Organizational Description of a Non profit organization/ Fast Program - Essay Example

The FAST program HandsOn Central California is one of the few non-profit organizations that offers voluntary programs that help bring change to communities. Since 1962, the HandsOn Central California organization has been at the forefront of serving as a volunteer center for Fresno County in California. The development of the organization was the idea of a group of community leaders in Fresno County who saw the importance of voluntary services as a tool for bringing change in communities and societies.

The leaders developed HandsOn Central California as a center for offering voluntary services to the community. Since then, the organization has been helping the community and expanding to serve not only Fresno but also Kings, Madera, and Tulare counties. Currently, the organization is an affiliate of the HandsOn Network allowing it to expand and serve a wider area and more communities. As a non-profit organization, HandsOn Central California offers a wide range of voluntary programs and services that serve the community and bring change a variety of ways.

The idea of developing the HandsOn Central California organization was to make volunteerism a tool for bringing change in communities. The organization aimed at inspiring and mobilizing people to take stern actions to serve the community ad bring change. In addition to the programs developed by HandsOn Central California to help the community, the organization organizes events that engage hundreds of volunteers in serving the community. The events and services at HandsOn Central California aim at fostering change in special impact areas such as environment, education, disaster preparedness, and economy.

The different volunteer programs and events allow the organizations to offer youths and other volunteers an opportunity to serve their community. Fresno Area Silver Transit (FAST) is one of the voluntary services HandsOn Central California organization offers. FAST, is a para-transit service specially developed for senior residents of both Fresno and Clovis areas. The program offers a safe, reliable and friendly mode of transportation for older people who are unable to drive. The program has para-transit services for seniors aged 55 and above who cannot drive on their own.

The FAST program has a mission to provide a friendly, safe and reliable means of transportation to seniors aged 55 years or more. FAST offers voluntary driving services for older people in the community particular those aged 55 and above. FAST has trained and vetted drivers that use their vehicles to provide transport for older people in the community. The programs ensure that older people get transportation services within fresco and Clovis cities. Clients in need of the transportation services contact the organization whereby they register at a fixed membership rate of $20 a year.

Drivers volunteer to offer these services thus making a change in the society. FAST allows the HandsOn Central California organization to mobilize the community and help create change. By offering driving services to older people, FAST gives people the opportunity to volunteer and be part of the change. Older people who are unable to drive need assistance about moving around in the cities. In addition to offering transportation services to the older people, FAST gives volunteer drivers a chance to give back and offer help to the community by facilitating change.

The FAST and other programs offered by the HandsOn Central California organization are helping people discover their potential in making a difference and are creating healthy communities in many parts of the world (HandsOn Central California, 2014)ReferencesHandsOn Central California website. (2014). Fresno Area Silver Transit (FAST). Retrieved from HandsOn Central California: http://www.handsoncentralcal.org/fast