This year National Volunteer Week is April 12-18.  The Points of Light Foundation, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, wrote that this week “is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities.  (The week) is about taking action and encouraging individuals and their respective communities to…(demonstrate) their collective power to make a difference.”

 

Here in Minnesota, in particular Sherburne County, the week recognizes this same spirit.  There is not only gratitude for all the work already being done by volunteers, but there is the same call to action as well. The recognition that each good deed done, each truly community minded idea brought to completion by volunteers,  is reason to believe that even more volunteers can accomplish even greater goals.

 

As we often do, we take volunteers and all they contribute for granted. We expect that volunteers are the norm. This is not the case in all parts of the country or all parts of the world. Minnesota ranks 3rd among our 50 states in the rate of citizen participation as volunteers-36.3%-behind Utah and Idaho. Many languages do not even have an equivalent word to “volunteer”.  

 

This week is about recognizing just how powerful service to others is. In his proclamation of National Volunteer Week 2015, President Obama wrote: “Through countless acts of kindness, generosity, and service, Americans recognize that we are all bound together-that we move this country forward by giving of ourselves to others and caring for those around us. By performing acts of service, we can shape a Nation big enough and bold enough to accommodate the hopes of all our people.”

 

Thank you to all who serve as volunteers. You make our communities vibrant through your demonstration of citizenship. Know that you are each making a powerful difference!

 

Thank you, also to the Citizen Newspaper! In the spirit of volunteer service, this newspaper donates space to publish current needs for volunteers that are submitted by The Volunteer Bridge. Watch for it near the RSVP/Volunteer Bridge logo to find out how you can help.