To the Editor:
Thank you so much for your recent call to volunteerism in your editorial on Jan. 5. As the new volunteer & community relations coordinator at United Community Ministries (UCM) in Alexandria, your powerful message of volunteerism’s impact rings particularly true for me and my agency. UCM has been fighting poverty, hunger and homelessness for 43 years — and it is our volunteers that are at the heart of our work. Volunteers work side by side with our staff members in UCM’s many programs. They distribute food from our food pantry, tutor students in UCM’s community centers, teach classes in our Workforce Development Center and much, much more. Last year, 1,839 people generously donated nearly 22,000 hours of their time to support UCM’s mission and work — and for that, I am truly thankful.
We are always looking for good people who want to help make a difference — if you would like more information about volunteering with us, please contact me at marcos.castillo@ucmagency.org or visit our website www.ucmagency.org.
Marcos Castillo
UCM Volunteer & Community Relations Coordinator