Southlake thrives because of the citizens who give their time and effort to make this community better. For those who want to get involved but don’t know how, Volunteer Southlake is a great place to start. The city-run resource connects locals with opportunities ranging from senior center helper to teen court volunteer to even a “secret citizen” role. Lindy Calzada, the Volunteer Coordinator, connects hundreds of people with meaningful responsibilities that make a difference – both for the city and in the community.
BEFORE VOLUNTEER SOUTHLAKE... I worked in philanthropy as a grantmaker. There is a bit of a through-line from that work to my current position as I would have the occasion to work with non- profit organizations on their volunteer programs.
I started in the grantmaking field in Boston and moved to a small private foundation in Dallas. Before that, in 2008, my career made the pivot to the nonprofit space after being fortunate to work for Chicago’s public radio station, WBEZ, where I helped develop additional sponsor support. And before that (many, many moons ago), I worked in business development in the financial sector and spent the last few years working for Lehman Brothers.
I STARTED WITH VOLUNTEER SOUTHLAKE... in the summer of 2017. It was on the day of Stars and Stripes, which, as you may know, is one of the city’s largest events. I very quickly started to understand how much heart and work are put into these special events. Simultaneously, the importance of the volunteers, who donated their time and energy on a very warm day, became very clear to me.
THROUGH VOLUNTEER SOUTHLAKE... volunteers may serve within different city departments, as well as with partner nonprofit organizations in the area such as Call-A-Ride Southlake (CARS), Southlake Chamber of Commerce, Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange, Metroport Meals on Wheels and SafeHaven of Tarrant County.
VOLUNTEERS ARE... vital to the success of these Southlake events and so much of what the city accomplishes day-to-day. Volunteer Southlake seeks to provide a meaningful, engaging and rewarding volunteer experience.
IN OUR LAST FISCAL YEAR... volunteers gave over 28,000 hours of service to the City of Southlake, which is the equivalent of nearly 14 full-time employees and has a value of $698,850!
THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE... is fortunate to have many long-standing volunteers who have been giving back to this city in which they live for quite some time. Based on my own learnings, the inspiration to give their time is rooted in a strong loyalty and love for where they live. I think that is, in part, what makes Southlake very special.
SOUTHLAKE IS... a community that places a high value on community service. This is illustrated in the work of the Carroll ISD, the citizenry and the city’s efforts to connect Southlake citizens to volunteer opportunities.
IT IS HEARTENING TO... talk to parents expressing their interest in having their children learn the value of service. That value put on community service spreads far and wide as many of our youth volunteers are working toward goals set by their school or by groups such as the National Honors Society.
NEW VOLUNTEERS... will be meeting new people, potentially learning new skills and, we hope, developing a fondness for service. It can be the beginning of a fulfilling journey.
WE VALUE... our volunteers’ feedback. We work hard to incorporate insight from the monthly volunteer surveys we ask our volunteers to complete. Additionally, one of this year’s goals is to explore new ways to engage our volunteers and we hope to include volunteer voices in this process.
PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW... of the mighty team that makes Volunteer Southlake successful, from the volunteer liaisons to the special event coordinators who may only work with our volunteers intermittently throughout the year, but strive to ensure a positive experience for the volunteers.
THROUGH MY LENS... I am fortunate to see the sheer amount of interest Southlake citizens take in volunteering their time and energy. The city’s commitment, illustrated by Volunteer Southlake’s very existence, to offering an array of community service opportunities and leveraging the generosity of our volunteers to pull off major feats for Southlake.