JACKSONVILLE — Every day of the year is important to nonprofit organizations made to help community members. Local organization officials said they are in need of volunteer workers.

The Helping Others Pursue Enrichment (HOPE) center is currently in need of a volunteer to drive the van in its Van Transportation program.

Allison Hale, director of HOPE, said a volunteer driver is needed on Monday and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“If they can work both that would be great, but it doesn't have to be the same person for both days,” she said. “We have a volunteer for each day needed.”

The van transportation program is used to take people with no transportation to their medical appointments. There is no charge to the person needing the ride and they are dropped off and picked up.

Hale said the transportation program is just one of the many free services offered to the needy. Between its mass feeding programs enrichment classes and other services, volunteers donated 12,580 hours of service in 2011.

For anyone interested in volunteering for the position, Hale can be reached at the HOPE center, 903-586-7781.

Julianne Sanford with the Lone Star Military Resource Group said her organization is also always in need of volunteers.

“We will take any volunteers interested in helping us,” she said. “We need people with computer skills to making fliers, just any area that you can imagine.”

Sanford said not all volunteer projects require hands-on or physical work.

“They can work from home or help with publicity,” she said. “We are going to have a big event in November and we need help collecting data on veterans. If we can get people to gather or compile a list of veterans in Cherokee County that would be helpful.”

Sanford said the gift of giving is also volunteer work to her. On  Tuesday, someone had stolen the copper wire from the AC unit at the Life-A-New homeless veterans home.

“Bailey Electric donated the copper wire for the AC unit, the labor and fixed the AC,” she said. “That's a volunteer right there.”

For anyone interested in volunteering, Sanford can be reached at 903-810-0303.

Other organizations and contact information can be found on the Jacksonville city website (www.jacksonville-texas.com).