The Barre Partnership recently announced an exciting new relationship with TD Bank. Thanks to the dedication of Shane Mispel, manager at TD Bank’s Barre branch, the bank and Barre’s downtown organization are partnering to establish a new downtown Barre volunteer program. The program will support the Barre Partnership by recruiting, retaining and rewarding local volunteers, establishing a dynamic volunteer culture that will help create a vibrant downtown as the center of community life in Barre.
Mr. Mispel said, “I am very excited to see the volunteer program come to fruition. It feels good to partner with the Barre Partnership establishing an organization that will build on the strength of the community and through that journey develop an even stronger sense of pride in Barre.”
Dan Jones, executive director of the Barre Partnership, added, “The collaboration will allow the Barre Partnership to aggressively pursue the ambitious objectives outlined in our annual Action Plan in the areas of promotions and marketing, design and streetscape, and economic revitalization.” He continued, “But if we are going to be successful, I need a small team of community-minded volunteers to assist me in building a strong, effective volunteer program.”
Mr. Jones explained that the volunteer program team would assist the executive director with assessing the organization’s needs and then meeting those needs through the recruitment, retention and rewarding of volunteers. They would need strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills and the ability to inspire others. He added that being a member of the volunteer program team would prove to be a rewarding experience as team members would be contributing to the building of an active volunteer culture and a vibrant downtown Barre-centered community. It would also provide them with numerous opportunities to interact with many different people and to make new friends, all while adding to their resume.
Jones explained that he often hears from well-meaning members of the community eager to make suggestions or share their constructive criticism, but not so willing to pitch in to help bring their suggestion to fruition or to work on a solution to their criticism. He concluded, “The new Barre Partnership volunteer program made possible by TD Bank will now provide everyone in the Barre area community with the information they need to make that decision to volunteer – to roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help create the vital downtown Barre we all want. And they might just have fun in the process. I challenge each and every member of the downtown Barre area community to join in and help make Barre the best place in Vermont to live, work, visit and do business.”
For information on joining the new volunteer program work team, contact Dan Jones at 477-2967 or director@thebarrepartnership.com.
