Letters to the Editor

Reader disappointed by low rate of volunteerism in Nevada, las Vegas

As a new Las Vegas resident of only six weeks, I was shocked and saddened to read ("Pitching In" and related articles, Centennial View, Oct. 18) that the entire state of Nevada and Las Vegas in particular rank so far down the list for pitching in and volunteering in one way or another.

I moved here from Chicago, where I was an eager and active volunteer for the past nine-plus years for numerous organizations, museums and events at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum of Natural History and the c ity of Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture. In July 2011, when I was certain that moving to Las Vegas was imminent (for economic reasons), I began looking for volunteer opportunities that matched my previous "public contact" volunteer background. I have already been hired for two: The Neon Museum and the second annual LV Halloween Parade.

To summarize, volunteer opportunities exist far beyond the boundaries mentioned in the "Pitching In" article. For me, it has been and still is a bridge to sanity and productivity during extended periods of unemployment. Even when I have been employed, my volunteer gigs were a mini-vacation from the job. It was both fun and educational.

And there are myriad opportunities besides the face-to-face, manual labor, hands-on opportunities. At v olunteermatch.org, there are numerous virtual/telecommute gigs that need volunteers. And those once-a-year events like marathon races and walks always need volunteers to pass out water along the route.

Finally, in these times of record high unemployment of people who have so much knowledge, talent and experience, it would be a shame for them to let it go to waste. Who knows? Volunteering could be the networking opportunity that opens the door to a paid job.

-- Deena Bogan

North Las Vegas