Cochise County issued the following announcement on Nov. 13.

Cochise County is launching a new volunteer initiative to mark National Rural Health Day on November 15.

Volunteer Cochise is a program sponsored by Cochise Health & Social Services with the goal of encouraging residents to volunteer in their local communities. Additionally, the County is asking its employees to give back to the communities they serve, and plans to track the impact of that effort.

“We believe having active communities with a sense of purpose and improvement leads to heathier lifestyles for all our citizens,” said Carrie Langley, Director of Cochise Health & Social Services. “Our staff are being encouraged to consider ways they can volunteer across this diverse region we serve as local government workers in our professional lives. And we are also encouraging our friends, neighbors, and other community members to join us.”

The County is providing a Volunteer Cochise public resource page on its website, and has partnered with the Volunteer Program at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension to help inspire citizens. The Cooperative Extension’s program helps residents to find volunteer opportunities which enhance the health of people and communities. A link to the organization’s Facebook page is provided.

The Volunteer Cochise page also includes a link to a comprehensive community resource guide, compiled by the Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona, which has a detailed list of non-profits and other organizations that work with volunteers.

Additionally, the web page provides some positive reasons why volunteering can improve health and happiness, and links to a help guide to get people started on their volunteer journey.

“Volunteering has so many benefits,” said Langley. “It can help you connect to others, it improves your mind and body, it can help you gain new skills, and it can be a lot of fun.”

Earlier this year the County received the Healthy Arizona Worksite Gold Award, thanks to its ongoing commitment to worksite wellness initiatives. It is now striving to achieve Platinum status by expanding its health impact beyond the workplace and into the community.

County employees will be encouraged to log their volunteer hours so the health department can gain a better understanding of the impact of staff volunteerism in the region.

“We know many of our more than 800 employees already give their time and energy to helping local non-profits, sports teams, schools, and community groups,” Langley added. “As an organization, we think it would be helpful to know what kind of impact our staff is having across the county.”

To find out more, and to get help and inspiration in becoming a volunteer, visit https://www.cochise.az.gov/health-and-social-services/volunteer-cochise-helping-community-health

For more information on National Rural Health Day visit https://crh.arizona.edu/calendar/national-rural-health-day-november-15-2018

Original source can be found here.