Almost two dozen organizations from the Shawano area got together May 7 for Connections for Change to showcase what they’re all about in the hopes of finding ways to combine volunteer forces and even find some new volunteers in the process.
“The goal of the event is to connect these volunteers with 22 nonprofits here,” said Uriah Williams, executive director for the Shawano County United Way. “Each group needs them for different things.”
Listing off examples, Williams noted the Red River Riders need volunteers to help care for the horses, while the Salvation Army is looking for bell ringers for the holiday season. He noted the big S groups of the community — Shawano Area Matthew 25, Safe Haven and Shawano Area Food Pantry and Resource Center — were at the event, and there were several recovery groups looking for volunteers to help those in need.
“There are a variety of opportunities that are just local to Shawano County and Menominee County,” Williams said. “Just to get all these people in the same room is always great. Right now, they’re having all these great conversations, and you never know what’s going to come about.”
Williams noted there are plenty of people in the area willing to give their time to worthy causes, but Connections for Change helps potential volunteers find where their talents can be best put to use.
“There’s a lot of volunteers in Shawano,” Williams said. “It’s just understanding what opportunities are out there. We’re very blessed in our communities and our counties of having very supportive populations. We’re just letting them know where they can go.”
There were also organizations geared toward youths like Shawano Big Brothers Big Sisters and Shawano County Family Services, according to Williams.
“There are just a wide, wide variety of services offered by these organizations,” he said.
Besides seeking volunteers, Connections for Change hopes to connect all the nonprofits so they can come together for common causes in the hopes of achieving more success than they would venturing forth on their own.
“I had a similar event that I ran when I was at the church,” said Williams, who’d previously been the pastor of Peace United Church of Christ before taking charge of United Way.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
Nonprofits gather to find volunteers
