Departments learn teamwork
Management trainees from all branches of Columbia County government made the trek to the Golden Harvest Food Bank's Faith Food Factory on Old Savannah Road on Wednesday to help an Appling food bank.
The Level 2 management training class focuses on group situations such as problem-solving, conflict resolution, leadership and organization, said Glenda Valentine, course teacher and independent consultant for University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
Part of the class is to decide on, organize and execute a community service project.
Sorting items at the Golden Harvest Food bank food factory Teresa Reynolds of the Columbia County sheriff's office was with other departments from the county to learn to work together.
Photo by Annette M. Drowlette
Jeff Asmann, a Senior Center manager, is a former Golden Harvest employee and suggested the group volunteer at the sorting and distribution center to get credit for Columbia County Cares Food Bank.
The food bank receives food from Golden Harvest at 15 cents per pound as a sorting fee. For each volunteer hour, the food bank gets 35 cents credit toward that food. With 19 people sorting food for 3 hours, the food bank will receive almost $20 in credit equalling more 130 pounds of free food from Golden Harvest.
"Columbia County Cares ends up getting free food for the residents of Columbia County," Asmann said. "It is a good cause and it helps the community. It is a no-brainer. It is a way to give locally and give to a larger cause as well."
Volunteers are really class members in the county's management training course and represent many different departments including Information Technology, the library system, Parks and Recreation, Water Works and the sheriff's office.
"it is neat to see people from different departments working together and how they go through the decision-making process a a group," said Kelly Robinson, a system analyst in the county's Information Technology department. "It is really neat to learn and develop from each other's skills and talents."
The group had to handle the project on their own in order to truly function as a group and be a productive team member, Valentine said. She stayed out of the group's way and hoped for the best, she said.
"In the class, you always wonder, she said. "They are doing pretty good. They are really coming together. It has been a good experience."