January 6, 2023
Story and Photo Courtesy of the Great Bend Tribune
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced Dec. 6 she had appointed Volunteers in Action of Central Kansas Director Linn Hogg as a Kansas Volunteer Commission commissioner with a term expiring March 25, 2026. The agency prepares a national service plan for the state; ensures outreach to community-based agencies; administration of certain grant programs.
“I am excited and honored to be a part of this organization,” Hogg said. “My relationship with the Kansas Volunteer Commission has enabled me to grow in my skills as a volunteer manager and gain access to grants that have helped to build the capacity of Volunteers in Action of Central Kansas.”
Some of those accomplishments include certification as a volunteer administrator and her organization’s accreditation as a Service Enterprise Volunteer Center.
“Through these steps, Volunteers in Action has continued to broaden our reach and connectivity to the community,” Hogg said. “Just recently, we launched a new Volunteer Opportunity software called Get Connected that will be a game changer for volunteers and organizations that utilize volunteers.”
The Kansas Volunteer Commission works to expand the opportunities, initiate collaborations, and create opportunities to build resources and strengthen service, mentoring and volunteerism in Kansas, she said. Since 1993, it has been promoting community service by administering grants to the AmeriCorps and Volunteer Generation Fund programs in Kansas, strengthening volunteer centers, and encouraging volunteerism and mentoring.
The Kansas Volunteer Commission is a program of the Kansas Department of Education.
As for VIA, “our mission is to connect volunteers to unmet needs in the community,” Hogg said. Some of the programs sponsored through the agency include Meals on Wheels, Medical Transportation, Medicare counseling, AARP Tax Aid Prep, Senior Food Box distributions, grocery shopping for seniors, American Red Cross blood drives and days of service projects. They also help area non-profit agencies recruit and manage volunteers for their programs.
Volunteers In Action of Central Kansas is a grant sponsored by Barton Community College and a partner agency of United Way of Central Kansas. It is located at 1025 Main, Room D114, Great Bend. It can be reached at 620-792-1614.