At banquets, ceremonies and lunches throughout the city, helpers like Cobb are being applauded for the little tasks that make a big difference in any community. Last year, volunteers through United Way alone contributed 6,000 hours to more than 50 area agencies and nonprofits. The Lynchburg City School volunteer program, one of the oldest in the country, reported 4,306 volunteers donating more than 60,000 hours at the city's 18 schools last year. Then there are the hospitals, day care centers, retirement homes, and community centers throughout the city where volunteers are more than a luxury - they're a vital resource. Volunteers are a tremendous asset because of the resources they provide us.
Volunteers say they take pride in making a community investment.
But what they get back in return is just as valuable. It's been fun. I've come to know lots of people here. Phelps and her fellow volunteers help run the warehouse and store, which sells secondhand clothes, furniture and housewares and dozens of other items. I couldn't survive without them - that's the truth.