Best Places to Volunteer in Athens

by Susie McManus

Rushing to and from class, cramming for midterms and trying to make time for friends and family is enough to fill the schedule of any full-time student. The jam-packed life of college students doesn't leave much time for volunteer activities. Many students would like to get involved for personal reasons, not to mention that community service can make a graduate school application look more appealing. What little time is left, however, can be enough to make a difference.

For students who had to say good-bye to a favorite pet when leaving for college and miss the unconditional love shared between pet and owner, volunteering at the Athens Clarke County animal control shelter may benefit them as much as it does the animals. The shelter houses mostly dogs and puppies, along with a few wild animals.

Officer Patrick Rives, superintendent of the Animal Control division, strongly believes that the time volunteers spend with the dogs influences the adoption rate and quality at the shelter. Volunteers liberate the dogs from their individual pens and take them on walks or to a larger interaction pen where they can run freely and play. "Just getting out of their cages helps the dogs to stay cleaner and well-behaved," Rives says. Plus, the exercise helps the dogs stay happier. If you miss the duties that go hand in hand with owning a pet, volunteers also have the opportunity to bathe the dogs.

"Whatever the volunteer work, you can gain new experiences, which is important in college," Rives says. "It helps you to build character."

Junior Melanie Bettis likes to visit the shelter to play with the dogs when she has the spare time. "They are so adorable. They remind me of my puppy, Gibby, back home," she says. "I love going to visit them."

Volunteers are welcome five days a week during specified kennel hours. If you're considering adopting a new friend for your dog, the shelter gives the option of bringing them along to mingle and play with the kenneled dogs.

Just up the road from the animal control shelter is the Athens Humane Society, which is home to many cats and several rabbits. Here, volunteers are greatly needed to assist with cleaning the shelter and to give their time to cats who crave the attention.

"We need volunteers to be very hands-on," says employee Angelina Goette as she inspects the ears of Flora, a beautiful black kitten who was lucky enough to get out of her cage for a few minutes while the employees answered questions. Flora purrs as Goette strokes behind her soft ears. She is obviously happy to be the center of attention, even if it is for just a few moments. "Every day we need cages cleaned, cats groomed, nails clipped and laundry washed," Goette says. "We are so busy that we don't often have the time to give them the attention they need."

If volunteers are dedicated to the shelter over a long period of time, they are given the opportunity to learn how to give vaccinations and how to deal with potential adopters.

Though a part-time employee, Goette gives the impression that she works far more hours than a part-timer at the mall. "We see around 2,000 cats a year," she says.

Erin Cork, another employee at the shelter, believes that it is especially beneficial to have the help of volunteers on days with few employees readily available. With University students coming to Athens for school and then graduating, the student volunteers are "not as dedicated over a long period of time," Cork says. "We are hoping to get more people out here."

Goette believes that opening the eyes of the Athens community to the increasing stray cat population brings awareness and will hopefully encourage more volunteers to help out. Volunteers are welcome by appointment.

If you've never been an avid animal lover, but would like to make a difference to a child, then the Athens Tutorial Program may be a perfect volunteer opportunity. The after-school program includes students from kindergarten through 12th grade. It involves dedication; tutors instruct students for two hours each week to promote "educational, cultural and character enrichment," says Barbara Archibald, director of the program.

Along with assisting the student with his or her work, the tutor helps the student build character by developing lesson plans around the "word of the week." "What is so great about this program is that those who had no hope receive hope," Archibald says. "It gives the students the opportunity to master skills they have difficulty with."

The tutors go through one orientation session and then are paired with a student at one of the program's four locations in Athens.

Tutors are mostly University students who love the program. While the students have much to learn from their tutors, the tutors have found that they also have learned a lot from their students. "We had one student stay for her four years she was in college," Archibald says. "We thank them, but they thank us too."

Archibald believes the best overall result of the tutorial program is students who learn they can excel academically. "We have increasing graduation rates and a more educated community," she says. "And while they are more educated, they also have more character gained through the enrichment part of the program."

If you're interested in dedicating the time to get to know a child personally and to become a part of his or her support system, Wish Makers on Campus is a golden opportunity. The University chapter also encourages volunteers to help raise funds for a hopeful child waiting for a wish to come true.

Wish Fairies, who are members of the organization partnered with a family to grant a child's wish, spend a lot of their extra time dedicated to the family and to the child's dream. Members who want to become a Wish Fairy must go through the same training that a Make a Wish representative would go through, which requires putting a lot of their heart into the organization's cause.

Lauri Short, president of external affairs, believes that the members share a strong love for children and a sense of wanting to help out. The children are often sick, but "we encourage them to not focus on that and to look past it," Short says. "Our motto is to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy."

The Wish Makers on Campus started just three years ago but have definitely made a strong name for themselves, according to Short.

"We have granted wishes like one child getting to meet Ariel at Disney World, another going deep-sea diving and even the co-president's brother going on a trip to Alaska," Short says.

Kelly Golliher, a new Wish Fairy this year, cannot wait to help out a child. "I am excited to be able to make a child happy, but nervous because I won't be able to take away the physical pain," she says.

"When you see the impact on the children, you really gain an understanding for why you're in the organization," Short says.

Take advantage of a spare moment to provide a lonely dog some attention; or, if you have the time, dedicate yourself to enriching a child's life. It's worth the extra glance at the fliers posted around campus to find the perfect volunteer opportunity.

contacts:

Athens-Clarke County Animal Control; 706-613-3540; Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (MTRF), 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (Sat.)

Athens Humane Society; 706-353-2287; Volunteer by appointment

Athens Tutorial Program; Barbara Archibald; 706-354-1653

Wishmakers on Campus; Lauri Short; lshort@uga.edu