Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you …………… April is National Volunteer Month and coming from this office, we know, without a doubt that we cannot do what we do without our volunteers.
I saw the following quote and thought it was fitting in the midst of this crazy election year!
“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.” ~Author Unknown
Huron is so fortunate to have so many who want to make it a better place to live, work and play. Beyond the awesome volunteers here at the Chamber, who have worked well over 4000 hours this past year, the volunteer efforts throughout Huron is much more than that. According to the Department of Labor and Statistics, 24.9% of the US population volunteered in one capacity or another in 2015. That is an unbelievable number, but again over the generations, more and more people are realizing the impact that volunteering can have on a city, state, country and worldwide.
Another quote, this one by Albert Pike that I find quite fitting is “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
Volunteerism can be done in so many ways and for so many reasons. We may be volunteering without even thinking of it in that light; when we help out at church or help to coach our kids in sports. Sometimes we can only fit in a day to help during Day of Caring or an hour to ring bells for the Salvation Army or to bake cookies for a fundraiser. We may volunteer for reasons such as to meet new people, to gain experience along with networking to bringing more visibility to our business or employer. Some volunteer because of the warm feeling that it gives them. In the end, all acts deserve to be applauded because it is making our community a better place.
Thanks again to all of those who volunteer with the Chamber whether it is on our Board of Directors, one of our many committees or for any of our events. Without you, we could not do what we do. To all the other volunteers, our hats are off to you as well. Let’s keep this momentum going and keep Huron growing.
Laurie Shelton
Huron Chamber & Visitors Bureau President/CEO