The library's annual volunteer fair is this Saturday at the Senior Center from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event, for adults and teens, offers a way for residents to gain experience and help out the community. 

"In general (the fair is for) teens are looking for volunteer work because they need community service hours for high school," she said. "A lot of retired folks are (also) looking to keep themselves busy and to give back to their communities."

Volunteering is also good for young adults, she said.

"There are young professionals who want to get involved in their community. They all have skills and talents to offer," she said. "Over the years we at the library have noticed a large increase in the numbers of people who want to volunteer. We can’t use everyone who comes to us so we started the website www.chelmsfordvolunteers.org and organized the volunteer fair."

Cryan-Hicks said the first fair started with the help of the Chelmsford Women of Today in 2003.

"We had about 20 organizations crammed into the McCarthy Meeting room. After a few years we realized the space was just not large enough to run this annual event so we moved it to the Senior Center in 2008," she said.

Each organization has a table at the event, Cryan-Hicks said, and each organization is included on the library's website.

"Chelmsford Telemedia attends the fair and interviews reps from the organizations.They show the tape on cable TV. This allows each group more exposure and a chance to let the public know what they do and what their volunteer needs are," she said.

The fair itself is a good opportunity for the organizations to mingle and network with other organizations, Cryan-Hicks said.

"There’s no telling what things can happen when you have that many organizations, committed people and great ideas in the same room," she said. 

These organizations have registered for the 2012 Volunteer Fair:

American Red Cross of Eastern Mass

American Textile History Museum

Budget Buddies

Challenge Unlimited, Inc. (Ironstone Farm)

Chelmsford Center for the Arts

Chelmsford Cultural Council

Chelmsford Dog Association

Chelmsford Friends of the Library

Chelmsford Friends of Music

Chelmsford Genealogy Club

Chelmsford Holiday Decorating Committee

Chelmsford Military Community Covenant

Chelmsford Public Library

Chelmsford Recycling Committee

Chelmsford Senior Center

Chelmsford Women of Today

Community Teamwork Inc. Senior Corps Volunteer Program

Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley

Horizons for Homeless Children

InterCommunity Foundation

Lowell Humane Society

NuPath Inc.

Old Chelmsford Garrison House Association

Open Pantry of Greater Lowell

Table of Plenty in Chelmsford

The Paul Center

Upper Merrimack Valley Medical Reserve Corps

The Wish Project