Thanki decided to try volunteerism.

For the past several months Thanki has been helping out the city of Sunnyvale with its business license renewal program.

"This job is better than staying at home with nothing to do but watch TV. Coming out and meeting other people takes my mind off my own problems," he says.

Thanki's predicament is not unique. He represents the changing face of volunteerism today--people from various walks of life, for whatever personal reasons, are stepping in to take up highly skilled jobs for cash-strapped cities.

"Traditionally when we think of volunteers we think of retired people or students on summer break. But these days we get highly educated people--some in the middle of their careers with expertise in various technical fields and some who are in the process of a career transition--coming in to volunteer," says Romola Georgia, volunteer resources manager with the city of Sunnyvale.

With the help of these volunteers, the city has developed software for its housing and finance departments and some sophisticated geographic information system technologies.

"Over the past four years, these volunteers have become crucial to city operations as they help the city do projects that otherwise will not get done," says Georgia. She says that because of budget cuts the city does not have a sufficient staff or the resources to run certain programs relating to environmental conservation.

That's why Mary Kruzinski's role is vital to the preservation of Bayland Park. Kruzinski, a 40-year-old student of environmental studies at De Anza College, was looking for an internship when she approached the city of Sunnyvale. Little did she know that her volunteer position would turn into a crusade for the protection of an endangered species of birds.

Kruzinski, who is coordinating the Bayland cleanup project, says she did not know much about owls to begin with. "Initially it was supposed to be a project for just a few weeks. But then I met some wonderful people who are so well-informed and the whole process has become very fascinating for me that I have been doing this for a few months now," says Kruzinski.

Every Friday, Kruzinski gathers a motley crowd of volunteers and heads off into the open fields at Bayland Park in Sunnyvale. There, she and the rest of her group work for a few hours cutting weeds and trimming the grass around sandy mounds that form the natural habitat of burrowing owls. It's a job that cannot be high on the city's priority list in the current economic condition.

In the last fiscal year (2003­04), Sunnyvale had 588 active volunteers who contributed more than 30,000 hours of service, a 34 percent jump from 2000­01. With this kind of volunteer support, the city was able to save more than $350,000 last year alone.

According to Georgia, close to 60 percent of these volunteers are spouses of immigrants. Many of these spouses are well-qualified professionals, but because of their H4 visas, they do not have authorization to work in the United States. For them to work here, they must find a job with a company willing to sponsor their H1B visa petition, which gives them a permit to work.

But given the current jobless rate, finding a company willing to process a work permit for a person with no U.S. work experience is extremely rare.

Soumya Mani, a 27-year-old immigrant from India, also moved to the U.S. two years ago after her marriage. "Initially it was fun to stay at home and play the role of a housewife. But later it got boring. I had nothing to do. Then somebody told me about the volunteer program with Sunnyvale," Mani says. Since then she has been volunteering for the city at least a couple of days a week updating the database for the city's childcare department, and occasionally she helps maintain its website.

"Now I have received a work permit, and I hope my voluntary efforts here will help me land a job," she says.

While Sunnyvale has seen a dramatic change in the profile of its volunteers and the jobs they perform, Cupertino has not noticed such a profound shift, says Rick Kitson, Cupertino's public information manager.

"Many Cupertino residents are people working in the high-tech industry, and in most cases both the husband and wife are at work. So a majority of our volunteers tend to be seniors and students," Kitson says. "But we do occasionally have volunteers who are here on H4 visas helping out with some IT work at city hall. But they are not the majority of our volunteer force."

But for many cities around the Bay Area, volunteers are the grease that keep programs working. And for the volunteers there's a payback, too.

"We are extremely dependent on them to run our senior center and the city library." says Kitson.

Linda Yelavich, volunteer coordinator at Cupertino's senior center, has been working there for 22 years. "During my stint here, I've noticed that members who join the center come back to volunteer their time because they get involved, feel a part of this small community and want to give back. We have several committees that are run by our senior volunteers, who decide everything from the content of the programs to the tours and vacations that will be offered by the center. Without these volunteers we would not be able to run this center," says Yelavich.

Anybody over 50 is eligible to become a member of the Cupertino Senior Center and this, as Yelavich points out, allows baby boomers who have just retired or sought retirement to become actively involved in its programs. "A lot of people who have retired from the high-tech industry volunteer their time teaching computer applications to other seniors who want to learn," she says.

And then there are others like Doris Jacobs, a part-time substitute elementary school teacher with the Cupertino Unified School District, who carves out time especially to work at the senior center. "I joined the center three years ago after my husband passed away. To me it is like an extended family, and I enjoy working at the front desk where I can meet a whole bunch of people," says Jacobs.

The library is another place that could not function without volunteers.

The Cupertino Library is dependent on its adult and teen volunteers.

"On an average, our volunteers put in anywhere between 30 and 40 hours every week. It's because of their efforts our paid staff are able to focus on other programs that enrich the library and its patrons," says Mary-Ann Wallace, head of the Cupertino Library.

Wallace says volunteers serving on the library commission and the library foundation--which raised funds for the new building--are vital for the operations of the library. "We would not be able to accomplish what we do every day without their help," says Wallace.

And some who volunteer gain immeasurable experience and connection with a new society.

Brian Kim, a 17-year-old student from Monta Vista High School, has been volunteering at the Cupertino Library for the past two years. Every Tuesday Kim spends two hours categorizing and organizing books and pitching in to help wherever required to keep the library running smoothly. Unlike many teens who take up voluntary positions to meet the community service requirement for their college applications, Kim had his own personal reason for volunteering.

"I came to the United States from Korea seven years ago. I joined the fourth grade here without knowing how to speak English. I did not even know how to write my ABCs. And I'm a shy person, not comfortable talking to people I don't know. But having worked here at the library, my communication skills have improved quite a bit. And that has had a tremendous influence in my day-to-day activities," says Kim.

But volunteering goes beyond the city and into the social programs of our society, especially for those who volunteer to help youngsters in their growing years.

For people like Mark Philips, a project manager at Hewlett-Packard, volunteerism is all about continuing a community tradition and a way of strengthening relationships. Philips coaches his sons' basketball teams in Sunnyvale and spends an average of five hours every week training the youngsters. "I enjoy being with my sons, and I found this is a way of giving back to the community while at the same time sharing something special with my two boys. If we parents do not pitch in helping run these programs we'll only be depriving our children of some wonderful opportunities," says Philips.

While volunteers offer up their time and skills for a variety of reasons and in a broad range of jobs, there's no question Silicon Valley cities would be in trouble without them.