VolunteerNow Celebrates 45 Years of Impact

(DALLAS, 2/10/16) – This day marks a significant birthday and milestone for volunteer leadership in North Texas. VolunteerNow celebrates its 45th anniversary of transforming the North Texas community through volunteerism today. 

VolunteerNow provides the people power for nonprofits to make a difference, and in the past 45 years, the organization has strengthened more than 3,600 organizations through its programs and services. It also helped these nonprofits access 1.2 million volunteer hours annually, which generates a $28 million impact. 

VolunteerNow was founded in 1971 by four visionary volunteers. Annette Strauss, Helen Boothman, Mitch Jericho, and Jan Sanders created the Dallas Voluntary Action Center in response to identifying the need for a centralized clearinghouse to recruit and refer volunteers to Dallas nonprofit agencies. The Dallas Voluntary Action Center later became the Volunteer Center of North Texas, which is now VolunteerNow.

“The power and impact of volunteers is tremendous,” said Tammy L. Richards, VolunteerNow Chief Executive Officer. “From the four volunteers who established this organization 45 years ago, to the many thousands across North Texas who make a difference every day, volunteers provide the ability for nonprofits to serve the community and fulfill their missions.”

Throughout this anniversary year, VolunteerNow will honor exceptional volunteers through the “Volunteers Change Everything: 45 Years of Impact” initiative. 

“Honoring 45 volunteers in 2016 is a fitting tribute to the legacy of impact of volunteers everywhere as well as to VolunteerNow’s decades of service to North Texas,” Richards said. “This volunteer recognition series is our way of both commemorating VolunteerNow’s 45th anniversary and recognizing volunteers at all levels, from high level philanthropists to boardroom volunteers to those volunteering in direct service roles.”

The series launched February 2 and recognized Lynn McBee, Chief Executive Officer of Young Women’s Preparatory Network, as the first of 45 volunteer honorees. Ms. McBee is a noted community leader and volunteer extraordinaire who was nominated by Ruth Altshuler. The second week of volunteer recognition regards VolunteerNow’s history of community service and the volunteer leadership of our four founders, as well as a special interview with co-founder Jan Sanders, who remains an active volunteer in Dallas.

Another celebration in this 45th anniversary year is the recognition of Ruth Altshuler’s commitment to service with the 2016 VolunteeerNow Lifetime Achievement Award. Mrs. Altshuler will receive the award at the 10th Annual Hearts of Texas Luncheon on Thursday, April 28, 2016 at the Belo Mansion. Gene Jones, Mrs. Altshuler’s good friend, will serve as honorary chair. Mrs. Jones received this award in 2014. Hearts of Texas co-chairs are Phyllis Bernstein and Shelly Dee.

Ruth Altshuler defines what it means to be a community volunteer. Throughout more than six decades serving her hometown of Dallas as a civic leader, she blazed trails for women, mobilized support from her friends for worthy causes, and volunteered her time to transform Dallas. She has served on numerous boards of nonprofit organizations. Mrs. Altshuler credits her time with the Junior League of Dallas as sparking her lifelong commitment to transforming her community through volunteerism. 

“I am honored to share this moment with Ruth,” Gene Jones said. “She has long been an inspiration to me and to philanthropists across North Texas. Her great service to Dallas is directly in line with VolunteerNow’s critical mission of transforming communities through volunteerism.”

The public is invited to join VolunteerNow in celebrating 45 years of impact by attending or sponsoring the 10th Annual Hearts of Texas Luncheon, and nominating an outstanding volunteer and/or community leader. Details about the luncheon are available at www.volnow.org/heartsoftexas and information on our volunteer series is available at www.volnow.org/news.  

About VolunteerNow

VolunteerNow (formerly the Volunteer Center of North Texas) serves as the hub of volunteerism in North Texas, and provides the people power for nonprofits to make a real difference. Last year, volunteers served 1.2 million hours, generating $28 million in economic impact for the region. VolunteerNow drives this impact by connecting more than 33,000 volunteers annually to 1,900 local nonprofits. VOLY.org, powered by VolunteerNow, is the 24/7 virtual connection point between volunteers and local service opportunities. As a national thought leader in volunteerism and one of the largest volunteer centers in the country, VolunteerNow provides a wide range of programs and services that build capacity for nonprofits, including training and consulting services, as well as the most affordable and comprehensive background checking service in the state. www.volnow.org