Volunteers key in Broomfield projects

 Volunteers are a key to keeping Broomfield spiffed up and residents informed, according to Liane Shaffer, the city’s volunteer coordinator, and she has examples of volunteer efforts to prove it.

 A volunteer group from Pulte Homes is helping to give the shelter in East Park a makeover, Shaffer said. 

 East Park is one of Broomfield’s newer parks, originally developed as part of Interlocken and then purchased by the city with grant funds to serve the entire community, especially those who live and work in southwest Broomfield.

 Shaffer said the volunteers from Pulte Homes are scraping, priming and painting the 25 by 35-foot shelter and a similarly sized restroom building nearby. Most of the work is on the soffit, facia and lattice work between the 2 structures. According to Shaffer, Broomfield Parks staff estimate that the job takes about 120 person-hours to scrape, prime and paint everything.

 Broomfield provided most of the materials –brushes, scrapers, primer and paint – and the volunteers also brought some roller trays, rollers and paint brushes.

 Shaffer said another 35 volunteers from Pulte are helping at the Mamie Dowd Eisenhower Public Library. Working with Cheryl German, reference librarian, the group is rearranging and shelving books in the adult, young adult and reference collections. The library is out of room in one area, creating a need to shift the entire collection. Forming a "human chain," the volunteers move the books onto new shelves in those areas, Shaffer said. "It takes time and lots of hands to complete this project,” Shaffer said, “and that’s what Pulte offered."

 Shaffer also noted that Brownies from Girl Scout Troop 340 recently lent a hand to the Recreation Services Division. The girls helped compile packets of information for Broomfield Days.

Shaffer has also spearheaded a new opportunity for organizations wishing to volunteer during emergency situations.  Community-Ready Emergency Workers, CREW, met for the first time recently, with representatives from FISH of Broomfield, Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, Shepherd of Love Fellowship, Risen Savior Lutheran Church, Broomfield Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, amateur radio operators and Civil Air Patrol.

These groups will form the local group of volunteers active in disasters, or VOAD.  Shaffer will act as representative and liaison for the group with other VOADs in the North-Central region, and with Broomfield’s Emergency Management Unit in the Police Department. Locally, CREW volunteers will help develop solutions for potential emergency situations, and Shaffer will participate by coordinating citizen volunteers and volunteer groups. 

Individuals and local groups interested in contributing are encouraged to contact Liane Shaffer at 303-464-5876 for volunteer opportunities.