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<br /> City celebrates its volunteer corps
<br /> •
<br /> Eugene thanks Martha Fish 1
<br /> and hundreds of other x>r >r i
<br /> volunteers with a picnic.,'S -t d�#
<br /> fF�7f F
<br /> BY BEN FUCHS X *•)if r
<br /> The Register Guard R�' rw
<br /> Martha Fish is a celebrity,thoughs,M.: ,
<br /> not in the traditional sense. She `„',
<br /> doesn't play professional sports,star i 1 ,r
<br /> on the silver screen or cut platinum ;r t. ;;
<br /> % n,
<br /> records. •?' -- ,- ; ,
<br /> But in certain Lane County social . ` 3 '
<br /> circles, there's nobody more well- ”"
<br /> 1
<br /> known—or relied upon—than this •
<br /> human rights volunteer
<br /> extraordinaire. `.F _
<br /> •1
<br /> A volunteer for the city for the
<br /> past 14 years, Fish helps about 500 ,
<br /> low-income residents, many of them
<br /> Spanish-speaking,solve a wide array
<br /> of problems, from helping with im-
<br /> migration concerns to translating di-
<br /> agnoses for Spanish-speaking pa- COLLIN ANDREW/The Register-Guard
<br /> tients atarea hospitals.
<br /> She'ss also serveddon the city's Hu-
<br /> Cathy Benjamin,a volunteer who played a key role in helping to create
<br /> man Rights Commission the past six the Alton Baker Dog Park,brings her dogs to Sunday's gathering.
<br /> years.
<br /> She's helped thousands of Lane "It just makes me happy," she Picnic Party in Alton Baker Park.
<br /> tawCounty residents over the years, all says of her volunteer work. "It's a About 600 of the city's approximately
<br /> the while holding down a part-time part of my life." 2,300 volunteers braved unseason-
<br /> job as a translator for Eugene Munic- On Sunday,the city thanked Fish ably cool and rainy weather to chow
<br /> ipal Court and fighting the effects of and hundreds of other program vol- down on a free catered lunch, hear
<br /> polio, which she has had since she unteers for their hard work and dedi-
<br /> was 3. cation at a Volunteer Appreciation Please turn to VOLUNTEERS,Page E5
<br /> Volunteer: More than 63,000
<br /> hours of labor aided city last year -The ReS.5jer-Guard
<br /> Continued from Page El "The city couldn't do the Benjamin, who now coordi-
<br /> N\Ond41,Sevot•8,2003
<br /> things we do without (volun- nates work parties to help
<br /> speeches from Mayor Jim Tor- teers)," said Bohman, adding maintain the park, said she ap-
<br /> rey and other city officials,and that the level of volunteering preciated the sentiment behind
<br /> groove to the melodies of the has grown in recent years. the picnic.
<br /> the Deb Cleveland Band. Citizens involved in the "It's a nice way to say thank
<br /> Jan Bohman, the city's com- city's 10 volunteer programs you," she said. "It's nice to be
<br /> munity relations director, said work for a vast spectrum of recognized."
<br /> Eugene is blessed to have such causes. Lisa Schaures, who volun-
<br /> an active volunteer corps—es- Eugene resident Cathy Ben- teers at Cuthbert Amphitheater
<br /> pecially now when Oregon's jamin, for example, played a events throughout the summer,
<br /> economy is in a serious key role in helping to create the said the friendships she has
<br /> recession. Alton Baker Dog Park, which made with other volunteers jus-
<br /> Bohman said the efforts of opened in August 2002. Ben- tify the long hours of unpaid
<br /> volunteers, who donated 63,703 jamin, who brought her three work.
<br /> hours of labor last year, have dogs to Sunday's picnic, helped "It's a part of my life that I'd
<br /> enabled Eugene to keep servic- plan volunteer landscaping and like to keep," said Schaures, a
<br /> es that may otherwise have beautification projects at the law student at the University of
<br /> been reduced or cut. four-acre dog run. Oregon.
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