One of the issues that came up last night was the incredible value volunteers bring to our city. Volunteer Alexandria was one of last night’s debate sponsors and they got a lot of attention during the debate.
Every candidate called on Alexandria to find more ways to give back to the city. I have dedicated much of my time over the last few months to work with ACT and Volunteer Alexandria to find new ways to harness the volunteerism and philanthropy of our city. The Mayor and I have pushed so that the city now promotes specific needs on its web site. And I have used every communication tool I have to encourage more people to volunteer. There is still much more we can do.
One candidate suggested last night that we could solve our staffing cuts in our mental health and substance abuse programs with volunteer students at TC Williams. While I agree that student volunteers can and do make a real difference in our city, I don’t think student volunteers are ready to provide professional drug and mental health counseling services. When talking about volunteering, we also have to recognize there are some things better done by professional staff. Volunteering has a critical role to play in our city, and in our current budget cuts, but it can’t replace every budget cut.
All of us have a role to play in Alexandria’s future; it is the diversity of ideas, collaboration and innovation of this community that makes us strong. We need to honor our community values, engage in honest discussions about the challenges we face and make sure these challenges don’t hold us back, but instead, help us to focus and move forward as a community.
