Ex-volunteer coordinates workshops

A series of free workshops targeting volunteer coordinators in nonprofit organizations will be held this fall and winter.

"They're needed," said Lynn Harshman, Fort Gordon's community life program manager, who oversees more than 3,300 volunteers at the military installation. "I get a lot of requests to speak to different groups."

The courses will focus on marketing a volunteer program, recruiting, interviewing and supervising volunteers, and volunteer recognition.

Harshman, a former volunteer who turned her avocation into a full-time vocation, was the Fort Gordon Volunteer of the Year in 1987 and a Civilian of the Year. She was selected as Civilian of the Quarter at Fort Gordon on July 29.

A member of the Association of Volunteer Administrators and the Georgia Association of Volunteer Administrators, Harshman is working with Cornell University to develop a handbook and volunteer training program to be used Army wide. Harshman said volunteer coordinators often need training, but not a lot is available to them and the training usually exceeds a nonprofit's budget.

The training classes begin at the end of August; however, the first class, Volunteer Program Management on a Federal Reserve, is specific to Fort Gordon. Other classes in the series are open to the general public.

Marketing Your Volunteer Program will be at 1 p.m. Sept. 13; Volunteer Recruitment will be at 11 a.m. Oct. 21; Interviewing Volunteers will be at 1 p.m. Oct. 21; Volunteer Supervision will be at 1 p.m. Nov. 3; Volunteer Recognition will be at 11 a.m. Jan. 31.

For registration and other information, call 791-3579.