The Office of
Volunteer Services
links citizens with opportunities to share their time with city government. The office recruits, places, tracks and recognizes volunteers for their efforts.

2006 Volunteers In Action

December 2006

Thanks to Heidi Martin, Gary Lewis and Dana Perkins for their assistance at the December 7 Visioning "Big Idea" Meeting at Rock Bridge High School.
A big thanks goes out to all the volunteers who staffed the "Santa Hotline" phones this year. Jen Micek, the Kelly Harbke Group, Rose and Leah Shindelar, Mary Pendergrass, Carrie Jo Boyce and the Adam Sohaib Group.
Thanks to the more than 150 volunteers who helped with First Night 2007. They were button sellers, ushers, checkers, site managers, stage hands, ambassadors, emcees, and hospitality volunteers. Each is vital in bringing this New Years Eve celebration to Columbia each year. Thank you all!

November 2006

A special thanks goes out to Larry Barringhaus for his ongoing and invaluable help turning off the water to mulitiple city Adopt A Spot beautification landscape beds.
A big thanks to the members of Sigma Tau Gamma for their help with the annual Parks and Recreation "Fowl Shooting" event .
Thanks to volunteers, Heidi Martin, Ernie and Norma Falloon, Gary Lewis, Dana Perkins and Andrew Ronshausen, who helped with set-up, registration and tear-down at the November 28 Vision meeting at Lela Raney Hall.

October 2006

Thanks to the following volunteers who helped with the Vision Festivals held throughout the city during October. Delta Delta Delta members Courtney DeCaro, Heather McDaniels, Stacie Anstead, Mallory Karigan, Kayla Hurley. And individuals, Barbara Reid, Tyler Cook, Rosemary Stevens, Genny Jacks, Ken Steiner and son, Cindy Mustard, Betty Cook Rottman, Carolyn Swope, Ja'Mai Williams, Andrea Kolb, Heather Baer, and Trina Teacutter.
We thank these volunteers for their help with the annual Kids Duathlon: Ja'Mai Williams, Jen and Ben Micek, Rebecca Blum, Doug Leahman and the members of Sigma Tau Gamma.
Thanks goes out to the many volunteers who came to show the kids at the annual Tiger Night of Fun a good Halloween! Ja'Mai Williams, Becky Markt and Youth Community Coalition, Angel Eskew and friends, Mendy Purdome-Blomburg, Rong Li, Tyler Cook, Andrew Ronshausen, Allison Witt and Derek Hinrichs. Thanks also to the 46 organizations and groups who sponsored a game booth.
Our thanks to the following volunteers who helped with child care at the Health Department classes: Cathey Stricklin, Jenny Talbert, Tamara Oberbeck, Linda Manning, Jenny Wade, Andrea Kaemmerer, Megan Burnam, Rong Li and Sara Semelka.
Thanks to TreeKeepers who helped plant trees at Indian Hills include Robert Action, Earlene Boyd, Dan Hunzeker, Greg Leonard, Vanessa Melton, Bill Reniker, Laura Ruman and John Stegemann. Also thanks to non-TreeKeepers Chris Caffird and Ryan Chaney.
TreeKeepers who enjoyed a brisk morning of Tree Identification include Barbara Ball, Larry Barringhaus, Roberta Carson, Kristin Cherry, Deb Denham, Cheryl Hardy, Teresa Kight, Marcie McGuire, Vanessa Melton, Bill Reniker and Jim Thaxter.
Congratulations go out to Mary Jane Nichols, a 50+ OAK program volunteer for being named the RSVP Volunteer of the Year. Mary Jane was nominated by Ellis Fischel, where she also volunteers.
Thanks and kudos to our Park Patrol volunteer Darlene Londeree for being nominated for the RSVP Volunteer of the Year.

September 2006

Thanks to the dozens of volunteers who made the Heritage Festival and the Festival of the Arts great successes!

August 2006

Thanks to Park Patrollers Tom Masters, Rich Eyler, and Bill Pauls for assisting with traffic control at the rededication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on August 28.
Thanks to MU students Chris Burrows, Amanda Conner, Scott Donoho and Elliot Njes, for weeding and mulching the Blue Ridge bed for their Step Forward Day project on August 19.
Thanks go out to TreeKeepers Larry Kellerman, George March, R.C. McClure, Vanessa melton, Anne Meysenburg, Bill Reniker, Laura Ruman, Jean Sax, Gina Scavone, Herman Traudes and Betsy Windmiller for their excellent help with the Grindstone Trail Project on August 5.

