The Arc of San Diego is the oldest and most comprehensive service provider in the county for adults and kids with disabilities. The 75-year-old organization helps people with disabilities live independently and be active in their communities. Volunteers like Ed Plank make that mission possible. The retired engineer has worn several hats at the organization including as a classroom volunteer, being on the advisory board, joining its board of directors, and becoming a part of the strategic planning committee. Here, he shares how his service with the organization has impacted both his life and the lives of Arc of San Diego’s clients.
What made you want to become a volunteer for Arc of San Diego?
I did some volunteer work with young people with disabilities in Pittsburgh, where I grew up. In college, we had a coffee house where folks would come for socialization and to have some fun, and when I got my first job, I was on the board of a workshop. Then life and family came along, and opportunities to be involved were reduced a little bit. But I moved out here and spent my career with the city. Once I retired, I thought it was time to give back, and working with folks with disabilities is something I enjoy doing. It’s a great experience and you’re contributing and making other people’s lives a little better.
What do your volunteer duties entail?
I found Arc and started doing a little bit of volunteer work, then they asked me to join the local chapter board, and eventually the overall Arc board. Right now, I volunteer a couple days a week at Sulpizio Center working with the clients. We do fun activities, art projects, physical activity—they love Zumba, dancing, and singing. We also spend time just talking and encouraging them to verbalize and vocalize. I’m also on the advisory board for the Sulpizio Center, and that focuses on finding ways to recognize staff for all of their hard work and come up with ideas for special events for the clients.
One of the things we did recently was a snow day. We had snow trucked in and dumped in the parking lot and all the clients got mittens so they could go out and play in the snow until they got too cold and wanted to go back inside. Then the board itself, we’re responsible for overseeing the organization, setting the future direction for programs, and making sure we’re living up to our legal and financial responsibilities. I’m also the chair of the strategic planning committee and we’re undertaking an effort to refresh our strategic plan.
What do you like best about volunteering at Arc of San Diego?
Working with the clients and seeing the smiles on their faces when they really enjoy something or I get them laughing. It really makes not just my day, it makes my week when we’re just having fun or when someone who can be a little bit of a wallflower, with a little encouragement, gets out there and starts dancing and Zumbaing with everybody else. Each day is a new experience.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced?
We’re undertaking an update of the strategic plan. We want to look at the programs we provide and how we retain and acquire staff. We’re also looking at the relationships we have with the community, employers, and the regional center that most of the funding flows through. How do we strengthen those so they look at us as a reliable and trusted partner? And the financial aspect—we have to anticipate what the state and federal government are going to do with their budget, and the fundraising that Arc does on its own. We’re looking at where we are right now and where we want to be.
The plan will address the next three to five years, but we want to be aspirational. Where does Arc want to be 10 years from now? So we’ll have a number of discussions about that and collect as much information as we can. We’ve got a great, diverse board and so we’ll put all of those perspectives together. How do they see Arc functioning? What do they see as the appropriate goals and priorities? And then we’ll ask how we are going to make these things reality.
Any advice for someone considering volunteering as a way to give back?
Take a step back and look at what skills you have and also what you enjoy doing. If you’re someone who likes to be part of a team, discuss things, and make decisions, then maybe a committee or board for an organization would be something you would really enjoy and would be a good skill fit. On the other hand, if you’re more hands-on or you like working with people, there are lots of opportunities with Arc or other organizations to get involved with clients, whether that’s on a regular basis or not. We have volunteers who work with Arc just on special events. If we’re having one of those, like snow days or a luncheon for our staff, some volunteers help with that so staff can just relax and enjoy the experience. I go in a couple days a week, and that way I get to build relationships with the clients and the other staff. So, I think it takes a little self-reflection. You’ll enjoy it more if it’s not a challenge to get up and go volunteer.
What can our readers do to help?
One of the things that Arc and the clients are looking for is more opportunities to get out into the community. So if a reader has an idea about something that our clients could work on or could visit, like a location or company, and have an experience, then reach out because we’re looking for those kinds of opportunities.
