Volunteers represent community’s best

They make tough times easier for many, giving strength in times of need

By Matt Bewley | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, March 31, 2007

The word, “volunteer,” has been a staple in our daily lives for so long, it sometimes seems to label a person more than simply depict someone who is, in essence, lending a helping hand to help make the world a better place to live.

They are not a special breed, defined by any political or religious affiliations. They are you and me, rich and poor, young and old. They are that guy you see ringing a bell for the Salvation Army. They are the lady next door who helps make the luminaries for the Relay for Life and the second grade kids who collect food for the needy.

They are firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians. They are teachers and scout masters, library friends and foster grandparents. They fix cars, carve wood, prepare taxes, shuttle seniors and even build homes.

They represent the best in each community and strengthen its core. Its children, witnesses and participants both, ensure the core will remain strong for future generations.

Such a community is what families want to find when they look for a new home. It is where families will take root.

The spectrum of a volunteer’s work is vast. There is something for every person to do – and someone for every person who could use a hand.

“The people in our community get something from others. We’ve all needed help at one point or another in our lives,” United Way director Lynn Olson said, “and volunteering is a great way to give back. Children and seniors, even the home-bound can give back. We had a volunteer who went through all the papers and clipped out the stories on United Way agencies and people.”

The United Way in Fergus Falls partners with dozens of local, regional and national organizations to help make our communities stronger.

Every hour of time donated to a United Way partner is a valuable commodity.

“The number we use to figure the time and dollars we save is $18.50 an hour,” Olson said. “This (donated time) frees us up from doing a lot of the administrative tasks, and the less money we’re spending on administration, the better we can serve the community.”

Someplace Safe is one of the United Way partners.

“We have over 200 volunteers, but we are a multi-county agency,” Executive Director Dianne Long said. “A lot of our volunteers help in our fundraising, in fact the vast majority do. The fundraising that happened in Fergus Falls at the Tea-party given by Friends of Someplace Safe – they put it on once a year – it is amazing. They made over $10,000 with silent auctions.”

She gets help in many other ways, too.

“Some others purchase groceries for the shelter,” she said,, “and others are doing ‘court-watch,’ which is tracking offenders through the court system. Others are providing direct services, like meeting one-on-one with victims and working on community education. Others sort donations, or take emergency calls.”

She also recognizes one of the intangible benefits that come with her volunteers – something a paid employee isn’t always as willing to do.

“They bring in the pulse of the community,” she said. “And they’re not employed by us, so they can give us good input. Their evaluations and ideas are helpful. We couldn’t do it without them coming in, because they care with their skills and talents. It’s just wonderful.”

Many of the programs at the Fergus Falls Senior Center would simply not be possible without volunteers. The Meals By Wheels program relies on volunteers’ wheels to do their work for shut-in seniors.

“They wouldn’t receive the sustenance they need,” director Kathy Sporre said. “Our Fergus Chore Corps would not exist without volunteers.”

The Chore Corps helps area seniors by raking lawns, changing light bulbs, washing windows and doing other things around the home that are tougher on the elderly.

“We don’t have the funding for an employee, so we need the help to pull the program off,” she said. “We rely on students and other interested volunteers.”

Volunteers are also serving on boards all over the area, advising and help direct efforts to make life better for someone.

“The value is tremendous at the senior center,” she said. “We have limited staff here and so volunteers help in almost all areas. Our entire board is a volunteer board.”

Volunteers help strengthen our community, making the tough times a little easier for some of us, and ensuring our children learn the value of lending a hand to those who need it.