Elgin volunteer fair draws more than 400
Elgin on Saturday was rife with the spirit of volunteerism.
The "Change Your World" volunteer fair, held at the Gail Borden Public Library, invited the community and 29 area nonprofit groups to come together.
There were opportunities to help youths, the environment, residents with disabilities and neighborhood improvement and preservation programs.
More than 400 people had descended on the Gail Borden Library by noon, an hour before the three-hour event ended, said Jennifer Ford, the library's volunteer coordinator.
"I've always said ... Elgin is as good as it is because people volunteer to make lives better," Ford said.
The library has organized the event for four years and Ford suspects the economy had something to do with the large turnout.
"People may not have jobs, so this is one thing they can put on their applications," she said. "There are people out of work who need to hone their skills."
In Pam Ellington's case, volunteering is her way of giving back to the community.
The Palatine resident signed up to volunteer with PADS shelters and the Community Crisis Center, which looks after battered women and their children, because, in part, she identifies with their pain.
"Through the grace of God, I'll be able to help somebody and maybe somebody will be touched," said Ellington, who also volunteers as an usher at Second Baptist Church in Elgin.
The huge turnout was a boon for many organizations.
Elgin's community emergency response team, for example, had signed up 11 people - enough for an entire 20-hour class, said Karen Flanagan, the team's coordinator.
After the class, participants have the option of taking a test to join the team, which assists police officers and firefighters on emergency calls when the city and first responders have their hands full.
Its duties include search and rescue, blocking traffic when power lines are down and administering first aid.
"Each event is different, but it's always the same type of people that want to help - the good people," Flanagan said.