In an effort to connect organizations in need of volunteers with those interested in volunteering, there will be an event at the Montezuma County Annex Building on Thursday, Jan. 9 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
It’s advertised on flyers around town as the Community Involvement Expo, and it’s the second one by the Montezuma Leadership Network.
“If we can build an idea in the community that it does take a village, and get used to that being our way of showing up, it would help everyone so much,” said Mary Jo Standard, the community involvement specialist for the group putting on the expo.
The group putting it on, the Montezuma Leadership Network, is Cortez-based and, according to its website, formed in May 2022 to strengthen training programs in Montezuma County that were threatened after the pandemic, and in the wake of people retiring, moving or changing careers.
Local nonprofits are still struggling to find volunteers, though there’s no numbers to illustrate this since they’re so under-resourced, Standard said.
Last year’s expo brought in over 200 community members and 50 organizations seeking volunteers.
So far, 36 organizations have registered to attend on Thursday, and Standard said they’re trying to recruit at least 10 more.
They try and cater to a “broad interest range” and include a variety of organizations in the expo, since people who volunteer prefer to spend time doing something they care about, Standard said.
“Hopefully we can connect community members with something they’re passionate about doing,” Standard said.
To be sure, under-resourced nonprofit organizations aren’t unique to Montezuma County; it’s a problem most every community in rural Colorado faces, Standard said.
And to better – and easier – connect volunteers with these under-resourced nonprofits and vice versa, there’s a website through United Way for Southwest Colorado, available at getconnected.unitedway-swco.org.
All 36 organizations registered for this year’s expo have a profile on the site, and will have QR codes at the event for people to scan and see available opportunities.
“We’re slowly getting there,” said Standard. “It really does take a village. That’s how we thrive, and how we build a thriving village.”
