El Paso County Volunteer program helps community, staff and the volunteers
Ramon Bracamontes, El Paso County/Senior Strategic Aide
When Sherrill Isenhower was hired to start the El Paso County Volunteer Program, she didn’t know what to expect. But she did know one thing: the volunteers are out there it’s just a matter of finding them.
And find them she did.
In less than a year El Paso County has lured 367 volunteers from all walks of life who in 2023 provided more than 26,000 hours of community service saving the County approximately $700,000.
“I fish in all ponds with every possible lure,” Isenhower said as she explained how the program found its volunteers. “We have brought all types of people together for a common purpose.”
The County’s volunteers vary from retirees to recent high school graduates, to college students, and to young professionals who are considering a new career.
“Some volunteers want to understand everything the County does to see if it interests them,” Isenhower said. “We try to expose them to as much as we can.”
For example, the courthouse lobby volunteers welcome visitors to the building and connect them to the correct office whether they are looking to get married, obtain a birth certificate or serve on a jury panel. Volunteers at the county’s Veterans Assistance Office help veterans find the health services they need; and the volunteers at Community Services help ensure that seniors are happy with the meals provided to them through the County’s Senior Nutrition Program.
Last year volunteers also planted trees throughout County parks, helped clean up the County’s pauper cemetery and stuffed thousands of goodie boxes with donation for distribution on Martin Luther King Day.
The estimated value of the volunteers’ contribution far outweighs the program’s costs which are approximately $91,959. Based on the Independent Sector value of volunteer hours for the state of Texas in 2022 ($29.86/hour), the estimated value of the hours served is $779,674 for a net return to the County of $684,315.
“At the end of the day we are extending the County’s reach in the community,” Isenhower said.
Cutline/Sneakers: El Paso County volunteers helped clean McGill Cemetery, the county’s pauper cemetery.