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Danny Huff and other Single Volunteers of Central Florida staff the no-money-needed Ice Cream Palace at Give Kids The World (Kissimmee, FL) twice a month for three and a half hours, serving up sundaes, splits and shakes to ailing children. Across America, Singles Find Friends And Satisfaction By Volunteering by Dana Johnston In the year 2000, Danny Huff, at 34, was making good money, and he started to feel that he wanted to share some of his good fortune with others, to give something back. He was not involved with organized religion, so he began to look around at various volunteering activities. He considered becoming a Big Brother, and "liked the idea of it, but it was a huge commitment." Since he'd never done any volunteering before, he thought it best to try another way of volunteering to get his feet wet. Single Volunteers of Central Florida(SVCF) turned out to be just the opening he needed. An unmarried man, he learned of the organization, one of two dozen chapters across the nation, via a radio station web site. ³It interested me because all the volunteer activites are one shot dealsı,² he says. Typically, a volunteer makes a particular commitment for a particular day, a particular amount of time, and a particular activity, all of his/her own choosing. Mr. Huff also liked SVCF because it was "not a dating service dressed up as someting else" but it would provide him with an opportunity to meet single women casually. "Im a big romantic," he says. "I didn't think I would meet the love of my life through the personal ads or in a bar. I thought I'd come across a girl next door, or something like that." The annual American Cancer Society Relay for life has been one of Dannyıs chosen events. "This is a fundraising activity, with a team of people making an 18 hour walk. The way it raises money for the ACS is by having team sponsors contribute money,² Danny says. ³Someone could walk for 10 minutes or 2 hours, as long as someone from the team is walking at all times during the event. So we'd take turns, which is why itıs called a Relay." The first time Danny was involved with the walk, "I hit up each of my senior managers for money. I told one manager that another one had committed to giving $100, so he gave $200. Then I went to the next one, and told him the first one had given $200, and he gave $300. And so on. Of course, that only worked once," he says, laughing. Another time, Danny and 9 other volunteers took canoes out into the middle of one of the lakes in Orlando's Barnett Park, to pick trash out of the lake. "That was disgusting," he recalls. "Pond scum, you bet!" Volunteering has become a way of life for Mr. Huff, with many Sundays being "booked solid" with volunteer events, from the very early morning until way past sundown. "Of course there are times, when I have to get up really early on a Sunday morning to get to a volunteer event, when I think, 'oh, I wish I didn't have to get up now,' but I do, and I go anyway, and I'm glad when I do. Although I have learned not to overbook myself and particularly not to schedule myself for things too early in the morning on a weekend!" he says. Mr. Huff says one of his favorite activities is his involvement with a Kissimmee FL group called Give Kids The World, a wonderland of sorts for terminally ill children. SVCF people staff the no-money-needed Ice Cream Palace twice a month for three and a half hours, serving up sundaes, splits and shakes to all guests who care to partake. During holidays such as Halloween or Christmas, volunteers, some in costumes, decorate villas, or serve food to guests and bus tables at parties for the children. "It makes me feel good to be giving something back," he says, squirming at being asked to describe his feelings about being a SVCF volunteer. "But I feel like hell for these kids, because all the ones at Give Kids The World are dying. They have to be to get there." Danny, who now has a girlfried he met through a SVCF social activity, says, "Volunteering was not part of how I raised, but if and when I have children, my kids will volunteer right next to their father. Volunteering will be a part of their lives, of what they do. Of course, it can be an interest specific to them, but that's how I want to raise my kids. 40 year old Jeania Davis, a health educator, is President of the Chicago Single Volunteers, which she helped to form, after having moved to Illinois from Central Florida. Her chosen activities? "Many of the events I work have to do with my pet causes...Breast cancer; HIV disease; Special Olympics; feeding the homeless and hungry, " said Ms. Davis. "I always volunteer on Mothers Day to dedicate the day to my mom who lost her life to breast cancer at the age of 44. "Last Mother's day... some of us worked a huge mother's day race. It was awesome to be standing out in a crowd of people all who were feeling the loss of their loved ones and cheer on all the runners who were raising money for this devastating disease. To see them come across the finish line and to know you've helped them finish their goal is a great feeling," she said. "The money provides support, financial assistance, wigs for the women who lose their hair, and prosthetics for women who need mastectomies. To know you've had a part in that is amazing." The Chicago Singles Volunteers helped a local church program to hold a sit down meal for 150 or so homeless and hungry patrons. The volunteers created a menu, decorated the hall, cooked all the food, and even provided music for the patrons. Ms. Davis has "made many wonderful friends" through the group. "We hang out and have formed connections that allow us to treat each other as family," she says. However, she has not yet met a romantic partner through her activities with the Singles Volunteers. "My main focus is to volunteer with people who think the way I do.I'm at my best when I'm working. A quality man will notice that and if he does then he'll be the one for me," Jenia says. "I love the events I've worked on. I feel a great sense of pride, and that I am truly adding some spirit to my community.