Volunteers Make all the Difference!!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, so THANK YOU to every person in this community who gave of your time to help the greater good!!  I specifically want to call out Volunteers United and our VITA Tax Team.  While we will be celebrating you on April 30th at our annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner (there is still time to RSVP), I want to remind you how important you are to our community.  Together you have put in thousands of hours supporting youth, beautifying our community, making community spaces safe, and helping people gain access to resources they need to survive.  You’ve lifted people up, and shared the beauty that humanity has to offer.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you for saying yes and for impacting people’s lives every day.    

I follow the stats on volunteerism in America and the rates appear to be declining, but that is not what I see in Steele County.  I see people, every day, helping others, in their own way, and that matters.  I had the opportunity to attend the Book of Golden Deeds event where the Owatonna Exchange Club honored Cherry Schwartz for her lifetime of service to this community.  At this event my friend Dom Korbel, who was the keynote speaker, shared his journey as a volunteer eventually making the switch to nonprofit in 2021.  I too started as a volunteer working for the for-profit sector, eventually making the switch to nonprofit several years ago.  Dom shared in his message that as volunteers we have a duty to bring our kids along in this quest to improve the human condition and he’s right!  Most of my kids will tell you that they’ve been volunteering since they were in diapers, and it’s the truth.  Its important for us to share this very important work with our children, to show them the impact that they can make, no matter their age, and instill a sense of purpose in their young lives.  Our youth are our hope for the future, so why not open our doors and our hearts and let them be a part of the work we are doing today so that they can have a better tomorrow. 

Sign up to be a part of Volunteers United on our website and join the thousands of people around our community that are making a difference.  Engaging Communities, Connecting People.  We’re YOUR United Way!     

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Annette Duncan is President of United Way of Steele County.  She can be reached at 507-455-1180 or via email by president@unitedwaysteelecounty.org. Our website is www.unitedwaysteelecounty.org