posted August 27, 2008
) Photo by Wes Schultz Irene Stabb and Greg Vital |
The Friends facilitated the partnership by successfully appealing to three donors who are underwriting an initial salary for the park’s first-ever Volunteer Coordinator.
The new park employee will focus exclusively on recruiting, training, managing and thanking those who
volunteer for the national park. The philanthropic partnership that made the position possible includes
“I am personally committed to National Parks and want to encourage more people to get involved as volunteers in conservation and the ‘Park movement’ in general,” said Greg Vital, who initiated the concept of a adding a Volunteer Coordinator to the Park staff and who provided lead funding for the effort.
“My concern is that, despite Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park’s proximity to a large urban population, its has not yet been able to attract the individuals and groups who might commit themselves
long-term to its lands, trails and other projects. Volunteer programs have definitely been helpful resources
in many other national parks.”
Friends Executive Director Kay Parish said that the park has utilized volunteers in the past but that the
responsibility for them has shifted around and been handled by whoever on the staff had the capacity for it at a given time. “It’s been difficult for the staff to plan strategically and develop the consistency needed for a successful volunteer program,” she said. “Our three donors are making a difference by enabling the park to focus specifically on volunteers for the first time ever. At the same time, they are setting the stage for community members to feel true ownership for the national park in our ‘backyard’ and become its unofficial ambassadors.”
Though Chickamauga and Chattanooga is the largest national military park in the federal system, the size of its staff is relatively modest, said Ms. Parish. Federal funding enables national parks to keep their gates
open, lights on and visitors safe. Money for anything beyond the basics is often hard for a park to obtain.
Return on investment for donors Park Superintendent Shawn Benge estimates his facility’s backlog of maintenance and construction projects at between $18 and $30 million. Its public information areas are understaffed, and the park could serve area schools much more actively if it could rely more on volunteers in its educational outreach.
“The donors to this effort should be gratified to know the power being unleashed by their generosity,” said
Mr. Benge. “We expect to realize $10 of benefit for the Park from every $1 expended on the volunteer program. That’s an outstanding return on these donors’ philanthropic investment.”
) Photo by Wes Schultz At ceremony |
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