April 2011 Project Leader Spotlight: Chris Chenevey

I originally found Volunteer Broward by accident. I had seen “Hands on Miami” volunteers working near where I used to live in Miami. It struck me that so many people were cleaning the streets and sidewalks all at the same time, together, and I remembered it. Later, I moved to Broward, and I searched the internet for something similar, and there I found Volunteerbroward.org. It was perfect for me because they had lots of different projects available at many different times and days. That was important because I was working full time (including overtime) and I have a family, so I needed flexibility.

I started working various projects, as they fit my schedule. I started at Poverello Sorting Center, who supplies food to many people suffering with HIV in Ft. Lauderdale. One project I worked on at Port Everglades allowed volunteers to paint large trash barrels to beautify the Port. I worked at Tomorrow’s Rainbow which allows children who have had emotional trauma, to interact and pet farm animals on their lovely farm in North Broward. When the earthquake devastated Haiti, I worked several food drives spurred by Disney, who gave free tickets to their amusement parks to volunteers. There were many others.

After I got to know some of the folks there, most notable Sander Schrantz, I attended Project Leadership training. I learned how to perform the administrative work that goes into these projects. I now am Project Leader for a project that takes place the third Saturday of each month at the Broward Outreach Center in Pompano Beach. I have found that projects centering on hunger and homelessness are the ones that I enjoy the most. The “BOC Pompano” is a wonderful organization run by the Miami Rescue Mission. It has over 200 beds for their residents, and a wide variety of educational, and therapeutic programs for those residents. The goal is not just a bed and a meal. The goal is to teach these folks the skills they need to get back into the workplace, and become self sufficient again. It is a tremendous place. Many of the folks that come there haven’t just lost their homes, they have lost everything.

Volunteering has become a very rewarding aspect to my life. I enjoy meeting new people, and more than anything, I enjoy spending my time doing something I can be proud of. There is a certain satisfaction you get out of knowing that you could have sat home on the couch watching TV on a Saturday Morning, but instead you lent a hand to someone that needed it. I sometimes take my stepson, Logan, who is 11 years old. It is a great bonding experience, and I believe it teaches him something important. It also has given him a new perspective, so that he understands how much we have that we take for granted.

To anyone that may be interested to volunteer, go for it! Sign up on Volunteerbroward.org, attend an orientation, and then pick a project that means something to you. If you feel passionately about the environment, pick a beach cleanup. If you love animals, try an animal rescue like Friends Ranch. If you love children, be a mentor or a tutor. If you are good with your hands, we have projects where you can build or paint. We all have our own unique skills we can contribute. I am sure it will make you feel good to help someone here in your community, and that makes a difference for us all.

by Chris Chenevey