HANCOCK COUNTY — A facility west of New Palestine has helped more than 40 women escape human trafficking since it opened in 2017.
A Greenfield organization that’s been around for 20 years takes in 400 homeless cats and dogs a year.
Neither undertaking would be possible were it not for supporters contributing their efforts free of charge.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryBoth groups and others like them gathered at the 13th annual Hancock County Volunteer Fair on Wednesday, organized by United Way of Central Indiana. They provided information to people interested in helping their causes and spread awareness about their missions and activities.
Like the other nearly two dozen organizations who set up information booths in the GBC Community Room at the Hancock County Public Library, Hope Center Indy has depended on volunteers to fulfill its mission of providing aftercare to women who have escaped human trafficking. Hope Center is located in the former Marion County Children’s Guardian Home at U.S. 52 and Carroll Road. Before it opened in the 140,000-square-foot building on the Marion-Hancock county line, more than 600 volunteers donated nearly 10,000 hours to renovate the space, according to a story in the Daily Reporter in August 2017.
Sara Feasel, grants coordinator for Hope Center Indy, said the Hancock County Community Foundation helped fund a pet hotel the organization is planning. Through that tie, Hope Center Indy learned of the volunteer fair and decided to attend for the first time.
“We thought we were the new ones here, and it looks like everybody already knows about us,” Feasel said as she manned Hope Center Indy’s table, which was covered in literature on the organization’s programs and volunteer opportunities. “It’s pretty fantastic just to see that the word is spreading out about the Hope Center and what we’re doing.”
Hope Center Indy’s volunteers serve the women staying there by providing transportation, working in the kitchen and cafeteria and fulfilling other day-to-day operations, Feasel said. They help run the boutique, coffee shop and wedding and event center on the 25-acre campus as well.
Volunteers also spread awareness about human trafficking, which many are surprised to learn exists in central Indiana, Feasel continued. They spoke on the subject earlier this year at New Palestine High School.
About 95 percent of Hope Center Indy is run by volunteers, Feasel said. They hail from all over the region, including Hancock County.
Dovey Garrett, who recently started volunteering with the organization by fulfilling administrative duties, said she wanted to give back to her community and raise awareness of human trafficking.
As Hope Center Indy attended the volunteer fair for the first time, Partners for Animal Welfare was making its annual appearance. It was the first time the organization — run fully by volunteers — had come to the fair without its founder, Nancy Rubino, who was a fixture at the event for years. Rubino died in January.
But the mission and the need for volunteers continues. PAWS volunteers Dayna Stant and Kathy Benson spoke with prospective volunteers while a cat named Dora lounged on a pillow on the table in front of them.
PAWS takes in about 300 cats and 100 dogs a year with the hopes of finding homes for them. The organization has a facility that can house up to 40 cats. It places dogs in foster care. It also transports animals to a low-cost spay-and-neuter clinic.
Volunteers for PAWS serve as foster families for dogs and help feed and clean up after the organization’s rescue cats, Stant said. They also help run fundraisers and adoption events.
The organization has no paid staff. “We couldn’t run if we didn’t have the volunteers,” Benson said.
Jeannie Roberts, volunteer engagement coordinator for United Way of Central Indiana Area East, said the organizations that attended might not otherwise connect with potential volunteers
“This is an opportunity for these organizations to have outreach to people they may never have a chance to communicate with in any way,” she said.
Along with human trafficking and stray animals, the organizations at the fair addressed causes like food insecurity, shoe donations, emergency preparedness and support for foster and adoptive families.
“We are very, very fortunate to have so many people doing such good things to make life better for those people who need it,” Roberts said.
The fair is particularly beneficial in the way it allows for face-to-face interaction between organizations and potential volunteers, Roberts continued
“You can read all you want in a brochure or wherever they might be promoting it, but having that one-on-one contact really helps seal the deal, I think,” she said.
Organizations at the fair also use the opportunity to spread awareness of issues affecting the community that many might have never known about, Roberts added.
The fair usually draws about 200 visitors, according to Roberts. Some vow to volunteer on the spot while others take materials home to mull them over before joining causes at a later time.
“Sometimes it’s good to let that brew a little bit and consider your time and their needs and your responsibilities as the volunteer,” Roberts aid.
The Hancock County Public Library keeps a supply of volunteer fair booklets for those who are interested but were unable to make the fair.
“Volunteers are the backbone of a community,” Roberts said. “Without them, a community wouldn’t thrive.”
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People who couldn’t attend the fair or couldn’t find the right volunteer opportunity may call Jeannie Roberts, volunteer engagement coordinator for United Way of Central Indiana Area East, to learn more. Her number is 317-414-8288.
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