 |
|
|
|
|
SCS honors Marañon for volunteer service
Officials call donated time a necessity
By Sam Scott
Nancy Tivol, executive director of Sunnyvale Community Services, can easily quantify how much volunteers mean to her organization.
During the past nine years, SCS's workload has exploded, while its staff has grown smaller. The transition was made possible by the 10,000 hours of time donated by volunteers.
Armed with volunteers, SCS offers help to evicted families, food assistance, fee waivers, clothing and translation assistance for non-native English speakers. If SCS can't help, they'll refer individuals to someone who can.
In less than a decade, SCS went from providing $34,000 in annual emergency assistance to providing $280,000 annually. At one time, about 80 families received food assistance from SCS. Now, more than 600 require some form of help. Despite the increases in services, Tivol says, the SCS staff has diminished from 12 employees to eight.
"People think we've increased staff because we've tripled the budget and added services," Tivol says. "But because of so many wonderful volunteers, we've decreased staff and put more resources into clients instead of overhead."
Each year, SCS honors a volunteer of the year, someone who goes above and beyond to help SCS meet much needed demands. This year, the group's 30th year of service, SCS slightly changed the award's title. They instead have named a volunteer of the "years," Gloria Marañon.
For seven years, Marañon has worked at SCS a minimum of two days a week. She serves as a lobby administrator, offering information about services, referring clients to the correct agencies, registering people for food programs, helping with homeless bus passes, and copying, faxing and filing. Marañon also developed a reputation for being the most anticipated chef at SCS potluck meals. Last month alone, she logged 90 hours of volunteer time.
"We picked her especially as volunteer of the years," Tivol says. "She has done so many things for such a long period of time."
In addition to her lobby duties, Marañon, a Spanish speaker, has built a special rapport with the SCS's Hispanic clients.
"She's actually like a caseworker here," says Luis Garcia, the official caseworker for Spanish-speaking folk. "Sometimes, clients come in when she's not here and say 'Why isn't she here? We'll come back when she's here.' As a volunteer she's amazing."
Marañon's Spanish was never in doubt. It was her second tongue that gave her doubts. A native of Ecuador, she has never felt completely comfortable speaking English. Nonetheless, SCS put her to work manning phones. "I thought you must be kidding, I can never work here," she says.
Despite some early confusion about whether or not she was saying "household chores" or a much bluer phrase, it was the beginning of a much lauded volunteer career. Marañon's husband, Henry, soon followed her, donating his time teaching Spanish and helping distribute food.
Gloria Marañon prefers to give praise rather than receive it. She says SCS gave her an outlet during the pain that ensued after one of her sons, a Sunnyvale Police officer, was gravely injured on the job.
"They're like a second family to me," she says. "I am the one who is grateful to them."
Even after years of volunteering, Marañon says she has never gotten over the shock of seeing so many individuals with so little. "I wonder why, in this county of opportunity where there is so much, some people struggle for bus passes."
|
|
|
|
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
