Wow. Look at this room. If compassion, kindness, and hard work had a party—this would be it. And today, we’re here to celebrate the best kind of people: our volunteers. Seriously, if I had a dollar for every amazing volunteer in here… I’d probably donate it right back to The Open Link. Because that’s what we do around here, right?
You are the heart and soul of what we do. Whether we’re helping families get back on their feet, supporting individuals through hard times, organizing resources, answering phones, or just offering a friendly face—you make a real difference. And not just on paper—in lives… real lives, every single day.
And let’s be honest… this work? It’s not always easy.
We deal with real challenges, real emotions, and real people who need real help. But somehow, you all show up day after day, week after week—ready to work, ready to help, and occasionally… ready to wrestle with a 40 pound bag of potatoes or 2 heavy meals on wheels bags (we know who you are, and we thank you for your bravery).
You do it without expecting praise. You do it without asking for recognition. You do it because you care and want to make a difference.
But today—we’re giving you ALL the recognition. We’re giving you the praise, the snacks, and hopefully at least one awkwardly enthusiastic round of applause. Because you’ve earned it. A thousand times over. Actually, more than 6,000 times over, because that’s how many hours our volunteers donated, of their time this past year. They gave up days off, lunch out with a friend, a round of golf, and the ability to sleep in a little extra in the morning. They used their own gas to get here or to drive, they use their own muscles to lift heavy pantry bags, they use their own intellect (and a lot of patience) to answer our phones and route clients to Staff, they could have stayed home and relaxed, but they chose to show up and give a little of themselves consistently and reliably to the work we do here. They offered their talents, their time and their sweat equity to The Open Link and all of their Programs. They even showed up often with a smile and a kind word. They did it without pay or complaint, just to do some good in their community.
There’s a quote I love: “You may not have saved the whole world, but you’ve certainly saved someone’s world.” And that’s what you do—every single time you volunteer.
So to our volunteers: thank you. For your time, your energy, your empathy, and your sense of humor—especially on the tough days.
So today, we celebrate YOU. For giving your treasures, your talents, and sometimes your sanity—all to help others. We see you, we appreciate you, and we are so lucky to have you as part of our Open Link Volunteer family.
Thank you for being amazing. Thank you for being YOU. You each make a difference!
Now go ahead, enjoy the food and fun today, grab an extra dessert—you’ve earned it. Maybe two.
Let’s give the loudest, proudest round of applause to our volunteers!
