gqlshare posted: "NCO's AmeriCorps Retired Senior Volunteer Program is looking for some good women and men (over the age of 50) to volunteer with the California Highway Patrol here in Ukiah.CHP Officer Olegario Marin, Public Information Officer and Senior Volunteer Coordin" The Willits News
NCO's AmeriCorps Retired Senior Volunteer Program is looking for some good women and men (over the age of 50) to volunteer with the California Highway Patrol here in Ukiah.
CHP Officer Olegario Marin, Public Information Officer and Senior Volunteer Coordinator, explains that there are positions available in the office and in the field, a wide variety inclusive for all.
Office duties may include: assisting the school pupil transportation safety coordinator; assisting the general support officer at the front counter and court and evidence officer in related duties; processing foreign registration forms; entering vehicle storage/impound information; assisting clerical support with data entry tasks and annual inventories; and assisting the automotive technician.
Field duties may include: towing and deploying SPECTER trailers; working with a school safety patrol program as an advisor; responding to traffic complaints and those regarding abandoned vehicles and localized parking concerns; providing traffic control under the supervision of an officer; and providing assistance to uniformed members at public affairs functions.
Officer Olegario Marin, Public Information Officer and Senior Volunteer Coordinator, at the CHP auto shop with Dan Vilotti, RSVP volunteer, and Lenore Flanders, Program Coordinator with NCO's Volunteer Program. Retired volunteers at the CHP can help out with auto tech, working on vehicles, transporting them and assisting the auto tech in whatever needs to be done.
Marin says that volunteers need to be fully vetted to make sure there is nothing in their background that would prohibit them being around classified information.
Dan Vilotti, a retired captain in the U.S. Navy and retired middle school teacher, is currently their sole RSVP volunteer.
"He's great," says Marin. "We enjoy having him here. He helps a great deal."
Getting ready to retire from teaching at St Mary's in 2022, he was looking to transition into a satisfying volunteer position. His dad retired from the CHP so he had a connection and thought it might be interesting.
"We started the paperwork going in June and it took some weeks to get started. There's a lot of sensitive information in the files and you don't just want anyone to walk in; I appreciate and understand the high degree of caution and care; I was in the Navy for 28 years," he says.
Some of Vilotti's volunteer duties include taking the radar trailer to various locations, taking patrol vehicles to shops for repair and making vehicle runs with paperwork to and from the courthouse.
"Officer Marin has given me the opportunity to do pretty much whatever I want to do; it's broadened my horizons," he says.
He spends some of his time driving in a patrol car and transferring papers back and forth from the CHP office to the courthouse. In order to drive a state vehicle, he had to take a specialized driving test with two CHP officers in the vehicle observing his driving.
"I did OK with that," he says.
"The work I do frees up the regular officers to be available to do work more in line with their law enforcement duties; instead, I can shuffle the papers, deploy the speed trailer. I'm there to help make things go a bit smoother; I'm not law enforcement.
He also assists with the Age Well Drive Smart classes.
"He's a great asset in this program. He's older, the students can identify with him and he's a trained teacher who delivers great lessons. When we go, I let him do his thing; he has basically taken over the program and I'm grateful for that," says Marin.
Vilotti regularly volunteers about 8 hours a week but when public affairs events like National Night Out in Fort Bragg or for PGE trainings or riding in the Trucker's Parade, he will rearrange his schedule to spend as much as a full day volunteering.
Marin says, "We have a variety of things for volunteers; they can do what suits them; we can always use the help. We can work around what they want to do.
We want them to be happy and continue to volunteer.
"One of the things I find compelling about being here is that this group of professionals is really professional. I enjoy being around people who are so service oriented. I'm amazed how they will go out of their way to help; whether it's administrative in the front desk or out on the highway, the mindset is one of public service. You cannot help but admire the work they do."
Lenore Flanders, Program Coordinator with the Volunteer Program of North Coast Opportunities, oversees 11 RSVP programs and is presently focusing on the CHP.
"I'm so impressed with their program; it's so full of variety. That's the main part of volunteering; you want to do something that interests you. Additionally, volunteering at the CHP enhances their mission of ensuring safety and providing service to the public.
"Volunteering shows up locally by enriching the community and allowing seniors to be active in their retirement, to be helpful, to be of service; it's as rewarding as the giving is helpful."
Senior Volunteer must pass a qualification interview conducted by the Area commander, their designee and the Area coordinator. Those interested must have no felony convictions; be willing to perform various duties as assigned during office hours; be able to work with minimal supervision; and be at least 50 years of age.
Go to volunteernco.org to apply. For more information contact Lenore Flanders at 707) 621-8669 or lflanders@ncoinc.org.
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