Altruism is second nature to Carol Carlson; her favorite things include making pajamas for underprivileged families in Northfield, packing meals for Feed My Starving Children and preparing carts for same-day surgeries at the Northfield Hospital. Carlson believes that volunteering supports communities by making each individual member stronger.

At 79-years-old, Carlson is extremely active within the Northfield community, volunteering at everything from the Popcorn Wagon in Bridge Square to Thursday’s Table at the Community Action Center. After retiring six years ago, Carlson has become the poster child for a new wave of retirement volunteerism in which retirees essentially volunteer full-time. There is not a day that goes by where she does not give back to the community in some way, according to Carlson.

Carlson was inspired to start volunteering after her husband died nearly a decade ago. The entire community of her long-time home Madison, Minn. rallied around her family, cooking meals and providing moral support in her time of need. “Everyone was so good to me,” she said. “It motivated me to do the same for them.”

Four years ago Carlson moved to Northfield, leaving behind 36 years of friendships and relationships. Her family that lived in Northfield encouraged her to get involved at the Senior Center. From there her volunteer career snowballed as she began to get involved in numerous opportunities around Northfield. Now, Carlson heads up countless opportunities for others, including organizing her own team for Fifth Bridge’s Feed My Starving Children packing event.

Carlson is especially eager to volunteer within Northfield due to the city’s level of poverty. The economy is not helping this situation and many of the people who helped last year are getting help this year because they don’t have jobs, Carlson said. This only motivates her to volunteer more to help other people’s misfortune.

Carlson continues to volunteer because it’s so fun. Not only does she get positive endorphins from helping others, but she also enjoys working with other volunteers and those who are receiving the help. During the holiday season, Carlson helps make Christmas presents for disadvantaged families in Northfield. The best part of the event was seeing the joy on the children’s faces when they picked out their toys and books. “It just makes you feel so good when they’re excited about getting things because some of these kids wouldn’t get presents otherwise,” she said.

In addition to the traditional volunteering she does on a daily basis, Carlson has recently decided to write letters to people who have made a difference in her life. Biweekly, she writes a letter to someone from her past that has made her who she is today. In the letters, she tells the recipient how they have influenced her and how proud she is of them. The recipients, including favorite teachers and pastors as well as her own children, often take the time to write responses, reforming connections that have been lost over time.

“It’s so much fun to connect with people who meant so much to you earlier in life,” she said. “When you get older, things like that mean so much more to you.” She has written 15 to 20 letters in the past year.

Carlson’s altruism extends into her neighborhood, as she routinely entertains her neighbors. When new neighbors move into her cul-de-sac, she introduces herself with a teacake as a housewarming gift. Similarly, the 30 families in her neighborhood are always welcome at her house for morning coffee and socializing time.

While Carlson doesn’t think twice about her own actions, she does acknowledge that her example is not common, especially in larger cities. She hopes that other community members will be inspired by her example and volunteer to help sustain Northfield.

While volunteering is not required by the company, bank management has always encouraged employees to be engaged in the community, according to Vice President Betty Chapman.
Community Resource Bank staff members organize their own service opportunities and invite fellow employees to join them. “No employees are required to participate in every event, though it is not uncommon to have several attend to show their support,” Chapman said.

Many bank employees serve on the board of directors for local organizations, including the Northfield Hospital, the United Way, the Chamber of Commerce and the Northfield Enterprise Center.

In addition to serving on the boards of several associations, the Community Resource Bank provides 15 to 20 juniors and seniors from Northfield High School the opportunity to join the Junior Board of Directors. Two employee advisors mentor these students twice a month, presenting business and leadership topics as well as helping the students organize service projects.

“Banking is a very critical part of the economy, and the more we can educate, the better prepared these teens will be when some day they decide to start their own business or get involved in other organizations,” Chapman said.

At the end of the year, the Community Resource Bank awards one of the senior members of the Junior Board a $1,000 scholarship.

Additionally, the bank gives two scholarships to graduating seniors who have shown a commitment to community service during their high school years. “It’s amazing the number of hours our younger generation volunteer in our community,” Chapman said. “Parents are obviously teaching good values.”

The Community Resource Bank’s devotion to service is reflected in the company’s value statement, “Community is more than our name; it’s our mission,” as well as in its hiring process.

