We mobilize volunteers to solve community problems.

The Prince George’s Volunteer Center was incorporated in April 1982 “to provide a central focus for the development, coordination, organization and recognition of volunteer activities in the Prince George’s County area so that the community can better realize the potential of citizen volunteers…” (from the Articles of Incorporation). April 19, 2007 marks the 25th anniversary of Prince George’s Volunteer Center.

Prince George’s Volunteer Center is one of 360 volunteer centers across the county dedicated to informing and mobilizing community members to address community needs. Volunteer Recruitment and Referral, Volunteer Recognition, Training and Support for Managers of Volunteers and Emergency Preparedness are core services of the Prince George’s Volunteer Center.

Recent Accomplishments

• Referred 817 volunteers to 450 agencies; 21% of those referrals were students seeking service learning volunteer opportunities;
• Placed 90 volunteers “on call” to be notified for one-time, short notice or special events;
• Placed 5700 PSAs in local media to recruit volunteers;
• Implemented the Points of Light Foundation’s 1-800-VOLUNTEER online database system;
• Recognized 16 individuals and organizations in six Volunteer of the Year categories;
• Sponsored 2006 Affair of the Heart Gala with the Prince George’s County Office of the County Executive;
• Continued our organizational support of Prince George’s Volunteer Coordinators Association and provided technical assistance to volunteer managers at our registered agencies;
• Helped establish Prince George’s County Citizen Corps Council, the coordinating council for emergency volunteer groups, and serve as a charter member of the Council’s Board of Directors;
• Recruited volunteers for all Citizen Corps Council member organizations including Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and the Emergency Action Team;
• Worked toward goals of Prince George’s County Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Areas Security Initiatives (UASI) grant to increase the number of affiliated emergency volunteers, increase the overall readiness of the community to respond to an emergency and to publicize the local volunteer center as a resource for volunteer recruitment;
• Selected Teresa Gardner-Williams, CVA as Executive Director.

History

Incorporated April 19, 1982, the Prince George’s County Voluntary Action Center, Inc. opened its doors for operation on June 24, 1982 in Brentwood with volunteer William A. Hammill serving as Executive Director and President. Formerly a program within Prince George’s County government, this new nonprofit’s mission was to make volunteerism an increasingly dynamic force in Prince George’s County.

The Executive Director and other volunteers worked with much dedication to recruit and place volunteers, provide recognition for those volunteers, support managers of volunteers and to bring the resources of national partners to the County. During the first year of operation, Prince George’s County Voluntary Action Center referred 285 volunteers to 91 registered agencies, joined with the six other volunteer centers in the region to recognize outstanding volunteers and offered a series of trainings for managers of volunteers. Community education and outreach – utilizing posters, brochures, public speaking, media appearances and advertising, and hosting volunteer recruitment events – became a hallmark of the volunteer center’s operations. The organization ended its first year with total assets, including all office equipment and furnishings, valued at $269.86.

Grants received during the third year allowed the hiring of Elaine Fisher as Executive Director and administrative support staff for the office operations. Since that time, Mary L. Reese, Kathy F. McKay, Nancie Park, Ph. D. and Teresa Gardner-Williams, CVA have served as Executive Director and staff numbers have been expanded to include AmeriCorps VISTA members from the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

Since 1982, programs and services have continued to include volunteer recruitment and referral, training, and recognition. At times, placements for court ordered volunteers, direct service programs for youth, directories of volunteer opportunities for youth and service learners and short-term projects have been included in the volunteer center’s offerings. For several years, the volunteer center maintained a second office in the southern part of the County. Over the years, the volunteer center has utilized available technology to support its programs – in 1986, updating to a computer system with 512K RAM and a daisy wheel printer and today recruiting volunteers, providing information on volunteer opportunities and registering organizations with an online database.

In 1997, the Board of Directors recognized the need to change the organization’s name to more clearly reflect its mission and the organization was renamed Prince George’s Volunteer Center. Today, Prince George’s Volunteer Center operates in offices in Hyattsville in the Prince George’s County Services Building and works in partnership with the Maryland Volunteer Centers Association, the Metro Coalition of Volunteer Centers and the Points of Lights & Volunteer Center National Network.

Programs & Services

The Prince George’s Volunteer Center is your one stop for volunteer and volunteering information. The Prince George’s Volunteer Center connects concerned and energized individuals with worthwhile and challenging opportunities to serve their neighbors and community.

If you are:

• Looking for a place to volunteer in Prince George’s County (emergency preparedness programs)
• Searching for ways to recruit new and support current volunteers or (volunteer coordinators)
• Exploring ways to recognize outstanding volunteers (volunteer recognition)

The Prince George’s Volunteer Center can help you!