1969

• Community Planning Council study showed the need for a central volunteer clearing house that could bring together organizations that serve community needs with those willing to serve.

1970-1972

• Community Planning Council operated the volunteer clearinghouse as an ad hoc committee.

1973

• Volunteer Jacksonville (VJ) was incorporated as an independent agency. Ardith Kling and Pat Hannan served as the first Executive Director and the first Board President, respectively. They were tapped from the ranks of the Junior League of Jacksonville, which provided the bulk of the new organization’s funding and volunteer assistance over the next three years.

1974

• Mayor Hans Tanzler declared April 21-27 as Jacksonville Volunteer Week.
• Council of Volunteer Coordinators was organized for sharing expertise in volunteer management, disseminating information and coordinating the promotion of volunteerism in the community. This group continues to meet on a regular basis under its new name, DOVIA, Directors of Volunteers in Agencies.

1975

• VJ began its first training program.

1976

• VJ sponsored its first Volunteer Awards Celebration.
• Sarah Monroe was appointed Executive Director.
• VJ relocated to 626 May Street.

1977

• Restoration of new home site was completed

1980

• “The Health of Volunteerism,” a day-long forum was sponsored by VJ and the Florida Endowment for the Humanities.

1981

• The first Corporate Volunteerism Award was given to the Charter
  Company by VJ for their employee’s work with seniors at Hogan Creek Tower, a HUD senior living facility.

1983

• VJ boasted 10 years of service and 100,000 volunteer recruits for
  the Jacksonville community. Services included: counseling military
  families, working as nurse’s aides in neighborhood health clinics,
  conducting research, teaching fine arts, working as tour guides for the Jacksonville Zoo, teaching adults to read, working in area
  schools as teacher’s aides, and being mentors to kids.

1984

• Due to tremendous growth, VJ moved its home to 1600 Prudential
  Drive.
• Volunteer Jacksonville’s Corporate Employee Volunteer Council (CEVC) was established to encourage local businesses to engage their employees in community service. VJ provided training and assistance in establishing corporate volunteer programs. Hugh Jones, then CEO of Barnett Bank, took the lead in establishing CEVC.
• CATCH, Corporate Assistance to the Community Homeless, was
  formed by CEVC to solicit donations for the homeless. This program led to one of Volunteer Jacksonville’s most helpful endeavors, the Gifts-in-Kind program.

1986

• The First Volunteer Telethon produced by CEVC and VJ resulted in
  198,000 hours pledged.

1988

• Project Blueprint was launched to recruit, train and place members of the minority community on area boards.

1991

• Youth Service America selected VJ to pilot the Youth Engaged in Service! (YES) program, engaging teens in community service.

1992

• The Points of Light Foundation informally recognized Volunteer Jacksonville as one of the Top Ten Volunteer Centers in the country with national acclaim also given to the corporate volunteer program and Project Blueprint.

1993

• After a fire forced its relocation, VJ settled in the Walton Building at the Koger Business Center, now the Midtown Business Center.
• Shirley Taylor, associate director for 18 years, retired from VJ. Krista Herbert assumed duties as associate director, now vice-president and COO.

1994

• Sarah Monroe, executive director for 18 years, retired from VJ. Chester B. Smith was appointed interim executive director during the national search process.
• After VJ conducted an intensive investigation into the barriers to volunteering faced by those with disabilities, an intensive training and education program was undertaken to change the cultural bias against volunteers with disabilities. Funded by Genesis Rehabilitation Hospital (now Brooks Foundation) and The Able Trust, this program known as the Community Inclusion Initiative received national acclaim and has now been mainstreamed.

1995

• Judith A.M. Smith was appointed Executive Director.

1996

• In preparing VJ for the new Millennium, the organization began a strategic planning process soliciting input from throughout the community.

1997

• Project Blueprint was renamed Blueprint for Leadership with a new focus on strengthening community boards through diversity, training individuals to be effective community servant leaders and placing them with local community boards.
• VJ initiated its first Heart of Gold Award which later expanded to 15 categories.
• Youth Engaged in Service program was renamed Jacksonville Youth Volunteers (JYV) with a new focus of service learning whereby community service projects reinforce academic instruction.
• VJ piloted the first PYLI, Prudential Youth Leadership Institute, a cooperative program between Youth Service America, The Prudential Insurance Company and the Center for Creative Leadership. PYLI continues to train high school students in volunteer leadership skills annually at VJ as the Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute.

1998

• The Corporate Employee Volunteer Council was renamed Business Volunteer Network to more accurately reflect their activities and focus. Partnerships between the business sector and the nonprofit sector in Jacksonville brought both national and international attention.

1999

• A new strategic plan reflected a refocus of VJ’s efforts on a single primary customer, the volunteer. To reflect this new focus, the mission was redefined: to inspire, connect, engage and support volunteers who make a difference in our community. The decision was made for VJ to return to its roots and become a “full-service” Volunteer Center.
• Volunteer Connection program expanded its influence, offered more personalized service for the volunteer and helped nonprofits develop improved volunteer programs. A certification program was offered that later evolved into a comprehensive tool for nonprofits to measure the excellence of their volunteer programs.

