Dozens of nonprofits descend on Klyde Warren Park to recruit volunteers on National Day of Service

In celebration of National Day of Service and Remembrance, dozens of North Texas nonprofits assembled at Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas on Saturday afternoon to recruit volunteers.

The seventh annual Voly in the Park, sponsored by VolunteerNow, drew some 40 nonprofits to the park to network with North Texans interested in volunteer opportunities. Through Voly.org, the group’s online matching system, people can find and connect with volunteer opportunities that best fit them. Bill Braxton, who is the board chairman of VolunteerNow, said this year is the organization’s 50th anniversary.

“Given that this is the 20th year anniversary of 9/11, this event has that much more meaning,” Braxton said Saturday.

VolunteerNow CEO Tammy Richards said the event is a way to spread the spirit of volunteerism and to honor the memories of those whose lives were lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“Sept. 11 is the National Day of Service, so by doing service in the community, we can honor folks who lost their lives and also the military who defend our freedoms,” Richards said. “Any time you can actually give back to make our community a better place for everyone, I think that’s a great way to honor those sacrifices.”

“The pandemic probably cut the number of volunteers down by about half because a lot of older people volunteer, and they were reluctant,” she said. “But now we’re really seeing a resurgence, and it’s exciting.”

Connie Chin, a program manager for the Grant Haliburton Foundation, which offers mental health resources to teens and families, said her organization actually has seen an increase in volunteers amid the pandemic. Allowing volunteers to do their work virtually has helped, she said.

“We’ve done better because we’ve transitioned into completely online. All of our volunteers are taking calls remotely. They do all of their trainings online,” Chin said.

Melisa Ruiz said Saturday’s event was the first time that she had attended Voly in the Park. She said the pandemic inspired her to look for ways to serve her community through volunteer work.

“Everything with the pandemic got me really interested in getting involved and wanting to help out, I saw a lot of other people going out to help others,” Ruiz said. “When I pulled up today, I was really happy to see that there was no parking. I was scared that it would be empty and that there wouldn’t be a lot of people. But coming in here and seeing a lot of people here is exciting to see.”