Make a difference to others by volunteering

She's 60 years old and spends several days a week reading to kids. He's the president of a local bank who donates his time on several non-profit boards. They are a family of four that delivers Meals On Wheels every week. And he's a 20-year old from halfway across the country who came here to help people recover from the 2008 flood. These are just some of the faces of volunteerism in our community.

April is “Volunteer Month” and a perfect time to recognize the thousands of people who donate their time and talent to improve the quality of life in our communities. It's also a great time to consider volunteering yourself.

Non-profit agencies, schools, churches and individuals throughout our area depend on volunteers for their survival. On average, volunteers in the Cedar Rapids area alone contribute over 6.4 million hours of service per year.

United Way of East Central Iowa is deeply involved in volunteer programs. Over three years ago, thanks to the support of Rockwell Collins, we launched an online service to match people with local volunteer opportunities. Later, we established East Central Iowa Volunteer Center to coordinate flood-recovery volunteers. In 2009, the center worked with 4,500 volunteers who provided over 75,000 hours to our rebuilding efforts.

Volunteering lets you contribute in a personal way. We greatly appreciate all you do. To volunteer, visit www.cor

ridorvolunteers.org or call the Volunteer Center at (319) 540-4810.

Be a catalyst for the change you want to see.

Sue Driscoll

Manager, Volunteer Programs

United Way of East Central Iowa