2000

• Family Matters program was initiated to involve whole families in volunteering together.

2001

• Community Board Bank was revitalized matching qualified volunteers with positions on boards of directors of nonprofit agencies.
• VJ contracted with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida to build their
  statewide employee volunteer program, “Blue Community Champions.”
• Volunteer Jacksonville’s Gateway website was established allowing any individual in the world to view and register for volunteer opportunities in the Jacksonville area via the web. Opportunities represent current needs as posted by nonprofits, schools and churches. In addition, schools with service learning programs can approve opportunities for class credit, list them as such, and have students sign up via this same site. Gateway continues to provide a more streamlined, technological management tool for those involved with volunteers in the community.
• VJ was selected from a field of approximately 580 volunteer centers to receive the 2001 George W. Romney Volunteer Center Excellence Award, presented annually by the Points of Light Foundation.

2002

• VJ began work with Volunteer Florida and the Florida Association of Volunteer Centers to develop a statewide volunteer management certification program.
• VJ took a lead role with the Points of Light Foundation in seeking a federal appropriation to strengthen the Volunteer Center National Network.
• Funding was received by VJ for disaster response activities to support Homeland Security initiatives.
• The Beaches Volunteer Center, a satellite office of VJ, was closed after a decade of service to the Beaches communities. Its activities were assumed by the office headquarters.
• The Gifts-in-Kind program was incorporated into Gateway.
• VJ hosted internationally recognized volunteer management consultant, Susan Ellis, for a daylong seminar for volunteer managers in Florida and Georgia.

2003

• The Celebration of Service outgrew the Florida Theatre and was moved to the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts. Record attendance approached 2000 people.
• VJ launched disaster mitigation program to work with spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers in times of disaster through Volunteer Reception Center.
• Volunteer Gateway added service learning level and engaged FCCJ as the first higher education institute to use Gateway.
• A Visit from Saint Nicholas, a literacy and holiday program, was successfully launched in 16 challenged schools.  8,000 children were touched by 800 volunteers from 56 corporations and 5 foundations.  Delores Weaver served as honorary chair.

2004

• VJ's new website was unveiled offering readers the opportunity to receive and submit forms online, as well as link to Gateway's volunteer opportunities and other community resources, including United Way.
• Hope Fund celebrated its 11th year in operation with the highest total donations to date.

2005

• Moved into our first purchased home at 6817 Southpoint Parkway, Suite 1902.  Celebration included an Open House with guest speaker and ribbon cutting by Ander Crenshaw.
• VJ became an affiliate with Hands On Network implementing our first Hands On project with Home Depot.
• VOAD was re-established.
• TPC and  PGA honored VJ with a video presentation in front of 1,000 people which highlighted VJ's accomplishments.  VJ was one of several recipients honored for their contribution to the community.

2006

• Launched new Hands On Technology (HOT) volunteer management web site connecting individuals, families, and corporate and community groups with volunteer opportunities in the community.
• Launched Pets Are Worth Saving (PAWS) program and installed pet oxygen lifesaving equipment in all county fire stations.
• Assumed ownership of Neighbors To the Rescue program.
• Launched Hands On Jacksonville (HOJ) where VJ collaborates with nonprofit agencies to develop impact-outcome projects in many areas of serious social concern.

2007

• Mobilized and led 1,776 volunteer in 98 community projects with 7,397 volunteer hours.
• Conducted 62 projects for at-risk and low-income children in 20 "challenged" elementary schools and 10 youth and family organizations.
• Completed 22 revitalization and environmental projects with 10 of these projects executed by teens.
• Designed 11 projects to help agencies alleviate hunger and poverty and promote economic self-sufficiency.
• Managed 3 volunteer projects to help build capacity and community awareness of inner-city, youth-serving facilities.
• Improved 25 low-income schools and 268 other public-serving organizations whose missions aspire to promote arts and culture, serve children and families, alleviate poverty and homelessness, promote health and wellness, improve education and litereacy and beautify and revitalize our neighborhoods and environment.
• Conducted 95 training events, equipping 395 participants with knowledge to create change in our community.
• Trained and educated 105 local and regional National Service Participants (AmeriCorps volunteers) in the staffing and operation of a Volunteer Reception Center to manage unaffilited volunteers during a disaster.
• Connected 150 businesses with the needs of our community.
• Raised $200,000.00 to help more than 1,000 low-income individuals and families served by 37 of our nonprofit members.
• Equipped 85 classrooms with Teacher Supply Kits.
• Gave special recognition to more than 3,000 community and event volunteers.
• Promoted volunteer service in our community on 206 radio shows, 16 television spots and 54 printed articles featured in 48 different print and web publications.

FUTURE

• The real challenge is to seize the opportunities that realize our vision that one day every person will discover their power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant democracies around the world.  We must inspire, equip, and mobilize people to take action that changes the world. We are ready and enjoying the new challenges and new opportunities of the new Millennium.