Volunteers helping in West Burke

This week marks national volunteer week where we celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Volunteering community members giving up their time and skills to help various different venues.  Even in the Northeast Kingdom people are out lending a hand. RSVP coordinates those interested in volunteering to the job that best suits their interests and abilities. Director of RSVP, Diana Lopez, talks about the need of more volunteers.

"Well RSVP is still here and volunteers are still desperately needed for every non-profit organization in the area. All of them are facing a funding problem and difficulties and volunteers are more and more important."

And this is week marks national volunteer week where we give thanks to those who take the time to give back to the community. Lopez mentions ways to give credit to volunteers.

"Every single non-profit organization in the area is doing something to recognize their volunteers this week whether it is simply a poster naming everyone as you are coming into a facility or whether it is a luncheon, a tea, like the good living senior center is doing, everybody does something."

Director of West Burke meal site, Linda Britt, has her own special way of showing thanks.

"I usually give them thank you notes, some token to let them know we appreciate them, we always give them free coffee and tell them they don't have to pay for their meal when they are volunteering, we try to make it fun so that they enjoy volunteering here."

The West Burke senior meal site is one of the area organizations that uses volunteers and understands that their help is essential. Britt talks about her day to day operations.

"Well if you look around, today is one of our bigger meals we're serving probably 54 people we'll need 3 people serving. One person making coffee another delivering home bound meals someone needs to clean up, do the dishes etc, so there's a lot of work to do."

Volunteer, Dee Rice, loves volunteering because it keeps her busy.

"I had to keep busy, I had to keep busy no matter how I felt I had to keep busy and that's the most important and they needed, they needed help so I came."

And sometimes giving back isn't the only reason why someone decides to be a volunteer. Rice adds that he just loves

Giving a Hleping Hand

helping others.

"It picks your spirit up and it makes you feel alive and that's the most important part of life of living you know feeling alive."