Brenda Cahow, left, and Maggie Dill volunteer their time at St. Isidore’s Gift & Thrift store. (Johnson Publications photo)
Five volunteers were assisting a crowd of movie-goers at the Imperial Theatre, from left, Laura Maddox, Kathya Aragon, Nicole Havel, Carolyn Lee and Bella Maddox. (Johnson Publications photo)
Giving of time aids community, benefits volunteers
With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering can be numerous.
Volunteering offers assistance to individuals and causes in need within the community.
Benefits can be even greater for the volunteer.
Giving to others can help protect mental and physical health.
It can reduce stress, fight depression, provide mental stimulation and give a sense of purpose, according to
helpguide.org.
Another benefit of volunteering is the impact on the community. Even small amounts of help can make a difference to people and organizations in need.
There are many volunteer organizations working within the community.
The Imperial Volunteer Fire Department (IVFD) and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are two of those entities.
But there are other ways to volunteer in a community that doesn’t always involve an organized group.
Imperial has been described by visitors and new people moving to town as a friendly community that is generous in giving back.
Chase County Community Hospital (CCCH) has several active groups of volunteers devoting their time to the betterment of the hospital, staff, patients and community.
Deb Hrcka, assistant executive director of the hospital foundation, explained how the hospital auxiliary board helps with fundraisers through various events.
“We have 15-20 volunteers each year who help with different activities like fundraisers, stuffing envelopes for end-of-year correspondence and decorating for the annual gala, to name a few,” Hrcka said.
Chase County Schools (CCS) has many giving individuals and clubs that volunteer regularly.
“The TeamMate mentoring program is a way that many community members volunteer their time in the school system. Many of these mentors meet with the mentee during the lunch period,” said Jon Lechtenberg, 7-12 principal.
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