Hedrick has made a mark on Sisters

Sisters volunteer coordinator Karly Hedrick has earned a reputation as an effective community organizer in Sisters.

"She's an extraordinary individual," said Maret Pajutee, who has worked with Hedrick organizing volunteers for the National Forest Foundation (NFF) and the U.S. Forest Service. "She is very outgoing, organized, capable, responsible. It's a potent combination for a volunteer coordinator."

Hedrick has gained experience working with the National Forest Foundation, the Forest Service's non-profit arm. Their mission is to get people involved with the care and stewardship of our National Public Lands. She also works with the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce.

"Being a volunteer coordinator is mostly a new position, at least between the NFF and the Chamber," said Kathleen Dowd-Gaily, the NFF's Pacific Northwest regional director. "It's a testament to Karly that it has been so positive with the community involvement."

Hedrick has been particularly strong in taking the reins of first-time events.

"We did the 'Ride for Two Rivers' at Black Butte Ranch for the first time," Dowd-Gailey said. "She was a big part of that and it was not a typical volunteer event in that it was an organized bike ride in partnership with Cycle Oregon and we held a barbeque after the ride. They also did rides to Camp Sherman and McKenzie Pass. It was a lot to organize."

Pajutee noted Hedrick's efforts on the Plein Air Paint Out along the Metolius River:

"The really great thing she did for the recent Paint Out was to increase awareness. She brought in Sisters Park and Recreation District to get the kids involved for National Public Lands Day. The kids were judged on their own merits," commented Pajutee, who also pointed out there is no guide map for the job of volunteer coordinator. "Karly thought it up and made it happen. That's huge. We need to think of the volunteers of tomorrow."

The Forest Service manages several environmental events and the volunteer coordinator is a key part of that process.

"It takes a lot of support for those volunteers to have a safe experience," Pajutee added. "The NFF has about 1,500 volunteers, but we turn away half the people who volunteer because we don't have the staff to support them."

First and foremost, Hedrick represents the Chamber which selected her after interviewing several AmeriCorp candidates for the position.

"We received several applicants, and Karly was chosen because she had a clear understanding of the position," said Erin Borla, executive director of Sisters Chamber. "She stood out above the crowd."

Borla discussed Hedrick's long list of volunteer projects and talked about how Hedrick set up the volunteer bank and got other volunteers involved.

"She was never afraid to step up," Borla said. "And she even ran the non-profit forums for me when I was on maternity leave."

Hedrick describes the Sisters Chamber as a strong leader in the Sisters Country, bringing together Sisters' businesses and non-profits to strengthen the community.

"The non-profits here are so eager to help each other and work together," Hedrick said. "It wasn't hard to organize for that reason."

Being a volunteer coordinator has given her the opportunity to work for three different types of agencies: the Chamber is a local non-profit, the National Forest Foundation is a congressionally charted non-profit, and the Forest Service, a government agency.

A recent college graduate with a BS in mathematics and foreign language/international affairs, she spent two months in Spain living with a host family learning the ins and outs of living in a foreign country. Her travels have influenced her understanding of community and partnerships. Ecuador or Peru are possible next steps in her life's journey to continue working as a volunteer or for a non-profit.