FREEHOLD — Individuals who are interested in helping others can learn about volunteer opportunities when the Freehold Borough Human Relations Committee hosts its first Volunteer Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 13.
The event will be held at the Freehold Intermediate School gymnasium in the Park Avenue Elementary School complex. Guests will be able to learn about many volunteer opportunities, according to Councilman Ron Griffiths, who is the governing body’s liaison to the Human Relations Committee.
Griffiths said officials recognize a need to help many organizations in western Monmouth County that rely upon volunteers, including the Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad and the Freehold Fire Department, both of which will be represented at the event.
“We have also invited most of the town’s civic boards, committees, commissions, fraternal, charitable and veterans organizations,” Griffiths said.
Human Relations Committee Chairwoman Carol Lida said she is excited about the event and hopes it will prompt more people to volunteer and assist the town, especially as first responders.
Mayor Nolan Higgins asked the committee to organize Volunteer Day in an effort to engage all citizens.
Higgins said he and the council members are excited to offer residents the opportunity to learn about the volunteer opportunities and become more involved in helping their community.
“They will have the ability to see a variety of ways to volunteer for their community and, hopefully, find some that are of interest to them,” he said.
Griffiths said organizations that rely on volunteers know that many residents have jobs and other responsibilities, leaving little or no time for volunteer work and resulting in a persistent problem.
“This dilemma generated the idea for a volunteers day,” he said, adding that the event is basically a “job fair” for people who want to get involved in the community.
“The event is especially important to our first responders,” Griffiths said. “Without volunteers the fire department and the first aid squad would find it difficult to maintain their current excellent level of service to area residents. Freehold Borough has a long and proud tradition of volunteer first responders.”
He said the event is not exclusively about first responders, however, and is open to all western Monmouth County residents. Griffiths said volunteering can help people build a resume for college or a job, or pave the way for a new career.
Organizations expected to attend Volunteer Day include Casa Freehold, Center Players, CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Area Board of Health, Freehold Borough Arts Council, Freehold Fire Department, Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad, Freehold Housing Authority, Freehold Rotary Club, Freehold Borough Historic Preservation Commission, Habitat for Humanity in Monmouth County, Jewish War Veterans Post 359, Lake Topanemus Commission, Latino Coalition, Memorial Day Parade Committee, Freehold Municipal Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse, Olde Freehold Day Committee, Freehold Borough Shade Tree Commission and the Spooktacular Committee.
For more information, contact Griffiths at [email protected]
Contact Clare Marie Celano at [email protected].