Most United Way campaigns are aimed at people’s wallets. But Whitney Hubbard is interested in people’s
time.
Hubbard is the new volunteer coordinator for the Wood County office of United Way. She is committed to
getting local residents to get off their couches and get involved in their communities. She wants them
to pick up a hammer for Habitat for Humanity, clean out cages at the Humane Society, or deliver meals to
senior citizens – anything to better Wood County.
As a recent graduate of Bowling Green State University, Hubbard is particularly interested in reaching
the relatively untapped resources of college volunteers.
"I want to build a better relationship with BGSU. I’m excited about that since I just
graduated," she said.
Since Hubbard is new to the job, she is a little nervous about how effective her strategies will be at
getting people to be more generous with their free time. She has recently met with potential volunteers
in hopes of convincing them to get involved.
"I guess I’ll find out," how successful her efforts have been, Hubbard said.
Hubbard comes to the job with a history of volunteerism. She has worked on the Martin Luther King
Challenge Day and with AmeriCorps.
"I’m interested in animals, being social, working with people," she said, listing some of her
volunteer interests.
And her new job has made her aware of many more ways to help the community.
"I’m really glad I got this opportunity. It opens your eyes to all the agencies in Wood
County."
Hubbard believes if she can get people to take that first step into volunteerism, that they will be
persuaded to do more.
"It’s great for a community. It definitely brings a community together," she said.
She especially hopes to show BGSU students that volunteerism is one way to get connected beyond the
campus boundaries.
The previous volunteer coordinator, Lori Terwilliger, built a Web site for volunteer needs in the county.
Wood County United Way Director Michael George is counting on Hubbard to build on those initial efforts.
"We’ve got a great foundation built and we’re looking forward to moving it forward," George
said.
He hopes Hubbard’s campus connections will result in a new crop of young volunteers.
"We have a great relationship with faculty and staff," he said, adding that Hubbard will now
try to cultivate more student volunteers.
Hubbard also plans to focus on getting high school students more involved in the community.
The recent downturn in the economy has resulted in greater needs by volunteer organizations helping those
less fortunate. And while people may have less to money to donate, many have more time to give.
"We’ve seen more volunteerism," George said. "People are more in tune with volunteerism
now, more than ever."
Besides the traditional motivation to better their communities, some volunteers donate their time to
create better jobs resumes, or to complete community service hours. Some are even coerced into
volunteering by their parents.
"Sometimes I’m approached by parents who want their students to learn about volunteering,"
George said.
Regardless of the reason, Hubbard will be matching the volunteers up with opportunities at more than 100
local agencies.
"She was very excited about the opportunity. She’s very approachable," George said about
Hubbard. "And she has a solid background in volunteering."
Currently, Hubbard is trying to get people to sign up for "Make a Difference Day" on Oct. 24.
She can be reached at (419) 352-2390 or [email protected].
A Web site listing all types of volunteer opportunities in the region may be accessed at
www.volunteersolutions.org/toledo/volunteer.
