Pat Hoeffken: National Earth Team Volunteer Coordinator
Award Winner

National Earth Team Volunteer Coordinator  Award winner Pat Hoeffken  (NRCS photo -- click to enlarge)

“If you want excitement in your job, become a State Volunteer Coordinator,” says Pat Hoeffken, Arkansas State Volunteer Coordinator.  In 1985, Arkansas had three volunteers when Pat, in addition to working part-time for the agency, volunteered to be the Arkansas State Volunteer Coordinator.  Although this was a new position and management wasn’t sure what a volunteer coordinator did, they agreed she could coordinate the volunteer program.

Pat immediately became involved with the Arkansas Division of Volunteerism and participated in several local, State, and national volunteer training conferences.  With a little volunteer management training and a lot of confidence, she traveled around the State promoting volunteerism.  “This was an entirely new program to our employees and management, but in less than a year we had 35 volunteers across the State,” said Pat.  She created an Arkansas Volunteer Manual and scheduled her State conservationist and herself on television interview program to discuss the volunteer program. The interview went well -- they liked that I was a volunteer myself.”

Pat moved to the State public affairs staff in 1986 as a full-time visual information specialist and assumed the volunteer coordinator responsibilities.  That year, the volunteer program became known as the Earth Team.

In 2002, Pat was asked again to step in again as the Arkansas State Earth Team volunteer coordinator. “This time around, I actually have a budget and four area volunteer coordinators who help with the  program.  Nine NRCS employees in Arkansas are former volunteers and one of the nine is an area volunteer coordinator.

Managing the Volunteer Program
“A fairly high level of management skills and good instincts are necessary to run a successful Earth Team Volunteer Program. You never get something for nothing. Volunteers require training and their contributions must justify the time spent in training. One of the most important things is to learn what needs a person is meeting by volunteering so arrangements can be made to meet that need. Balance is essential.  A volunteer’s contributions must meet or exceed the value of their training,” Pat explained.

What I Enjoy Most
“The part of volunteer management I enjoy most is selecting, purchasing, and presenting items for volunteer recognition.  It helps that I am also a visual information specialist so I can adapt the NRCS logo to suit the occasion.  Arkansas NRCS employee Earth Team awards include certificates and cash awards. Volunteers get crystal globe awards.  NACD/NRCS and RC&D/NRCS Earth Team awards are presented at their annual meetings by the Arkansas State Conservationist. According to Pat, “The Earth Team is very fortunate to have excellent management support in the State of Arkansas.”

Recruiting Volunteers
There are many special people who have volunteered for NRCS-Arkansas.  Pat has recruited volunteers from a home for single expectant mothers, churches, Arkansas School for the Deaf, Arkansas Art Center, Arkansas Division of Volunteerism, through newspaper advertisements, United Way, and a television interview.  Others in the State have recruited through the Veteran’s Administration, educational institutions, scouts, and many community organizations.  “I enjoy recruitment.  All I need is a well-documented volunteer job.  Of course, a willing spouse, son or daughter is always a plus,” laughs Pat.

What It Means to Volunteer
“I am a promoter of volunteerism,” she said.  “I started volunteering when I was twelve years old.  My mother signed me up to volunteer two summers at the Veteran’s Hospital’s mental health division as a Red Cross Volunteer.  I learned to respect everyone and treat them with dignity.  They were all men who could have gone home if they had a place to go.  We played cards and checkers and I listened if they wanted to talk.  I served morning and afternoon water.  Most of all, I learned to value everyone, especially those who cannot help themselves, and to give back to the community.”

What Did Earth Team Volunteers Accomplish?
In 2007, Arkansas had more than 2,130 active volunteers who provided more than 14,173 hours of service to help with forestry clinics, field days, fair booths, outreach meetings, Earth Day, Farm Safety Day Camp, 2007 Water Fest, WOW III at the Zoo, Museum of Discovery, Envirothon contests, grazing land management workshops, bioenergy conferences, surveying and preparing EQIP contract folders, collecting data for farm plans, GSP readings and fence measuring; pond design, layout, checkout and staking; generating maps for ToolKit, and other field work activities.  In addition to NRCS volunteers, the Earth Team included a cadre of Resource Conservation and Development volunteers who worked on a farmer’s market project by planning, advertising, news releases, market duties, and workshops.  And as Pat proudly points out, “The value of that time contributed by NRCS Arkansas volunteers is $266,027.”