Scottsdale Volunteer appreciation celebrates 3,700 local volunteers
Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega proclaimed the week April 21-27 as Scottsdale Volunteer Appreciation Week, recognizing the thousands of citizen volunteers who make a difference in the city every day.
In the last fiscal year, more than 3,700 citizen volunteers contributed in excess of 114,000 hours of service to the community, which saved the taxpayers an estimated $3.4 million in labor costs, City Hall officials tell the Digital Free Press.
The city’s volunteer workforce is larger than its paid staff by nearly 1,000 people — evidence of Scottsdale residents’ commitment to maintaining and improving the world-class community they call home, according to a press release.
“Volunteers truly are the city’s supplementary workforce,” Volunteer Coordinator Brandon Chapman said in the release. “The real value of the volunteer program, though, isn’t so much the amount of work that is accomplished, but simply that it allows people to engage with their community, connect with others and find purpose.”
Mr. Chapman recently made and appearance on Podsdale, a municipal podcast, to share details on some of the remarkable work our volunteer programs have produced.
Since 1974, National Volunteer Week has been celebrated each year in the United States by Presidential proclamation. Scottsdale’s proclamation goes one step further in naming this Volunteer Appreciation Week to express just how much the city owes to those who donate their time, talents and care.
“Scottsdale carries so much beauty, is a clean city and is a great place to do business due to our residents who volunteer side-by-side with our employees,” said Mayor Ortega. “Our entire council is exceedingly grateful for all the Scottsdale community volunteers who serve as ambassadors and stewards, work on beautification crews, assist our public safety personnel and so much more.”
