Pinole Volunteer Efforts Are Focus of Radio Station Report

Times are tough all over, and Pinole is no exception. How the city and its residents are coping with city budget cuts will be the subject of a San Francisco public radio station's Wednesday report on the role of volunteers in the community.

KALW will air a report on its "Crosscurrents" segment at 5 p.m. Wednesday that profiles how Pinole has stepped up in the past and present to deliver city services and programs.

Based on interviews with local volunteers, public officials and Pinole Patch, KALW's report is expected to address the history of local volunteerism and its increasing importance to fill voids left by city budget cuts.

With property and sales tax revenues shrinking in recent years, the Pinole City Council has eliminated jobs at City Hall, closed a fire station, cancelled city-sponsored events and scrambled to prop up some city activities and events. It has put the recreation department on notice to pay for itself.

In response, people from seniors with limited incomes to parents with kids in youth programs have stepped up to pay higher fees and to put in personal time to stitch programs and services together.

KALW's report will acknowledge that volunteers have long supported the police department in administrative duties and that the Pinole Senior Center has depended on volunteers to run its many activities since its inception.

The KALW report can be heard at 91.7 FM, or live on the Internet and on the station's archived programming. Check the station's schedule of programming for details.