Don’t let COVID affect volunteerism

It’s been a long year and a half since COVID started rearing its ugly head. Not only has it taken a toll on businesses and churches forced to close down, but its after-effects are showing up in U.S. volunteerism.
    That important aspect of making a community a community—volunteering and giving back—has taken a hit. And it’s being seen in Imperial.
    I’ve seen it personally in some of the organizations I belong to and my church affiliation. Maybe too many of us got comfortable just staying home with hardly any activities in 2020. Maybe a slower lifestyle is now preferred, as a friend suggests.
    It is definitely a plus to realize that family and spending time with them should always be a priority—that may be one positive coming out of COVID.
    Yet, there is a balance between your personal life and your community. Can you imagine what Imperial and Chase County would be like if no one volunteered?
    Don’t assume someone else can do the volunteering. “It’ll get done,” some of us say to ourselves. Maybe not.
    If that’s what happens, say good-bye to some favorite events and services in the community—like the food pantry, Smokin’ on Broadway, the Easter Egg Hunt, summer ball programs, the Community Christmas Dinner—the list could go on forever. Just think of all the local city and village boards filled with volunteers.
    The big one—the Chase County Fair—is just around the corner Aug. 8-15. So many of the fair events are coordinated by local volunteers—the demo derby, the horseshoe tournaments, the turtle races, the parade, the Saturday morning races and so much more. All of those shifts for four days of bingo are filled by volunteers. The fair board is comprised of volunteers.
    Our Chase County Fair is known statewide and regionally, thanks to its volunteers who do much of the work.
    News reports and some studies suggest a lot of organizations and non-profits went to “virtual” volunteering during COVID. Many of those volunteers are now wanting to continue that. That works for some areas but not all of them.
    Unfortunately, a lot of people who stepped back from volunteering the past year have not come back
    While there is a surge of new COVID-19 cases right now in some parts of the country, there is also a high percentage of people who now have immunity. Let’s hope we don’t become immune to the important aspect of volunteering.