Volunteer Fox Valley teamed with the Fox Valley Park District in hosting a fair to help agencies inform residents of the many volunteer opportunities in the region. (Photo by Erika Wurst / for Chronicle Media)

In a town the size of Aurora, the opportunities to volunteer are endless.

Hundreds of organizations are in need of assistance and rely on resident volunteers to keep their missions alive.

“You can live in a city this size and never be aware of all the needs in the community,” Barbara Calvert, of Volunteer Fox Valley, said.

In an effort to combat that fact, Volunteer Fox Valley teamed with the Fox Valley Park District on Saturday, Sept. 16 to host a volunteer fair that brought dozens of local non-profits and agencies together to make their needs known.

The event also afforded potential volunteers an opportunity to pick and choose whom they want to help.

“For me, this event is very important because everyone has a different passion,” Calvert said. “If you don’t know what you’re passionate about and who you want to volunteer for, this provides you the opportunity to learn about needs in the community that you might not have thought of.”

Mutual Ground, The Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry, Triple Threat Mentoring, The Dominican Literacy Center, Sci-Tech and the Aurora Fire Museum were just a handful of places seeking help.

The needs of each organization were different, but their missions on Saturday were the same–to find volunteers and connect with the community they serve.

“This event connects us with so many community members who might not be aware of our volunteer opportunities,” said Jenaleigh Turner, volunteer engagement coordinator at Mutual Ground.

Turner said volunteers are always needed to act as victim advocates, crisis hotline volunteers or child care volunteers, meaning there’s a vast array of ways to give back.

“You can hold babies, chase toddlers or hangout with the kids we serve,” Turner said. Even with 800 volunteers already serving, “we always need all of the help we can get,” she stressed.

Teens looking to give back also had their fair share of organizations from which to choose. Volunteering at the fire museum, food pantry or park district were each options on the table.

Montgomery father Kevin Zelensek and his son perused the tables, searching for volunteer opportunities that seemed like the right fit.

“He really wants to volunteer,” Zelensek said of his son. “This allows him to figure out where he wants to do it and what options are available.”

The pair have already given their time to Hesed House, The Special Olympics and the Aurora Fire Museum. This year they’ll look into volunteering at different sporting and special events, as well as the food pantry.

“It’s really important for us to give back,” Zelensek said.

And, if you’re a local non-profit, it’s imperative that there are people like Zelensek who are willing to do just that.

“We have people here that are looking to help support organizations that really need assistance,” said Eric Oslos, education program manager at Sci-Tech Museum in Aurora. “A lot of non-profits around us play such a huge part in the functioning of our community. We’re all cogs in the machine and we all need to work together to do our part.”

–Fair helps Fox Valley residents make volunteer connections–