Volunteer Expo city's first

At 10,000 Villages, the clerk who rings up sales most likely is a volunteer — and viewed as more than a clerk by the store manager.

“They are really ambassadors,” store manager Pandea Smith said. “A critical part of what they do is talk about our mission.”

Smith always is on the lookout for more of those ambassadors, and to that end will be one of about 20 area organizations participating in the first Volunteer Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Newton Activity Center.

The expo, sponsored by Harvey County RSVP, will serve two purposes — recognizing current volunteers and for places that make use of volunteer help to meet with possible volunteers.

“I am using this as a way to get some exposure for us,” Smith said. “To let more people know what we are about — that we are a non-profit organizations and we are always looking for volunteers.”

The store, located in the 600 block of Main Street, sells fairly-traded goods from around the world to create jobs and income in third-world countries. Included in the offerings are arts and crafts and fair-trade coffee.

It’s possible current volunteers at the store are among 400 people who will be recognized at the fair with Presidential Awards.

“I think it is incredible we have that many people who qualify,” said RSVP director Barb Smith. “We will give them their awards at the expo.”

She has seven boxes of awards, envelopes which have a letter from the president, certificate, and pin enclosed. Pins include a bronze pin for 100 to 249 hours of volunteer service, silver for 250 to 499, gold for 500 to 3,999 and a Lifetime Service Award for those who have donated more than 4,000 hours or more.

There are nearly 30 volunteers who have earned the lifetime award. Those earning the lifetime pin include: Lance Diener, Mary Parks, Ralph Weerts, Doreen Harms, Reva Cunningham, Helen Steiner, Frances Gomez, Viola Fast, Margorie Keazer, Barbara Ratley, Martha Graber, Bertha Miller, Julie Schoenberger, Joann Osbourn, Ruth Ann Schmidt, Nicky Evans, Helen Richardson, Bertha Selzer, Edity Loewen, Teresa Outhet, Evelyn Rodgers, Hettie Conrad, Carmen Vega, Elinor Keesling, Bob Reber, Jane Restrepo, Edythe Wendt, Rosie Camargo and Helen Scott.

Barb Smith said she hopes to add to the RSVP roster at the expo.

Other organizations who have asked for booth space at the fair include Newton Medical Center, the Harvey County parks department, the homeless shelter, Harry Hines Memorial Hospice, CASA, the Newton Police Department and others.

For more information about the fair, call RSVP at 284-6881.