First Call for Help 
Pictures of the Venice Office

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Lobby Bulletin Board While waiting to be interviewed, clients could take advantage of the information on the bulletin board. We displayed information about local social service agencies. We also included information about other agencies where First Call for Help volunteers helped out with their skills. These included the South County Food Bank, the court visitation program, the Guardian ad Litem program, the American Cancer Society, the Chamber of Commerce, Community Care & Share, and the ministerial alliance. To the left of the bulletin board, the plaque lists benefactors of the office, and the silver plate was an award to the office’s volunteers given by Volunteer Center South.

Some Volunteer Awards The volunteers were not only the backbone of the office, they made the office do what it was intended to do: help clients with their problems. These volunteers were dedicated to their task and put in many hours for no pay. They did get formal recognition, however. First Call for Help’s director gave an annual Christmas party to honor the volunteers, in-service training sessions allowed the volunteers to network with other volunteers and staff and receive feedback on how their efforts were progressing, and they were nominated for awards given to outstanding volunteers in the south county area each year. The hallway outside the office where the volunteers worked displayed some of these awards.

My Office Wall The walls of my office reflected some personal accomplishments and interests. The plaque at your far left was awarded to me by West Baltimore Middle School for the volunteer hours I spent in the school’s library while my daughter was a student there. The two frames next to that plaque are related to my job as a fire-rescue dispatcher. The two smaller frames, one over the other, are cards of congratulation signed by Bill Clinton for being nominated for the President’s Service Award in 1996 and 1997. The larger frame contains two autographed pictures of former president George Bush, each with congratulatory messages.

My Wife’s Artwork While I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler, my wife and children have been blessed with artistic ability. My wife has been drawing images like these most of her life. It’s her way of relaxing and escaping from the distractions and frustrations of modern life. I had the distinct honor and pleasure of displaying some of her work on my office wall. This wall was completely visible through a floor-to-ceiling plate glass window. Placing the drawings there allowed me to share my wife’s talent with anyone passing by on the second floor landing.