Date of Award

1994

Document Type

Research Paper

First Advisor

Amy Mass

Second Advisor

Judith Wagner

Abstract

In March of 1993, I was selected as the first Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) Volunteer Coordinator at the California Youth Authority Southern Reception Center and Clinic (SRCC). After a long application and interview process, I got started on October 15, 1993. This whole program is new at SRCC, thus, it was very important that I work closely with the administration in order to determine what was to be expected of the VISTA Volunteer. Also, since a Volunteer Program has been in place for the last 10 years, I took advantage of its long list of policies and procedures by using these resources to help me learn how to recruit, interview, inform, and assign Volunteers to specific projects. There are three programs at SRCC that I have chosen to focus on. Through several conversations with staff and wards, I feel that of the many programs offered at SRCC, the Visitor’s Program, the Parent Surrogate program, and the Education Department are the three that needed my attention the most. The objective of my Senior Project is to determine how adequately the volunteer program is meeting the needs of the SRCC, the needs of the volunteers, and the needs of the three programs previously mentioned. In order to accomplish this, I will study 1) What makes these programs important at SRCC, 2) what types of volunteers are needed for these programs, 3) how the staff at SRCC feels about the volunteers in these programs and 4) what needs to be improved in terms of volunteer qualities. I will identify the needs of the staff through close communication with them and their requests for certain volunteers. As for the needs of the volunteer, I will have knowledge of what their goals are (in the application form they are asked why they wish to become involved with the volunteer program), and I will meet with them in order to determine whether or not these goals are being achieved. I will attempt to meet the needs of the volunteers and the program by researching the past Volunteer Program and using criteria based on past experiences to determine what made some volunteers stay and work, and what caused some volunteers to change their minds.

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