“[Involvement in the community] is one item that is carefully looked at even in the hiring process,” Chapman said. “[We want] to see if individuals show a propensity to fit our value statement.”

The bank’s volunteer ethic has helped foster a cohesive team of employees. “Keeping a positive, giving attitude is extremely rewarding in building a great business culture,” Chapman said. “Our employees are proud of what we do for the community, and we always have more than enough volunteers for a project.

The Community Resource Bank prides itself on being more than just a bank. “We realize that the more we give, the more rewarding it is for everyone involved.” Chapman said. “It evolves into stronger relationships with people [and] a stronger business community.”

In addition to helping the community in tangible ways, the Community Resource Bank strives to be a role model for other local businesses and individuals. “Ultimately, we hope to be inspirations to others to get involved in community volunteering,” Chapman said.

The members of the McDonough family are pros at volunteering. Through opportunities at their church and the 4-H Club, the five McDonoughs have become highly active within the Northfield community.

By volunteering as a family three or four times a year, the McDonoughs have subconsciously instilled a volunteer ethic in their children. “It’s the things we’ve chosen to belong to as a family, like our church,” Tammy McDonough said. “There’s just that opportunity to volunteer, so you do.”

Every year the McDonoughs participate in the CROP Hunger Walk, an annual event that raises money and awareness for global hunger. Participants in last year’s walk raised over $30,000 for the cause.

Through their 4-H Club, the McDonoughs also have cleaned a section of a highway, have cared for a cemetery and sing at a nursing home during Christmas.

The family has become so infused with the value of volunteering that the children often volunteer on their own. Through their church, they have individually participated in several opportunities, including Feed My Starving Children.

Additionally, the McDonoughs donated their van to the Community Action Center, a gift that affected the McDonough children as much as it affected the recipient. “The kids thought that was just the coolest thing that someone else was going to get to have a car because we didn’t need to have our car anymore,” McDonough said.

More recently, the McDonough volunteer ethic has surfaced in the Goods for Good Sale. Karyn, the family’s middle child, has signed up to sell her and her sibling’s old toys and books.

When some neighbors mentioned the possibility of having a neighborhood garage sale, Karyn immediately expressed interest in selling her old toys. The McDonoughs were already planning on donating some things to their church, which is participating in the Goods for Good sale, so Tammy told Karyn that she could sell her toys in that sale.

Coordinated by 5th Bridge, the Goods for Good sale is a city-wide garage sale May 1 – 3 in which participants donate 50 percent of their profits to a charity of their choice. When Tammy told Karyn about donating part of the money she earned, the 11-year-old immediately said, “Oh, I’d like to do the food shelf.”

Through their church, Karyn has been to the Northfield Food Shelf several times to stock the shelves. This volunteering made a huge impact on her, according to Tammy McDonough.

As soon as she got permission from her mother to hold the sale in their garage, Karyn began convincing her siblings to donate the toys and books they no longer use. “She cleaned house on all their toys, and talked about what they didn’t need and want,” Tammy McDonough said.

Karyn donated $12 to the Food Shelf, which was half the the money she raised through her toy and book sale.

One of my favorite parts of the sale was learning about everyone’s diverse philanthropic interests. While some participants donated to traditional charities such as the American Cancer Society and the Community Action Center, others donated to lesser-known organizations including the Siamese Cat Rescue and the Buddhist Meditation Center. Through this sale, I learned and got excited about a whole new group of charities. Ultimately, I think the reason we were so successful with the Gods for Good is because people are able to donate to organizations that support their own passions.

I want to highlight two stories from the sale that I find particularly inspiring. At one site, Northfield students sold items they had gathered from the clean-up days. Not only did they help the environment by giving items bound for the landfill a second chance for a home, they also raised $1,200 for the Northfield Union of Youth.

At another site, Mamie Tuma raised money for an upcoming Rejoice Church Alaskan Mission Trip, while her daughter sold homemade dog biscuits to benefit the Humane Society. This story is so inspiring because she used a talent to make money to support a passion that she had. We can all learn from her story.

