Having a volunteer recruitment plan is very important. Agencies can’t rely on volunteers deciding they want to volunteer to just get involved. Recruit more volunteers and benefit your agency. Having a solid recruitment plan in place is the key to the success of your agency. A volunteer recruitment plan leads to more volunteers It may sound simple. But having a volunteer recruitment plan leads to recruiting more volunteers. Your agency may have tons of volunteers and not need more. A volunteer recruitment plan is still necessary. You never know when something like a pandemic will hit, and your ..read more

Ready to recruit more volunteers but unsure how? Look no further! These 7 ways to build an amazing volunteer recruitment strategy are bound to help you get more (and better) volunteers. 1. Use volunteer testimonials Reach out to your current volunteers and ask them what they love most about your agency. You can even encourage them by giving them a social media shout-out. Post their testimonial on social media to recruit more volunteers. You can also post your testimonials on your website for everyone to see. 2. Post statistics of how your agency helps the community Potential volunteers may kno ..read more

Ellen first joined Malama Maui Nui for their annual Get The Drift and Bag It! cleanup at the Kahului Harbor. From the very beginning, Ellen was eager to make an impact and friends. While she had just moved to Maui only a few days before volunteering, she was ready to go. Mālama Maui Nui’s mission is to educate, inspire, and empower individuals and communities to beautify and maintain Maui Nui’s environment. Thereby supporting its economy, quality of life, and unique Hawaiian culture. They focus on litter pickups, marine debris cleanups, and recycling events. MMN brings individual volunteers, l ..read more

Lois Reiswig’s name is synonymous with community leadership and impact on Maui. One of her greatest acts of service was forming Hui Hoaloha Maui in 2003 to provide networking and education opportunities to Maui women about local nonprofits’ donation, volunteer, and board leadership needs. Lois personifies a model volunteer – someone with creative ideas, a high-energy, caring positive spirit, lots of passion, and amazing organizational skills. For 11 years, Lois singlehandedly operated the Hui dedicating her time and talent to creating a vibrant social network that started with 12 individuals a ..read more

James and Melanie Padgett are true Volunteer Heroes at Organ Transplant Maui (OTM). OTM is an organization dedicated to helping individuals navigate the transplant process. In their mission, they also strive to promote organ and tissue donor awareness in the community. As two of the founding members of OTM, James on their Board of Directors and Melanie as the community liaison, they have worked on various projects and have been with them from the start. From creating the OTM logo to managing their informative website, they also liaise with the Maui Kaiser Permanente Medical Center staff and do ..read more

The University of Hawaii’s sea-grant nominated Bob and Lis Richardson as volunteer heroes. The sea-grant is a college program dedicated to the improved understanding of coastal and marine resources. They provide a range of opportunities including, research, education, and extension services to the community. For the past two decades, the Richardson’s have been volunteers. They have contributed their time and effort to preserve, restore, and protect Maui’s precious dune and beach ecosystems. As founders of the Hoaloha ‘Āina/South Maui Volunteers program, the Richardson’s have coordinated hundre ..read more

Pacific Primate Sanctuary would like to nominate Jay Goldlist for being an outstanding volunteer. Pacific Primate Sanctuary is a wildlife conservation organization committed to caring for and protecting all primates. They provide extensive training and education, including outreach programs on animal care to the public. Jay has been volunteering at Pacific Primate Sanctuary for over two years now. Although not a full-time Maui resident, he volunteers for several days per week whenever he is on the island. Despite being part-time, his efforts have not gone unnoticed. No matter the weather condi ..read more

Crystal Smythe is more than a volunteer: She is the heart and soul of the Maui Historical Society (MHS) and ohana. The Maui Historical Society is an organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Maui’s history. They provide school tours, teacher programs, special exhibits, and other public programs promoting an appreciation of the island’s history and culture. For the past five years, Crystal has committed to the preservation and protection of the organization. Since she started volunteering, she has participated in many projects. She was in charge of writing and managing MHS’s g ..read more

The Haku Baldwin Center nominates Loretta Spencer as a volunteer hero. The organization provides a range of equine-assisted services to the community and seeks to foster therapeutic partnerships between animals and people. In 2013, Loretta Spencer began volunteering in two of their programs — the Therapeutic Riding Program and the Horsemanship for Veterans Program. She has contributed over 650 hours of volunteer service helping youth with special needs and providing weekly lessons to veteran military service members. During their center closure from the pandemic, Loretta remained dedicated to ..read more

Maui Rescue Mission nominates Katie Zimmerman as a volunteer hero. Maui Rescue Mission is a mobile resource center for those in our community who are struggling with homelessness. They provide free laundry service, private hot showers, hygiene, first aid items, clothing, and connections to other resources such as food, shelter, medical insurance and medical appointments, detox and rehab, ID replacement, etc. Katie has gone to great lengths to provide resources that Maui Rescue Mission’s houseless guests need to change their lives. In doing so, she has brought significant success to the organiz ..read more