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HandsOn to close come October
By Kalea Hall
BOARDMAN
Kristen Gallagher will miss helping organizations recruit volunteers and fulfill their missions, like she did as manager of partnerships for HandsOn Volunteer Network of the Valley.
Gallagher, a part-time employee for 61/2, is one of five employees — three full-time and two part-time — that will be impacted by the shuttering of the nonprofit organization announced Monday.
“I hope to stay in nonprofits,” Gallagher said. “I really feel this is where I am supposed to be.”
A 12-member board of directors voted to dissolve the organization due to a lack of federal, state and local funds effective Oct. 1.
A substantial chunk of funding, $500,000, was lost from the state a few years ago.
“It’s a choice: Do you chase the dollars and stray from your mission, or do you stay to your mission and serve the community,” said Maureen Drummond, HandsOn executive director who has been with the nonprofit organization for 20 years.
HandsOn formed in 1984 as a way to utilize volunteerism to help the older population remain independent and expanded to become a “comprehensive community resource promoting and fostering volunteerism, and strengthening nonprofits throughout the Valley.”
For example, although it is not a direct volunteer service, in 2013 the organization helped place more than 3,000 volunteers in one-time or long-term opportunities. Within the last five years the organization hit its peak with helping more than 200 organizations recruit and place volunteers and helped local nonprofits with strategic planning.
Drummond stressed the spirit of volunteerism is strong in the Valley, but technology has enabled service agencies to have their own volunteer recruitment and management, which diminished the need for HandsOn.
HandsOn is an affiliate of the national network and transitioned to a different model that has worked well in larger communities.
“Over the last five years, from about 250 affiliates we are down about two-thirds because they either merged, shut down or re-emerged as something different,” Drummond said.
She said a trend among nonprofits is to join together under one roof.
HandsOn has had a difficult time applying for funding because it is a broad organization that “doesn’t have programs that particularly service individuals. We found ourselves locked out of funding,” Drummond said.
John Cerni, Hands-On board president, said the organization will fulfill all of its obligations, pay all of its bills and complete its work on three events, including Youngstown BeerFest.
“There is going to be a void” without HandsOn in the Valley, he said. “We could have a fundraiser every month, but that gets away from [our mission].”
Drummond said she has had conversations with larger organizations to take over what HandsOn offered.
“We are just pleased that even though this is a sad day, the spirit of volunterrism is strong in the community,” Drummond said.