- Answering a call at the front desk from someone facing homelessness and guiding them through the process of applying for assistance.
- Assisting an appreciative grandmother as she loads her car with groceries from the ACO Food Pantry.
- Sorting donated clothing and household items to ensure the ACO Cares Center is stocked with essentials for families in need.
- Organizing local food or school supply drives and reaching out to neighbors and friends to support ACO’s mission.
- Mentoring and tutoring adults who are working toward their GED certificate.
- Giving a heartfelt hug to a crying and grateful mother leaving ACO with toys and gifts for her children at Christmas.
- Offering compassion and support to neighbors in crisis, all with the goal of changing lives in our community.
These are just a few things; examples of the meaningful work volunteers do each and every day at ACO. The list of volunteer opportunities is vast, and their impact is immeasurable.
At ACO, we have a great appreciation for the volunteers who give so generously of their time. Their efforts are at the heart of everything we do. While our small team of professionals works hard to serve families across Collin County—helping them find employment, gain valuable life skills, pay their bills, feed their children, and change their lives—we could not provide the vital services and programs that our community needs without the support of volunteers.
I’ve said it before, and it remains true: I truly don’t think anyone appreciates our volunteers more than I do. I know your tremendous value to our organization. My journey with ACO began in 2001 as the Volunteer Director, and back then, there were only about 300 volunteers. I knew each one personally and worked closely with them.
At that time, ACO’s Meals-On-Wheels program delivered meals to around 40-50 homebound seniors daily. The ACO Upscale Resale Shop was run by just 1-2 staff members and a group of volunteers who sorted donations, stocked shelves, and helped generate the income needed to support the organization. It was because of the dedication of volunteers that ACO was able to provide Christmas toys for hundreds of local children and school supplies in the fall.
Over the last two decades, I’ve witnessed the incredible growth of these programs, all thanks to the volunteers who remain committed to ACO’s mission. And I’ve witnessed our few hundred volunteers grow into a larger, amazing army! But we never have enough, and many hands are needed.
If you’re not already a volunteer but are interested in learning more about how you can get involved, here’s a glimpse of who our volunteers are:
- Men, women, and teens of all ages who give their time daily, weekly or just a few hours a month.
- Retirees who want to stay active and meet new people while giving back to their community.
- Full-time professionals who find time to make a difference.
- High school students (ages 15 and up) who need community service hours for school or extracurricular activities.
- Groups from civic clubs, local businesses, and faith-based communities.
- Your neighbors and friends—people who want to fight hunger, prevent homelessness, and create a better place for all of us to live and work.
To sign up or learn more about volunteering, please visit ACOcares.org and click on the “Get Involved” tab.
On a personal note, I want to express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of our volunteers. ACO cannot make the kind of difference we do without your involvement. Simply put, ACO’s mission would not be possible without YOU!
One more thing... According to sources such as IndependentSector.org, the national average value of a volunteer hour worked is $33.49. ACO volunteers donate more than 3000 hours each month. That’s a value of more than $100,000 each month in time that ACO could never afford to pay but could never operate without. And while your value per hour as stated nationally is high, YOU ARE INVALUABLE TO US! Again, thank you for all that you do to change lives! It’s not just a catchphrase. YOU DO CHANGE LIVES WITH YOUR TIME!
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