July 2006

Thanks to Columbia Hospitality Corps volunteers, Sylvia Bradfield, Norma & Ernie Falloon, Rod Gelatt, Linda Breedlove and Carolyn Swope for their assistance with the Carl Hurley show this year.
Thanks go out to Dixie McGrath and Loretta Wilkinson for their help at the Boone County Fair this year.

June 2006

Thanks Laura Koch for donating bags of cannas bulbs to the Office of Volunteer Services Adopt A Spot Beautification program.
Thanks to Travis Rice and Jenny Talbert for providing childcare so parents could attend a Health Department program.
Thanks to TreeKeepers Jessica Thyfault, Cheryl Hardy, Bill Reniker, Roberta Carson, Gordon Brown and Vanessa Melton for helping with the June National Trails Day Trailside Nature Expo.
Thanks to Park Patrollers Rich Eyler, Teresa Kight and Tom Masters for helping with the June National Trails Day 5K MKT Run/Walk.
Thanks to Mt. Hope Baptist Church and Rick Stinocher for planting their newly adopted beautification beds on Blueridge, and Mt. Hope Baptist Church for planting their other newly aquired beds at Paris and Vandiver.
Thanks to Reggie McBride for weeding an Adopt A Spot landscape bed.

May 2006

Thanks to all the TreeKeepers who helped with the Arbor Day Tree Giveaway and preparation day.
Our thanks to Rachel Brown, Doug Stevens, Ian White and Mike Cooperstock for their assistance for the Hershey's Track and Field Event at Rock Bridge High School on May 13.
Many thanks to the Disc Golfers and the TreeKeepers for their help at Oakland Park on Saturday, May 13.
We appreciate the time and effort our new Adopt A Spot beautification volunteers have spent planting the newly established beds. Thanks goes out to Columbia Family Medical Group, Marsha Nelson, The Alverson-Freese Family , John Pecorak, Christian Chapel, The McCuistion Family, Katherine James and James Kaufman.
Many thanks to all the Adopt A Spot beautification adopters who have planted the beautiful annuals throughout city landscape beds.
Thanks to Brittany Bias, Bob Humphreys, Travis Rice, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Jenny Talbert and friend for helping with the 2006 Bike Safety Rodeo on May 20.
Many thanks to Fera Technologies for copying the Office of Volunteer Services training video for Park Patrol. You guys are great!

April 2006

Thanks to Russell Hall for his help with Tons of Trucks.
A University of Missouri Caring for Columbia team of students planted the newest Adopt A Spot Beautification bed at I-70 Drive SW. Many thanks for your good work.
Special thanks to Rich Eyler and Bill Pauls for there groundbreaking help with the Saturday morning soccer parking program.
Thanks go out to all the TreeKeepers who have participated in the Bear Creek Trail and Forum Nature Trail tree planting projects.

March 2006

A special thank you goes out to the members of Sigma Tau Gamma for their help with a special neighborhood project on March 4.
Thirty-three new 2006 TreeKeepers graduated on March 11 after completing six weeks of specialized tree training.
Robert Chastain, George Cummins, Dennis & Janet Dierker, Buddy Hardwick, Larry Kellerman and Larry Metcalf have all completed their 36 hour commitment to the TreeKeepers program. Our thanks to all of them for their hard work over the years.
We wish to thank the 25 Park Patrollers who took time out of their busy schedule to attend a spring refresher course held at the ARC on March 9. We appreciate you!
Our special thanks to Steve Hanch and Radhika Poreddy, MU service learning students, who have assisted the Office of Volunteer Services during the spring semester.
The Downtown Optimist Club assisted with Homes for Computers on March 17 & 18. Forty-three low income families now have a computer because of their help!
TreeKeeper volunteer Teresa Kight appeared on a taping of "Making a Difference" - a program on Columbia Access TV on March 29.
TreeKeeper volunteers and Wild One volunteers planted trees at the Forum Nature Area on March 25.

February 2006

Over a dozen volunteers shared their weekend to make the "Let's Talk Columbia!" Study Circles a great success on February 11 & 12. The study circles are a program of the Columbia Human Rights Commission to encourage dialogue in our community on issues of diversity.
Thanks to all the Adopt A Spot beautification volunteers who attended and particpated in the round-table discussion meeting with guests, Master Gardener Carolyn Oates and Barb Kribbs.

January 2006

Thanks go out to Jessica Monroe, Sarah Brockman, Tim Colyer and the four Alpha Tau Omega volunteers, headed by Daniel Besmer for their help in placing table tents in the MU cafeterias explaining the city transit system.