Sylvia Cox: Do you really think volunteers will work for a new market?

Have members of the Turlock City Council and Mayor Gary Soiseth considered the demoralizing effect on volunteerism in Turlock when considering changing the organizational format of the successful Turlock Certified Farmer’s Market?

If Peter Cipponeri’s new business venture fails, are those who formerly volunteered expected to come back and start over? Will new volunteers magically appear, knowing their hard work could be callously shoved aside for another start-up for-profit venture? Volunteer hours are precious and should not be taken for granted. Many of Turlock’s finest organizations are volunteer driven.

According to Garth Stapley’s article, Mayor Soiseth and Peter Cipponeri would like both sides to join forces and work together. Seeking non-paid volunteers to work for a for-profit business is something quite new for Turlock.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Sylvia Cox: Do you really think volunteers will work for a new market?."