By Bridget Higdon for Saint Albans Messenger

ST. ALBANS — When Marilyn King moved to St. Albans about a decade ago, volunteering was what helped her turn the city into a home.

Getting involved at the Saint Albans Museum, she said, helped her to get to know the community and to make new friends.

Stories like King’s were told many times over last Thursday, during the 2nd Annual Franklin County Volunteering Fair. Forty-seven area organizations tabled at the event, showcasing volunteer opportunities for all ages, interests and skills.

Organized again by St. Albans resident Erin Creley and sponsors Vermont Department of Health, Rotary Club of St. Albans and United Way of Northwest Vermont, the fair drew more than 70 attendees, exceeding last year’s numbers. Door prizes, free pizza and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream helped entice new visitors.

“I hope folks walk away with a new volunteer opportunity or two they want to try,” Creley said. “But even leaving with greater awareness of all the amazing organizations that do work in our community, that’s also a win.”

At the Saint Albans Museum, King said there are a variety of ways to serve, but volunteers are most immediately needed to serve as docents, or tour guides. The museum is open from May to October, and tourists, locals and school groups are often looking for someone to guide them through the exhibits.

“You don’t need to like history, you don’t need to know all the answers, you just need to share your time with people,” King said.

Prefer to spend time outdoors? Organizations like Friends of Northern Lake Champlain, Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge and Franklin County Trails Alliance offer opportunities to volunteer out in nature.

Lorna Peters, water quality intern at Northwest Regional Planning Commission, hoped to connect with a few of those people not afraid to get a little dirty. Franklin County Stormwater, a collaborative effort of NRPC and the City and Town of St. Albans, needs volunteers to help with upcoming stream clean-ups.

The group meets on summer weekend mornings to pick up trash from local stream beds, working to keep waterways clean and beautiful. Peters said volunteers don’t need any special supplies or skills, just clothes that can get wet.

At every table, it was apparent that volunteers are vital to the success of many organizations and initiatives. Certain community events and programs would simply not exist without people donating their time.

That is true for Rural Community Transportation, which depends on volunteers for its rideshare services. RCT is the county’s latest public transportation provider, following the pull back of Green Mountain Transit.

While RCT has paid drivers for its regular bus lines, volunteers help fill the gaps, shuttling individuals and small groups to grocery stores, doctor’s appointments, social outings and more.

Volunteers drove more than two million miles in 2025, but there is still more demand.

“We have to deny rides when we don’t have enough volunteers,” volunteer coordinator Bobby Farlice-Rubio said.

Volunteers with RCT use their personal cars but are reimbursed monetarily for miles driven. They can also choose their own schedule and change it week to week.

“It’s completely flexible,” Farlice-Rubio said.