The bottom line of the Goods for Good sale is that everyone involved wins. The people who had sales got rid of the things they no longer wanted while supporting a charity in which they believed. If they needed to, they also got to make a little money for themselves. Additionally, the people who shopped the sales got great deals and got to feel good about their purchases because at least some of their money was going to charity. Finally, the organizations that were being supported received money that was raised in a way that did not detract from their other fundraising efforts.

Now that the sale is over, I have had many people throughout the community express their regret for not participating in the sale. As a result, I encourage people who want to participate next year to start planning ahead.

If we have a better idea of how many participants we will have next year, we can better publicize our sale and it can be even more successful for the charities and for the community. Our goal is to advertise the Goods for Good sale regionally to attract new money into our charities. Moreover, Northfield’s economy will benefit from regional shoppers who will eat at our restaurants, shop at our stores and sleep at our hotels.

I encourage you to think and plan ahead for this amazing opportunity. Next year’s Goods for Good sale will occur Friday, April 30 to Sunday, May 2. You can contact me at the 5thbridge.com for further information about the 2010 sale.

The musical’s inaugural performances was made possible by a team of seven people. Now, as the show has grown in stature, so has its volunteer crew, which totaled 25 people this year.
Volunteers helped with all aspects of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival”, including set building, costuming, hair and make-up, ushering and concessions. They also provided food for the cast during the long practices of Tech Week.

Local businesses even pitched in to the effort. Culligan Water provided 5-gallon water jugs to keep participants hydrated, show director Tom McKown said.

In addition to helping make “Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival” possible, the volunteers also created an interactive backstage atmosphere that was beneficial to the students. “The performers see the volunteers participating and interact with them,” McKown said. “This year’s cast was a wonderful group. They were very appreciative.”

The presence of volunteers contributed positively to the overall experiences of the performers. “The response from the community was so positive and the shows were so much fun,” McKown said. “Just to be there backstage and having that whole atmosphere was just as valuable as performing if not more so.”

“Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival” volunteers ranged from parents of first-time participants to seasoned veterans who have been with the show since its conception in 1995.

McKown believes that “Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival” and its multitudes of volunteers are so successful merely because it’s fun to work on the show. “You need to have people involved, enjoying what they’re doing,” he said.

The good times carry over from year to year as people continue to volunteer even though their children are no longer participating. “The people who have been with us for awhile … have enjoyed it so much that they keep coming back,” McKown said. “We’re very fortunate.”

Some of the show’s major backstage participants, including the director, musical director, vocal director and choral director are paid by the district as coaches. Nevertheless, their commitment to the show and the number of hours they put into the show exceed the monetary compensation for their participation.

This was the case with Bonnie Liebelt. As a part of her job as Northfield High School’s activities secretary, Liebelt is required to help with the school’s productions. Nevertheless, her involvement with setting up volunteers and selling tickets went above and beyond her job description, according to McKown.

McKown is appreciative of all the people who helped with the show. “I’m so grateful to the people who come on board and amazed at the commitment they have and the job they do,” he said. “[The volunteers] have exceeded all expectations in their commitment to the show.”

Because he was able to delegate tasks to his initiative volunteers, McKown was able to focus his attention on making “Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival” even better. As a result, the show brought in $40,000, which will help make sure the show is just as fantastic the next time.

The ultimate success, however, lies in the hands of the volunteers. “We couldn’t do the show without the volunteers,” McKown said.

Reade more here: www.northfieldhistory.org/node/496

Here is a recap of the sale site results:

