President
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Randal
(Randy) Hagar
County of Alameda
General
Services Agency
Communications Department
1401 Lakeside Drive, 10th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612-4305
Tel: 510-208-9789 x 29789
Fax: 510-208-9711
Mobile: 510-508-1603
randall.hagar@acgov.org
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President's Message (April 2013):
April is National Volunteer Month
April encompasses National Volunteer Week, a time when community
leaders and politicians pay keen attention to the growing number of
volunteers, the countless noble causes, and the accomplishments of
those who care enough to sacrifice their time, energy and money. The
rewards are as numerous as the unmet needs of peoples across our
nation. I can attest to the sense of community built upon the gratitude
expressed by the beneficiaries of charitable work. Volunteerism need
not be a temporary exercise in civility. I encourage each of our APCO
chapter members to find a means of contributing something to your
community, whether it be your time, sweat equity, or even your skills
(we all have a few), become an active volunteer. The opportunities are
many and broad in every town, county, or region. My wife and I can
speak from firsthand experiences of the heart-warming rewards we enjoy
from serving our community as Search And Rescue team members; after
all, what greater return on investment of time and energy can there be
than finding a lost senior citizen, child or despondent loved one and
witnessing the relief that families members feel when reunited. It is
especially important for us parents to teach by example, lest the next
generation become a community of entitled recipients of another’s grace.
The Red Cross, faith-based organizations, city and county sponsored
organizations and many more will welcome you, should you choose to
“give something back”. Or you may favor quality over quantity by simply
sharing your time with senior citizens.
It is more than appropriate that we also take the time to thank the
volunteers within our chapter who spend a great deal of their time
doing countless tasks that many of us take for granted. I am surely
going to miss a number of worthy volunteers and will ask that you add
the title of “volunteer” when we introduce ourselves during the April
chapter meeting. A few who come to mind right away include, Preston
Thomson, Angela Azavedo, Kent Eldridge, Ron Allison, Ron Sites, and
many of you who modestly keep your deeds to yourselves. On behalf of
the Northern California chapter of APCO International, thank you for
all that you do. I look forward to seeing you at the April 18 meeting
and encourage you to bring a guest, perhaps one with an operations
(police, fire, medical, dispatch) background this month, and to
register via our website, NAPCO.org.
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