to find a way for you to participate in your community
even if you only have an hour or two to give each month.
The VFC, as they're
popularly known, began in February 2009 when a group of friends and acquaintances
decided they'd work together to make life even better in Southern Colorado. Founder
Susan Kalman was getting a haircut in a La Veta shop when another patron overheard
her talking about this group and offered to help file the paper work necessary to
become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Volunteers for Change took off from
there and hasn't looked back since.
Believing that members of a community
are best suited to create positive change in their own locale, VFC members have
taken on an amazing variety of activities in rural Pueblo County, Huerfano County,
and Custer County. A partial list of projects includes the Walsenburg Community
Garden, a free Southern Colorado ride board, fire mitigation, cleaning highways,
recycling cardboard and batteries, tutoring music and reading at area schools, visiting
and gardening with veterans, supporting school art and library projects, collecting
and distributing food monthly, and organizing visits to Mission:Wolf. A number of
members (known as Knit Wits) do needlework for vets and the needy.
Volunteering
helps your community, but it also helps you. Experience the heartwarming joys of
working with kids, distributing food, and supporting a good cause. You can be proud
of your community, its people, and yourself, and have a great time doing so. Give
VFC a try – a bit of time can result in huge rewards! Susan invites you to call
her at (719) 676-4493 or (719) 250-6097, or email susantheo@ghvalley.net. The Volunteers
for Change website is www.volsforchange.org.
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• Volunteers for Change