Partnering for Plano 2021 Annual Report
6,354 VOLUNTEERS
53,551 HOURS
VALUE OF $1,528,346
COLLIN COLLEGE VOLUNTEERS SHINE
PARTNERS ARE POWERFUL
The Sam Johnson Recreation Center for Adults 50+ has enjoyed providing real world food service experience to Collin College Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Education students through a partnership at the Gazebo Café. Students receive hands-on training in food preparation, cooking and serving by working alongside community volunteers and staff to serve up to 100 lunches a day. This partnership is a great example of the impact that collaboration can have in the lives of community members. Students always leave their shifts with confidence and hands-on experience they can take with them into future careers. It is a win-win!
2021 saw an increase of volunteering and the renewal of several important partnerships for departments across the City. We strive to partner with organizations who want to provide great experiences for our neighbors through volunteer service. We welcomed corporate groups at the Plano Public Library, students at Public Safety Communications and teams to the Plano Animal Shelter. Volunteering together is unmatched in its ability to create community and build real world skills. Our team at the volunteer office includes Robert Gonzales, Rebecca Hand, MPA, CVA and myself (pictured above). As a trio we work to coordinate, motivate and train both staff and volunteers to embark on new goals and missions throughout the year. We are proud of the stories from this report and hope you will join us in recognizing the impact our great City brings to people’s lives. With gratitude, Corina Sadler, CVA Volunteer Resources Supervisor
MY POSSIBILITIES EXCEL
For seven weeks, four volunteers joined together to serve at Haggard Library through a partnership with the City of Plano and local nonprofit My Possibilities. This partnership with My Possibilities gave the library an opportunity to provide work-experience to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and prepare them for the workforce through a diverse set of activities and projects. The group completed a combined 261 internship hours with Haggard Library. Through this program, volunteers learned job skills while accomplishing many high-value tasks at the library such as shelving books, organizing library materials, providing quality control of donated items, placing buckets of books through the sorter and sanitizing high-touch areas. These volunteers also learned how to greet library patrons, assist guests, and learned how libraries operate. They enjoyed their time at Haggard Library and several decided the library is where they would like to work in the future. Thank you Joseph Sotelo, Joel Hook, Husam Hamideh and Daniel Luna.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY
A N I M A L S H E LT E R
155 VOLUNTEERS 11,556 HOURS . . . . .
Socializing and exercising animals Adoption counseling Fostering animals Photography Building support
4,615 VOLUNTEERS 12,804 HOURS . . . . .
Garden workdays Special events Litter cleanups Storm drain labeling Community Outreach
PUBLIC SAFETY
LIBRARY
325 VOLUNTEERS 140 VOLUNTEERS 14,933 HOURS 4,536 HOURS . . . . .
Shelving Small Talk Donation sorting Genealogy Teen volunteer program
. Police – Explorers, Internships Victim’s Services, Plano Citizens Police , Academy Alumni Association . Fire – Plano Fire-Rescue Associates . Emergency Management – CERT . Public Safety Communications – Internships
PA R K S & R E C R E AT I O N
425 VOLUNTEERS 5,607 HOURS . Sam Johnson Recreation Center for Adults 50+ . Interurban Railway Museum . Courtyard Theater & Plano Stages . Adapted Recreation . Special events and summer camps . Parks maintenance
Andrew Good
OTHER PROGRAMS
694 VOLUNTEERS 4,115 HOURS
. . . . . .
Communications & Community Outreach Neighborhood Services Municipal Court/Teen Court Planning Department Risk Management Texas Pure Products
Andy Good has a talent for connecting with others. In his volunteer role at the Victim Services Unit at the Plano Police Department, Andy connects victims of crime with the resources to help them through the healing process. Resources may include counseling, protective orders and possibly even reimbursement of certain crime related losses from the state’s Crime Victim Compensation Fund. Since November 2018, Andy has been a consistent force for good and inspiration to others considering volunteering. It is the people in the Victim Services Unit and the Plano Police Department that compelled Andy to return after an eight month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His advice to someone considering volunteering for the first time: “Give it a try! You may find, as I have, that it is enjoyable and rewarding.”
Plano Fire-Rescue’s (PFR) mission is to keep the sacrifice of the 9/11 heroes at the forefront of community's consciousness. A group of PFR personnel have worked on ways to preserve those memories of the loss of life, rising up, responding and overcoming. Creating friendships between the public and private sectors has been critical in achieving department goals. Plano’s Station 8 procured funds for a mural within the stations bay. The mural represents the country’s perseverance to rise up in the face of such devastation.
Fire Department
SPOTLIGHT
The second phase of the project includes telling a story of events surrounding 9/11 through the use of photos, artifacts and personal accounts. Working alongside Home Depot on this project was a true pleasure for the PFR team. Phillip Ickes, assistant store manager at Home Depot #527, stepped up to lend a hand. On June 1st, 2021 a group of Home Depot workers along with a truck load of supplies came out to give Station 8 a fresh coat of paint. The improvements to the station will allow staff to properly present the stories of events surrounding 9/11.
RAMA SHARMA: FROM VOLUNTEER TO STAFF MEMBER When Rama Sharma’s children were growing up, she used to bring them to Davis Library almost every week to find new books and check out library programs. It was during that time she saw a cohesive and loving team of staff who truly cared about their work. Inspired by their passion, she decided in 2014 to become a volunteer and support the staff and programs at the library. It did not take long for Rama to know Plano Public Library was the place for her. She quickly learned it was not just library resources that kept patrons coming back but the interactions and connections between the staff and the patrons. Rama explains that staff efforts “were not only aimed to help patrons with their needs but to go above and beyond by innovating new programs for people of all ages and accommodating the influence of other cultures” in surrounding neighborhoods. All of this is what inspired Rama to apply when a staff position became available. Since hired, she has gained increasing responsibility that has helped her learn new skills and grow personally and professionally. Rama is more in tune with Plano’s community and learned to anticipate their wants and needs. Rama’s journey with Plano Public Library has come full circle since she is involved with storytimes and other programs she and her family attended almost a decade ago. She encourages others to think about volunteering because they can make an impact at the library and in the community.
CITY STAFF SUPPORT NONPROFITS OF PLANO The holiday season was made brighter by the dedicated efforts of hundreds of staff who participated in our Adopt An Angel program. This program partnered with three nonprofit organizations in Plano to support neighbors during the holidays. Streetside Showers received coats for their mobile clothing closet that reaches neighbors experiencing homelessness. Meals on Wheels of Collin County seniors were adopted by staff who provided them with new gifts from their wish lists. City departments matched with 19 families from The Assistance Center of Collin County, impacting 85 individuals including seniors and children. Families received clothing, toys, bicycles, household supplies and more from the generous contributions of the below departments.
. Animal Services . Building Inspections . Communications and Community Outreach . Engineering . Environmental Health & Sustainability . Finance/Accounting . Human Resources . Neighborhood Services . Parks and Recreation . Plano Public Library . Planning . Plano Event Center/Visit Plano . Police Department - Police Records . Police Department Property/Evidence Unit . Procurement and Project Management . Public Safety Communications (9-1-1) . Technology Services
VOLUNTEERS IN PLANO STAFF
MISSION
Corina Sadler, CVA
To create and support meaningful community
Volunteer Resources Supervisor
Rebecca Hand, MPA, CVA
Volunteer Resources Coordinator
Robert Gonzales
Volunteer Resources Assistant
engagement and to facilitate community partnerships through new and innovative opportunities which elevate City services and the quality of life in Plano. volunteersinplano.org