HandsOn Jacksonville - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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“Here was a man in his wheelchair with his poodle on his lap coming downthis road,” she “He was thrilled to pieces and he couldn’ t wait to get out and enjoty nature.” Or another project, 6 Days 6 in which volunteers worked to build rampzs for another man in a wheelchair who hadn’tf left his house on his own for eightf years. Not many jobs can offe r the satisfaction that comes with that kind of she said. “You go home at the end of the day feelingvlike you’ve contributed something good to the Mora said.
HandsOn Jacksonville, formerly Volunteert Jacksonville, was founded in 1973 and has been a mainstah on the community service sceneever since. The grou employs just 13 staff members, but coordinatesw thousands of volunteerseach year. In April alone, they participate d in 35 projects, including beach cleanups, readingg to kids and crafting cards for the elderlyu and militaryservicemembers abroad. “We are helping people to give to giveof themselves, to put other people first, to do somethiny about all the bad stuff they see on TV and feel said Krista Winfield-Estes, vice president and chie f operating officer. “It’s a career and it’s a job, but it’w also karma.
” Winfield-Estes said though she and her co-workers are employed full time arrangingthe projects, the real creditt should go to the community volunteers. “It’s just amazingb what these folks are she said. “They’re kind of the unsunfg heroes.” But the goodwill at HandsOn Jacksonville isn’t limiterd to projects outsidethe office. Winfield-Estes said the managersz strive to foster trust and partnership among employeeas by celebrating victories and offering supportt throughtough times. “I think they feel comfortabls sharing things that they may not have felt comfortabled sharing with other bosses they may have had in the she said.
“We realize the whole person comesxto work, and not just the person that’s goin g to work that day.” Jenny a community engagement director who joinesd the company in 2008, said that was nevert more evident than last In lieu of big financial which are tough to come by in the nonprofit industry, CEO Judy Smith made personalizedx necklaces for each employee by “I was just very touched,” O’Donnell “How often will your boss or your CEO do somethinh like that for you?
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