² "Our chapter adopted a family for Christmas," Jeania Davis says. "We brought them everything on their wish list, and then some, even food for a nice holiday meal. We wrapped all the gifts and had a blast doing it. And, we did it all with money we raised by selling raffle tickets. The family was made up of a young single mama with three teens. Although we never got to meet them we got a great thank you note from them in January," she recalls, adding, "It doesn't get much better than that." (read more: scroll up right column)
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Single Volunteers of Phoenix helped staff the Rock n Roll Marathon, Tempe, AZ. The race hosted nearly 2,000 participants from five Official Charity Training Programs: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's "Team In Training," American Stroke Association's "Train To End Stroke," Childhelp USA's "Champion's for Children," American Diabetes Association's "Team Diabetes," and Team USA New York's "Miles for Medals."
Ken Zehenni,50, of Akron, OH, works in outside sales. In 1999, he and two women revived a dormant Western Reserve chapter of Single Volunteers, which has grown to an organization of 150 active volunteers, 90 men, 60 women. ³Iıve enjoyed many, many different activities ranging from Walk-A-Thons benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Association to helping to build a home for Habitat for Humanity to providing manpower for auctions to benefit the Boys & Girls Club,or the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank,² says Mr. Zehenni. ³It continues to be a pleasure to meet so many like-minded area professionals looking to assist so many worthwhile activities.² Mr. Zehenni has dated several women heıs met through SVWR, and says he enjoys making new friends of both genders. Richel Aguirre, 31, a software developer with a Masters degree in Engineering, has been involved with the start up of Single Volunteers of Phoenix (AZ) since May 2003. In addition to serving as a Board member, sheıs participated in about 12 volunteer events. She says that although she has not yet found a romantic partner through the group, ³This organization provides a gateway of meeting people of various backgrounds by participating in the shared interest of giving to others.² Alan Rivaldo, 38, joined Single Volunteers of Rochester (NY) in 2002, after he saw a newspaper article about the group. ³Membership doubled, almost overnight, after that story appeared,² he says. At the time, Mr. Rivaldo was unemployed, and not involved in a relationship, so ³part of the atttraction was to do volunteer work, plus the opportunity to meet members of the opposite sex,² he recalled. ³Either way, youıre going to meet new people, guaranteed.² An engineer who recently completed an MBA, Alan has participated in ³dozens of events² in the past year and a half. He said he had already met ³hundreds² of people, many of whom have become his friends. Mr. Rivaldoıs favorite ongoing volunteer activity? ³I really enjoy the Food Link efforts,² he says. ³Itıs always a good size group, about 15 people, and as we pack the bags with the food people need so desperately, the time just flies.² The ALS (Amiotropic Lateral Sclerosis) Ball and the Eplilepsy Foundationıs Chocolate Ball are also big favorites. ³We dress up, in suits and gowns, and help staff these events, so the charities donıt have to spend much of the money they raise paying temporary workers. We help conduct the silent or live auctions, either monitoring bids at the tables for the silent auctions, packing up prizes, and keeping straight who won what, or walking around with light sticks and finding bidders at the live auctions,² he explains. Aside from the knowledge that their participation benefits the charities and the people they serve, the ³fancy balls² as Mr. Rivaldo characterizes them, are also fun because ³we are dressed up,and we get to see and meet lots of the high profile people in our community. We usually get something in the way of a box lunch to eat, and after our work is done, the bands are still playing, and we get out there and dance.² Alan currently has no special lady in his life, although he ³dated someone for a couple of months² that he met through sinble volunteers. He attends such social Single Volunteer events as wine tastings, hockey games, meet and greets, which he says are great networking opportunities, as well as fun ways to get to know women. The Rochester group currently has more than 500 members, with women substantially outnumbering the men.
