Marin County Officials: Supervisors Appreciate County's Interns, Volunteers

Press release from the Marin County Government:

January 28, 2022

Supervisors Appreciate County’s Interns, Volunteers

Contributions provided work experience, enhanced County’s customer service

San Rafael, CA – Ninety-nine outstanding volunteers and interns – some with decades of service – have been honored by the Marin County Board of Supervisors for their significant impacts.

Board members passed individual resolutions of commendation at their January 25 meeting. The Board also accepted the MarinShares & Marinterns Impact Report for fiscal year 2020-2021.

The 99 honorees served across the County organization in a wide range of roles, completed their volunteer and internship commitments, and were recommended for special recognition by their staff supervisors. Honorees’ length of service ranged from a single semester to more than 40 years.

The group included 62 Marinterns students who learned about public service careers from health to communications to human resources. Interns with medical training helped with COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts as the County continued its pandemic response. Other student honorees promoted anti-tobacco education, collected oral histories, and served while learning about forensics, archiving, information services, and the law.

The 37 volunteers who were honored shared their skills at county facilities all over Marin. Their roles ranged from tutoring at library branches to serving on the Sheriff’s Search & Rescue team. Volunteers with medical expertise stepped up to support COVID-19 testing and vaccination, contributing to Marin’s standing as the most-vaccinated county per capita in California.

The five longest-serving people in this group are a Sheriff’s Air Patrol pilot with 41 years of service, two Marin Center ushers with 34 years and 29 years respectively, a Marin County Fire volunteer firefighter with 29 years, and a Sheriff’s Search & Rescue volunteer with 25 years.

Honoree names and hometowns are in the list below.

The MarinShares & Marinterns Annual Report for 2020-2021 reflected the 180,689 hours served by 3,462 volunteers and unpaid interns during that fiscal year. Due to pandemic-related limitations, total numbers were lower than the previous year.

There was an exception: The Marin Medical Reserve Corps nearly quadrupled in size when volunteers with medical expertise and student interns with medical education responded wholeheartedly to public health needs. Corps members supported a COVID-19 call center, provider hotline, vaccination clinics, contact investigations, testing, and outreach to individuals with access and/or functional needs.

“We are grateful for the long and loyal service of the volunteers honored by the Board of Supervisors,” said MarinShares Coordinator of Volunteers Anne Starr. “They adapted to pandemic circumstances and kept contributing. Meanwhile, the many remote and in-person volunteers who are continuing to serve are sharing skills, time, and optimism in the face of pandemic-related limits. Their individual outlooks, knowledge, and commitment benefit County teams and Marin residents tremendously. We look forward to having all volunteers back as soon as public health conditions allow.”

Marinterns Coordinator Joy Fossett said students demonstrated adaptability and enthusiasm in County departments despite the inconveniences of the pandemic.

“Each intern brought fresh perspectives and insights to the County and their project assignments,” she said of the honorees. “Although the pandemic temporarily limited opportunities, students were eager to get the most out of their internship experiences. Without exception, they were committed to their internships and demonstrated deep interest as they explored their fields. They were resilient, positive, and ready to learn.”

County volunteers and interns are involved in various ways, including as fire lookouts, legal interns, Marin Center theater ushers, consumer mediators, tobacco-prevention interns, Marin County Civic Center tour guides, ombudsmen, financial abuse specialists, open space trails volunteers, newsletter writers, senior peer counselors, emergency radio operators, and more.

The MarinShares and Marinterns programs engage a diverse group of area tesidents who share their knowledge and experience, enhancing the County’s service to the people of Marin. To explore opportunities and to apply, visit the HR website or contact Anne Starr at (415) 473-7167 for volunteering, and Joy Fossett at (415) 473-7447 for student internships.

MARIN SHARES AND MARINTERNS HONOREES
RECOGNIZED BY THE MARIN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISOR
ON JANUARY 25, 2022

This press release was produced by the Marin County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.