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Name: Karla M. Hoppmann
Class: Senior
Major: Public relations
Hometown: Columbia
You’re the Salvation Army’s part-time volunteer services coordinator in Columbia. How did you get that job? I had done some work previously with the Salvation Army helping recruit in high schools for bell ringing at Christmas last year. When the previous volunteer coordinator left I applied for the job and was hired. I came into the job just as a lot of stuff was beginning to happen with Hurricane Katrina, so it’s been a busy first few weeks but I think I’m getting the hang of it.
What does the job entail? My job is to facilitate volunteers who will serve in our soup kitchen, work in our thrift stores, and especially as Christmas comes up, help as bell ringers and working with our Angel Tree program that provides gifts to the needy. I’ve also been recruiting volunteers to help with the aftermath of Katrina. The Salvation Army has been collecting clothing and we’ve taken some blankets out to the airport. We’ve also had people on call for when we need to start serving meals. In late August, working with the Office of Community Service at USC, we had about 130 USC students come out to the Salvation Army shelter at 2025 Main St., in Columbia, where they helped us clean and repair some of the rooms that our residents live in. I’ve worked with several different student service organizations on campus and also facilitate volunteer efforts by faculty and staff.
How do you find volunteers? I make presentations in the community to let people know of our voluntary needs and to get them on board. I’ve also been to University 101 classes at USC, to Benedict College, and will be going to a Rotary Club meeting and to Midlands Tech.
What’s been the response so far by people in the community to your presentations and calls for assistance? The community response has just been amazing. The Salvation Army partnered with WLTX-TV (Channel 19) on Sept. 2 for a telethon to raise money for Katrina victims. My job was to have volunteers come in and answer the phones, and we had an overwhelming response from people who wanted to come out and help. We raised about $170,000 in that one day to help us with hurricane relief efforts. We ran from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., so it was a long day, but it was very much worth it to raise that much money.
How have the USC students been in responding to your requests for voluntary assistance? I’ve had several students call my office and ask what they can do. It’s good to work with students because sometimes their schedules are a little more flexible than people who are in fulltime jobs. I can call them at different hours and say I need them to come in and help us with a telethon or ask if they can be on call to help us serve meals. Students’ responses also have been very good in efforts relating to how they can serve Katrina evacuees arriving here, as well as how they can help raise money and supplies to send to the Mississippi Gulf area.
What’s the appeal of this line of work for you? I’ve just always had a very strong desire to serve other people and give back to the community.
What are your career goals? I plan to continue serving in the non-profit world, either with the Salvation Army or another agency.
How long will the Katrina state of emergency exist for organizations like the Salvation Army who will be assisting people in the aftermath of the storm? It’s an effort that will have to continue over the next several months to help people get situated with their needs.
Has anything surprised you about your work with the Salvation Army in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort? Yes, it’s the homeless residents we have in our shelter who have been asking what they can do to help. We’ve had them sort blankets and things like that. It’s been heartwarming to see an outpouring of love by people who have nothing, but want to reach out to those who have been affected by Katrina.
9/05
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