1. The ladies at PJ’s Fabric & Crafts raised $50 for American Cancer Society
   and $50 for Thursday’s Table.
2. Methodist Church women raised an estimated $1,700 for United Methodist Women’s Missions.
3. YMCA board members raised $1,011.21 for the Northfield Area Family YMCA.
4. Spruce Court neighbors raised $120 for the Humane Society.
5. 5th Bridge board members and friends raised $161 for 5th Bridge programs.
6. Girls on the Run participants raised $237.12 for the Olivero Family and $158.48 for the Girls on the Run Program. They especially enjoyed giving away things for free at the end of their sale.
7. Collegeview Townhouse neighbors raised $341 for the Community Action Center.
8. Harvard Chicks raised $75 for Healthfinders and $75 for Siamese Cat Rescue.
9. The Women in Action group raised $533 for the Somali Mam Foundation which helps free women from the sex slave trades.
10. The Marosi family raised $50 for a local girls service club.
11. The Carlson/Link site raised $92 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
12. Mamie Tuma raised $700 to support an upcoming Rejoice Church Alaskan Mission Trip. Mamie’s daughter raised $100 for the Humane Society by selling homemade dog biscuits.
13. Students raised $1,200 to support the Northfield Union of Youth by selling items they gleaned from the Northfield clean-up days which were bound for the landfill. Talk about converting trash into cash!
14. Members of the Main Street Moravian Church raised $330.
15. The Cogan family raised $165 for Crones & Colitis research, as their daughter lives with those diseases.
16. Valerie Bollinger and friends donated half of their sale proceeds ($250) to the Community Action Center.
17. Rachael Huener raised $256 for Dress for Success, an organization which helps low income women prepare to enter or reenter the workforce.
18. Wangs Woods neighbors raised $132 for the Healthfinders organization.
19. Not yet reported. Money was being raised for the AAUW High School Scholarships.
20. The Northfield Gymnastics Club raised $268.
21. Midlleschooler Karyn Ludwig held a toy and book sale and will donate half her proceeds to the foodshelf ($12). She also donated her leftover goods for an up coming garage sale at Bridgewater to benefit the Humane Society. She is already planning to participate again next year.
22. Katherine Baty hosted a sale to benefit Christmas Sharing, a program of the Community Action Center, and raised $230.
23. The Clothes Closet held a special half-price sale to benefit the Community Action Center and raised $600.
24. The Atkinson family contributed half of their sale proceeds ($54) to the DARE Program, which discourages youth from using drugs and alcohol.
25. Melissa Sharpe raised $140 to support MARS Preservation, an organization that protects rainforest habitat.
26. Erin O’Donnell’s sale will benefit the Buddhist Meditation Center. Results not yet reported.

Many of the sites donated a small portion of their proceeds to 5th Bridge (totaling $250) to help us off-set the costs of promoting this event. Thank you!

Left over “goods” still went for “good” as they were donated to the Epilepsy Foundation, Habitat for Humanity garage sale, or were given away free to someone who needed them.

If your family, book club, sports team, church, nonprofit organization, or neighborhood didn’t get the chance to participate in Goods for Good this year, then mark your calendars for the first weekend in May 2010 and plan on participating in the third annual Goods for Good – The Great Northfield Rummage Raid for Charity. Also keep in mind that you can host a garage sale anytime and donate the proceeds to charity.

Thank you to all the sale site hosts, the Goods for Good committee, College City Beverage (signs), Northfield News (celebration sponsor), Tim Jackson (webmaster), 5th Bridge board member volunteers, and all the other people who made this event possible.

Check out all the Goods for Good photos and look for other great volunteer opportunities on our website.

[...]
This is how Goldblum came, five years ago, to start the Diaper Bank (a name, she notes, that sounds less comical–and is easier to raise funds for–than the Toilet Paper Bank). These days, she gives away 200,000 diapers a month in Connecticut, mostly to public-housing authorities, tenants’ groups and agencies that work with low-income families.
[...]
FOR MORE DETAILS Download a free how-to manual at thediaperbank.org

A service of inspiration and renewal for caregivers will be Tuesday, April 21, 7 p.m. in the Three Links Chapel.

Called “Restore, Replenish, Renew,” this prayer and worship service is designed for anyone who is providing care or services to persons in need. This includes family caregivers, nurses, physicians, healthcare workers, therapists, clergy, volunteers and others.

The service includes reflective music, meaningful worship and a blessing of hands. The Rev. Keith O.E. Homstad will be the featured speaker. Elinor Niemisto of St. John’s Lutheran Church; the Rev. Diane Goulson, Northfield Retirement Community; Loretta Lassahn, Three Links; and the Rev. Janet White, Trondhjem Lutheran Church and Three Links; will provide music for the service.

Following the service there will be refreshments and time for fellowship. Hand and neck massages will also be available courtesy of Karen Mader, Sherri Bunch Quaas, Julia Uleberg and Loretta Lassahn.

Northfield Retirement Community, Northfield Hospital & Clinics, and Three Links are sponsoring the service.

Thank you Rock & Roll Volunteers