With budgets tighter than ever, cities across America are increasingly looking for more free labor. Nowhere is that trend more evident than Yakima, Wash. More and more every year, a large part of what we do is volunteers, says Archie Matthews, Yakimas director of neighborhood development services, It saves us a ton of money. Matthews says begging for volunteers is not beneath him. And to his surprise, he usually gets them. Once signed up, they do a variety of tasks, including construction work for low-income housing, painting over gang graffiti and keeping senior centers from having to close their doors. Mary Lizotte, 74, volunteers eight hours a week at a senior center, where the paid staff has been trimmed to just three employees. Weve been faced with cuts in the budget and threatened to be closed down a couple of days a week, Lizotte said. Its not only good for them, its good for us volunteers. The center is able to stay open seven days a week with volunteers doing everything from clerical work to preparing and serving the food. Read more: Volunteers Save Cities Billions, But Unions Cry Foul | Fox News
