Have you ever wondered what starting a new job would be like during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially one involving the recruitment of volunteers to help local and regional nonprofits with their “boots on the ground” work during the crisis?

I was born and raised in the Delta and was taught to treat others with respect and dignity from an early age. With over ten (10) years of social services experience, I have seen first-hand the hardships that many individuals and families experience living in the Delta. I knew that the COVID-19 crisis would only intensify these challenges for our most at-risk and vulnerable residents. Additionally, as many of our nonprofit organizations relied on volunteers who were now in the “highest risk” category for COVID-19, many nonprofits were on the brink of having to close their doors. This was the landscape as I started my new job, remotely, of course, with the Community Foundation of Washington County as the new Director of the Delta Hub for Volunteers and Nonprofits in May of 2020.

Part of the Mississippi Hub Network, the Delta Volunteer Hub’s core mission is connecting local nonprofit organizations and faith-based institutions to the volunteers they need within their respective communities. Our Hub is proud to serve nine (9) Delta counties, including Bolivar, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Sharkey, Sunflower, Washington, and Yazoo. Through the collaborations we have formed with our partner service organizations, our Hub has magnified the positive impact on our communities through active volunteerism.

We have worked to ensure our partners have the skilled volunteers they need, allowing them to expand and serve more residents in this ever-changing world. Whether recruiting volunteers to pass out emergency food boxes, desperately needed diapers or providing virtual academic tutoring, we know we have made a real difference throughout this ongoing crisis. My first ten months have been a humbling experience for me, and I look forward to the next part of my journey with the Hub!

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