Volunteer Week: A Piece of the Story

Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteers use an online reporting system to report their volunteer service hours and continuing education hours. The system also tracks awards, individual running totals and annual reports, and displays leader boards of top ten counties in logged hours for service and education. Each year, these data that MGEVs take the time to record give our county and state offices meaningful values when sharing program impact. The numbers shared are impressive and do provide a look at the value of Master Gardeners enriching their communities through service and education, but anytime I interact with a Master Gardener, I am reminded it’s not just the numbers. It is the heart, the care, the kindness, and wisdom that shines through their volunteer efforts. It is the connections, friendships, and mentorships. It is the delight on a child’s face as they count butterflies or the confidence instilled in a new gardener as they leave a class or event hosted by MGEVs. I thought I just didn’t have good luck with orchids until a Master Gardener gave me advice that resulted in healthy, blooming orchids. As you can guess, this value is much more challenging to capture than numbers. But, I hope the posts shared this week help you to see the biggest piece of the story, too.

We will end National Volunteer Week with a round of applause for all volunteers as we are extremely grateful for their efforts each day! While the difference they make is immense and can be tricky to measure with numerical data alone, here’s a look at the 2025 statewide report:

2025 Annual Summary of Master Gardener Activities

Hours Volunteered by State Initiative

Georgia MGEV projects fall into five initiative, or priority areas.