Our group has been selected as the 2009 Atlanta Community Food Bank Civic Volunteer Organization of the Year!  http://www.acfb.org/volunteer/honor_r...

We are a group of individuals interested in getting out and benefiting our community through the donation of our time and manpower. The impact that a large group of individuals coming out and volunteering can have on an organization in need is significant.

Volunteers are in high demand due to our current economy, and our current economy also makes it more difficult to find volunteers.  To encourage more volunteerism, a nonprofit called FORSYTH AREA SPORTS TEAMS, (FAST) is now providing incentives for people to help those that need it.  http://wavetheusaflag.com

FAST will use its aquatic sports resources to reward volunteers with scuba training, sailing instruction, use of their sailboats, swim lessons and more to reward you for your volunteer hours.  Volunteers who are able to teach aquatics, CPR, FA and other sports and activities during fund raisers will be compensated for their travel and food and expenses and will be given a small amount of money to cover other expenses.  When volunteers accompany challenged adults who are employed by FAST, volunteers will also have their travel, food and other expenses covered. 

When you volunteer for any worthy cause that FAST recognizes, we will give you volunteer credit hours you can exchange for an exciting variety of sports activities such as scuba, sailing, underwater photography or even operating an underwater vehicle.

It will be the goal of this group to work towards stabilizing the community with practical volunteer efforts in direct contact with those who truly need help and indirectly with supporting the administrative duties of nonprofits to help prevent any more from failing.

The mission of our sponsor FAST is to support challenged people through sports.  Support comes in the form of employment, housing, physical activity and socialization.  FAST also supports the health and wellness of the community at large and has a special place for challenged heroes such as veterans, police, fire, ems and other workers who become injured while serving others.

FAST is a very strong advocate for salary caps for anyone employed by a nonprofit.  The 1.2 million dollars per year paid to Gloria Pace King of the United Way in 2008, is just one glaring example of the greedy nonprofits that FAST is crusading against.  There are many other United Way employees, and other nonprofit employees with salaries higher or similar to Gloria Pace King and a revision of the laws for nonprofits and their salaries should be enacted.

FAST is just one of the many worthy causes that you can volunteer for.  We will meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 pm for our general membership meeting.