The Useful Public Service program is reminding nonprofits that it has a cadre of volunteers available to perform community service projects around the holidays, and year-round.
Throughout the year, hundreds of residents are ordered to perform thousands of hours of community service in lieu of serving jail time for traffic and nonviolent convictions.
They can do skilled or unskilled labor at dozens of nonprofits needing extra manpower during the busy holiday season, when charitable organizations are scrambling to meet the needs of others, said Dan Bender, spokesman for the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.
In the past, volunteers have performed yard work, delivered food to people in need, helped clear snow, helped serve food at Manna Soup Kitchen, coached children in public recreation programs, performed custodial or clerical work, and worked with animal shelter groups.
Offenders needing to complete public service hours can even ring bells for the Salvation Army.
The volunteers must work through a nonprofit, which means residents needing wood chopped or sidewalks shoveled must arrange for those services through a nonprofit or the La Plata County Department of Human Services.
The Useful Public Service program used to be run by the 6th Judicial District Probation Department, but it was taken over in July by the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office. The program has about 500 people per year who serve a total of about 24,000 hours, which has a value of about $240,000, said Joyce Garcia, coordinator of the program.
“It’s such a good opportunity to get out there and see that your problems are pretty small compared to others that are out there who need help,” she said. “It kind of puts things into perspective.”
She recalled one man who was required to do 100 hours but completed 145 hours and plans to continue volunteering for the Durango Elks Lodge.
Many people in the program have been convicted of drunken driving, and therefore have lost their driving privileges, so they need to volunteer somewhere close to where they live, Garcia said. She’s therefore urging nonprofits across the county to contact her if they’re interested in taking advantage of the program.
Garcia can be reached at 382-7067 or email at Joyce.Garcia@co.laplata.co.us.
shane@durangoherald.com
