United Way of Greater Knoxville announced recently its merger with Volunteer East Tennessee. The two nonprofits already share office space at in Mechanicsville.
Volunteer East Tennessee connects volunteers with the nonprofits that need volunteer help. It was founded in 2014. Originally formed to serve the city, it was expanded to serve the region two years later.
Alyson Gallaher, Volunteer East Tennessee’s executive director, chatted with Cityview about the organization and how to get involved in the missions serving the East Tennessee region.
CV: How long have you been with Volunteer ETN? Tell us a little about your background please.
AG: I have been with Volunteer East Tennessee for nearly four years and have spent nearly 15 years in the nonprofit sector over the course of my adult life.
CV: How many nonprofits use Volunteer ETN to recruit volunteers?
AG: We recruit volunteers on behalf of 137 nonprofit and community organizations.
CV: Tell us how someone would get involved.
AG: The best place to start is by going to the website volunteeretn.org and clicking on the link at the top of the page For Volunteers. From there you can search for ways to get involved by interests or schedule. And users can always call our office at (865)582-4085 for guidance or email us at info@volounteeretn.org
CV: Does the merger with United Way change anything about how you operate or how volunteers get involved?
AG: Not at all. Volunteers or nonprofits that have used our platform before will feel no changes in their interaction. If anything, this merger of strengths allows us to provide more capacity-building and program-strengthening resources to our nonprofit partners across eight counties.