HandsOn Texarkana is celebrating 50 years of service to the community. The organization, which was originally called the Texarkana Volunteer Services Bureau, was started by the Junior League in May of 1969 with a mission to pair volunteers with non-profits who needed them.
"The Junior League saw a need for an organization to act as a clearing house for volunteers so they started HandsOn but after that they weren't involved with the organization from a control standpoint," said Kathey Graves, HandsOn executive director.
Pairing volunteers with non-profits who need them is still a service HandsOn provides to this day.
"We helped recruit volunteers for other non-profits. It has changed a lot due to the Internet. Now we have a very active website that people can visit and find volunteer opportunities," she said.
The website, HandsOnTexarkana.org, provides information about each volunteer opportunity from the responsibilities for the position to the hours needed. When someone finds an opportunity they'd like to pursue, it's recommended they contact the specific non-profit where they'd like to volunteer.
Volunteer opportunities are available for both adults and youth and are separated into categories on the website.
HandsOn also has a Facebook page where volunteer opportunities are posted as soon as become available so the information is very up-to-date.
Over the past half a century, HandsOn Texarkana's mission has broadened and expanded. It's name was also changed to the Texarkana Volunteer Center before finally becoming HandsOn Texarkana 10 years ago when it became a affiliated with the Points of Light Foundation.
"There are 250 Point of Light centers across the U.S. The beauty of being a volunteer center is we tailor our program to the needs of the community. As needs arose through the years, the board of directors have developed programs to meet those needs. For instance Harvest Texarkana (now Harvest Regional Food Bank) was started under the Volunteer Center," Graves said.
Harvest Regional Food Bank went on to become an independent non-profit but HandsOn does have several other programs under its umbrella including a skilled parenting program that is in place at the Federal Correctional Institution and has been for the past four years. The eight-week program, which meets weekly, equips men at the facility with better parenting skills to improve their lives and the lives of their children.
"This program is huge. It helps these men be better able to communicate with their children no matter the distance between them. It helps them to have a better relationship with their child, not only while they're incarcerated but when they get released and it helps the children because they have a better parent and we know the impact that makes on their lives," she said.
HandsOn also has a program for youth that goes into area classrooms and educates kids about volunteering and how to get connected with a non-profit that can use their services. That program began in October 2010.
"I wish every school required high school students to complete a certain number of volunteer hours before they graduate. In some states it is a requirement but it's not here although some teachers require or encourage it," Graves said. "There are so many benefits to kids volunteering including college scholarships. Some institutions a student can't get into unless they have volunteer hours. Research also shows that students who volunteer are 22% more likely to complete college and 50% less likely to abuse drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. It helps them develop social and civic responsibilities."
HandsOn also heads up the local Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD). The focus of that group is to prepare for potential disasters by figuring out what role each group would play.
"Honestly we may never use this group, but it's good to come together and sit around the table and know what the other groups' responsibilities would be in the event we had a disaster," Graves said. "Anyone is welcome to attend." The COAD meets quarterly.
Another service HandsOn is providing for the community is a transportation program for the elderly and disabled whose income is at poverty level.
"They may have no way to get to the doctor or the grocery store. They have to be at the poverty level where they can't afford cabs or an Uber. These may be people who need help getting in and out of the car so the bus isn't an option for them," she said.
HandsOn has a coordinator who matches these people with a volunteer driver. Graves estimated they provide an average of about 75 rides per month.
The success of HandsOn wouldn't be possible without dedicated community members who donate their time and talents to to the organization.
"I'd like to give credit to all the board members who've sustained the Volunteer Center for 50 years," Graves said. "It does take an active, caring board that wants to see programs thrive."
(For more information about HandsOn or its programs call 903-798-3211, visit Handsontexarkana.org or stop by 1915 Olive St., Texarkana, Texas.)