What God is Doing in the East Bay

Pairing volunteers with needs
By Nanci L. Valcke
Article Launched: 08/28/2008 12:03:26 AM PDT
Somewhere in the city someone needs help, and there are many people with a little or a lot of time and skill sets ready and willing to give, but who aren't sure how or where to find their niche.
"I have time, I want to volunteer," says Debi Farrugia.
Farrugia wanted to be a reading tutor. Her search was arduous and often involved unreturned calls.
"It does get frustrating," she says.
Through perseverance, Farrugia connected with the Diablo Valley Literacy Council where she learned of the surprising need for adult tutoring.
She said there were 12 people in her training course and 30 adults on the waiting list. The woman she is tutoring waited two and a half years for a volunteer.
Farrugia's struggle to find a volunteer outlet right for her is a common story, and is the inspiration behind a Diablo Valley faith and community speaker series, Hearing and Doing, being launched in September.
Concord Mayor Bill Shinn has given his blessing to the novel program by declaring Sept. 9 as Hearing and Doing Day.
"This program provides education to prospective volunteers about the needs in the community, and provides them with ways they can help so we all have a better quality of life," Shinn said.
What began as an idea of Bill Gram-Reefer, a congregant of Faith Christian Fellowship in Walnut Creek, became reality with the partnership of Tom Patatucci of the Church Without Shoes, which is now the sponsor.
Hearing and Doing has more than 30 congregations of all denominations participating.
"The whole point is to pull back that curtain and show how easy it is to get involved," says Gram-Reefer.
Another goal is to eliminate duplication of efforts, which happens too often.
"People think they're the only ones doing something such as food distribution and there are 30 other groups doing it," says Patatucci. "We hope to combine efforts."
The first in the Hearing and Doing series focuses on literacy, the second one on hunger.
Supervisor Susan A. Bonilla, erstwhile Concord City Councilwoman and a former English as a Second Language teacher, will introduce the premiere program Sept. 9.
Bonilla initiated the Literacy Coalition, which serves as a network of literacy providers.
"Helping someone learn to read or to speak English can enable that individual to take advantage of a new world of opportunities," says Bonilla. "When volunteering with a local literacy program, people can share in the excitement that reading, writing and successful communication bring to a person's life."
Part of the Hearing and Doing program includes disseminating information and invitations to attend the 2008 Literacy Conference on Monday, Sept. 29, at the Concord Hilton.
The conference, hosted by the Contra Costa Literacy Coalition and Bonilla, features special guest speaker David Boulton, creator of the "Children of the Code" and provides opportunities for recruiting new volunteers.
Hearing and Doing panelists include agency leaders such as a member of the library discussing the "One City One Book" program and October's event "Race for the Library."
Concord is part of a statewide campaign, "Cities That Read" to raise awareness of the importance of adult literacy. Statistics show that in California, two million native English speakers are functionally illiterate.
Speakers also include volunteers sharing their personal stories and experiences.
"I'm still in the awkward stage," says volunteer tutor and panelist Farrugia.
Although she admits to feeling nervous, she says the tutor training she received was really good and it's about getting out there and doing.
In addition to the speakers, allied organizations of the Literacy Coalition will have tables set up with literature and representatives to help people find a volunteer opportunity to fit their ability and availability.
"The second one is in November. We hope to do it at the Food Bank (of Contra Costa and Solano)," says Patatucci. "It all starts at the Food Bank."
The focus is hunger and will include panelists from a variety of organizations — many affiliated with the Food Bank — which feeds more than 98,000 people each month, and spends 91 cents of every dollar on food.
Patatucci says the idea is to capitalize on the holiday season of giving to get the message out about the need for volunteers all year. He said now, at the end of summer, the bank is short of food.
In December, Hearing and Doing will take a hiatus through the holidays but will be back in 2009 with its ongoing speaker series on how to become involved with the community. Gram-Reefer says the New Year will kick off with some aspect of homelessness.
Although still in its infancy, the goal of Hearing and Doing is to have more churches join the effort as well as other service groups and individuals. Eventually, Hearing and Doing hopes to have a database of volunteers and nonprofits so either can call and be put in touch with the other.
"We want to be a resource to our community," says Patatucci.
"I think that would be wonderful," says Farrugia.