Madeline Black, the city’s volunteer program coordinator, presented an update to City Council describing substantial year‑over‑year growth and new staffing to support volunteer placements.

Black told the council the volunteer program centralized recruitment practices, introduced a web‑based volunteer interest form and hired a part‑time support staff (Esmeralda Figueroa). She said the city referred 1,175 volunteers this year (up from 613 noted in the previous year), placed 287 volunteers in long‑term assignments, and recorded approximately 28,500 volunteer hours — a contribution Black said equates to about $991,500 in in‑kind value.

Black described a mix of single‑day and long‑term opportunities, partnerships such as Corona Beautiful community cleanups, an adopt‑a‑park option, and a workability partnership with Corona‑Norco Unified School District to provide paid work experience for adult students with disabilities. She also highlighted recognition tiers for volunteers (20 hours: recognition dinner invite; 100 hours: certificate; 500 hours: customized name tag) and previewed events scheduled in early 2026.

Council members thanked staff for the work. Council member Val briefly asked a clarifying question about the referral numbers, and Black confirmed the 1,175 figure and explained the city’s ability to break down where volunteers came from and how they were placed.

Next steps: Staff will continue outreach and programming; council endorsed the update and asked for periodic performance reporting as part of strategic plan metrics.