by Paul Janssen and Kris Janssen
I am a bean counter by trade, and because I have those three little letters after my name, (CPA), I am always looking out for how to best use funds and land “in the black”. Listen, I am all about the bottom line. Besides donating money, which, of course, is really important, the next best thing you can do for a local nonprofit is to volunteer your time. Why?
1. It feels good. You may think I am not a “warm fuzzies” type of guy. However, when I hear about kids not having enough food to eat, I am there to pack Buddy Backpack meal kits or to distribute free Meet Up and Chow Down summer lunches.
As Board president of UWNEMN, I want to thank the 44 volunteers who participated in our first annual Week of Action. They volunteered at the UWNEMN, as well as at many of our local agencies. This summer so far, 95 volunteers have been involved with serving Meet Up and Chow Down meals at nine different sites. Amazing. During the previous school year, 1,000 volunteer spots were filled to pack Buddy Backpack meal kits. Volunteers delivered 100 holiday meal baskets to local Iron Range veterans in need.
There is simply no way that UWNEMN could provide staff to ensure all of this gets done. Volunteers make it happen. They feed kids. They paint walls. They hand out books. They deliver groceries to homebound seniors. They pack meal kits. All in all, volunteering equals a big win for all involved.