From childcare at the Pearland Recreation Center Kidz Korner and coaching youth sports, to City-sponsored community events, to overseeing logistical and recreational activities for all ages and many interests, the City of Pearland provides several recurring and special event volunteer opportunities.

Over the last two and half fiscal years, Pearland volunteers contributed to nearly 11,000 man hours. As of February 2019, 3004 volunteer hours have been logged, placing Fiscal Year 2019 on track to surpass both FY 2018’s 3,831 and FY2017’s 4,090 logged volunteer hours.  

On a year-to-year and month-to-month basis, total volunteer hours fluctuate based on a variety of factors, including the addition or cancellation of special events, discrepancies in recording hours between manual electronic entry, and the number of volunteers requested for an event.

Fiscally, volunteer labor has subsidized the City of Pearland’s budget by approximately $94,587 in FY2018 and $98,733 in FY2017. These numbers were calculated at the nationally recognized value of a volunteer hour, which was $24.14 per hour to $24.69 per hour in 2017 and 2018, respectively. 

The City’s volunteer force boasts diversity, ranging in age from 9 to 84 years old, and hailing from a variety of career fields, interests, and walks of life. Many volunteers are students, teachers, medical professionals, or active members of their communities, and are often involved with nationally or locally recognized non-profit organizations, federal departments, or religions.

“The most important part of this story isn’t about the number of volunteer hours in any given year,” said City of Pearland Volunteer Coordination Patricia Wiley. “It is the people who freely give their time and talents to make an impact on the community.”

A recent study by Verified Volunteers surveyed over 7,000 volunteers nationwide and found 71 percent of the volunteers provided services because they were drawn to an event or a program’s cause. The majority of exit surveys from Pearland Parks & Recreation volunteers state enjoyment and satisfaction of service is often derived from watching kids have fun with their families.

“If our staff continues to gently supervise with a clear understanding of their volunteers’ duties and needs, then increased volunteer recruitment, great customer services, and sustained retention of dedicated, trained volunteers will be evident.”

If you are interested or would like more information on volunteering with the City of Pearland, please visit pearlandtx.gov/volunteer. All potential volunteers must complete either a volunteer interest form or a volunteer application.