Melissa Puntenney, 55, has been the chairperson of Single Volunteers of Austin (TX) since its birth in 2000. ³We had 14 people at our first meeting and now have close to 1200 members,² she says. A legal assistant to the Attorney General of Texas, Ms. Puntenney estimates she has served at 100 events since Y2K. Although she has not met a romantic partner through her volunteering, she says ³Iıve made lots of friends, women and men, with whom I have a lot in common, and who like to contribute to the world. ³Weıre givers,² she explains. In Austin, as in Rochester, NY, the women outnumber the men at most of the volunteer activities. ³The women go to things they think men will be at, such as Habitat for Humanity. Unfortunately, the men thought other men would be there too, so only 2 men showed up with 24 women,² she laughs. ³But 25 men came to dancing lessons, thinking women would be there, but only 3 women came, thinking too many other women would be there!² The opportunity to meet potential romantic partners is not the strongest motivating factor for Melissa to participate in SVA events. Itıs the opportunity to help others, that provides the real incentive. ³One thing I really like to do is help out at the Capitol Area Food bank. You shuffle around the food and put it in boxes. Itıs simple, and labor intensive, but at the end you get to see a stack of boxes that youıve filled, and you get a sense of immediate grafification.² Another favorite? ³The Salvation Army Shoe In,² Ms. Puntenney says. ³Our job was to fit underprivleged children with shoes, which had been donated. A good percentage of the shoes came from Reebok. The schools would give out vouchers to the children, which theyıd bring to us. At first some of the kids seemed as though they felt self conscious, a little too aware that they were needy. Then I took one by the hand, and said, Letıs go shopping!ı and that really changed things for that child. ³When youıre dealing with children, and you turn this into an adventure youıve really done what youıve set out to do. Youıre not only fitting them with a pair of shoes, youıre making them feel OK and respected. They loved it!² she recalls. ³I learned something from that experience,² Ms. Puntenney says. ³You can help people and make them feel really bad about it, or you can make them feel special, and do even more.²
There are Single Volunteers chapters in Phoenix (AZ), San Diego (CA), South Florida (FL) Central Florida(FL) , Chicago(IL ), Baltimore/Annapolis (MD), Boston (MA), Minneapolis/St. Paul(MN) Rochester (MN), Las Vegas (NV), Single Volunteers of the Upper Valley (NH, & VT), Hunterdon County(NJ) Mercer County, (NJ),Rochester, (NY), North Eastern (OH), Lake County(OH), Western Reserve(OH), Bucks County (PA) Centre County, (PA), Rhode Island, Austin (TX), Richmond (VA), Wash. DC Metro area (VA, MD,) Calgary, Alberta (CANADA). An unaffiliated Pittsburgh Singles Volunteer Network exists in Pennsylvania. The groups range in size from 150 to over a thousand members.
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| "Hello PeprallyUSA- I heard about your web site through Air Force parents group. I wish you the very best in this much appreciated endeavor! How patriotic! How wonderful! I have you linked at- http://www.geocities.com/kathysmilitarylinks/index.html http://www.geocities.com/kathysmilitarylinks/mom.html I am passing around your site also. As a mom of 3 active duty, this kind of support is needed so much. Sincerely, Kathy A" Sunday, March 30, 2003, "Just a short note to say,I think this is a great site. It is a way for some to show support and keep up with how other people are feeling. The idea of sending in pictures of servicemen/women is a great way to let them know we are proud of them. Thanks for the site."-- |
"Sun, February 16, 2003 Hi, I just found your site and I am very pleased to see some Americans standing with our country... I would be interested in attending a patriotic rally in the Boston area. Any info would be much appreciated. Thank you, Linda E" Copyright İ 2002-4 PeprallyUSA,LLC. All rights reserved. PeprallyUSA.com is a trademark of PeprallyUSA, LLC. "Show 'em how you care" is a service mark of PeprallyUSA, LLC. |
left, Chicago
Single Volunteer Ruth Groff, right, CSV President Jeania Davis, take a
moment to pose while working a fundraiser for Childserv, which serves
foster children and provides support to families who host foster children.
