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It was a lucky day for both McKenzie Goodrich and Barney the dog when they met years ago at the Bloomington Animal Shelter. The match was a good one. And one that would blossom into something good for the community as well. They have been volunteering together as a V.I.PAWS pet partner team through the Monroe County Humane Association program …

Sara Laughlin came to Teachers Warehouse nearly a decade ago through her association with the Bloomington Rotary Club. She loves the mission of supporting teachers who support their kids. Teachers Warehouse is a resource for teaching and student supplies for teachers in Monroe County and a few surrounding counties. Sara has slowly elevated her engagement with Teachers Warehouse. She began …

Lori Dahlstrom has volunteered with Global Gifts fair trade store since it first came to Bloomington nine years ago.  She was looking for an opportunity that would be enjoyable and not super stressful as a counterbalance to her professional life as a counselor. She enjoys meeting the customers who come into the store and educating them about the mission of …

Shoes and a handbag make the outfit and Donna Lobdell knows her shoes and bags. It all started at the Farmers’ Market one day five years ago when Donna struck up a conversation with Sandy Keller, director of My Sister’s Closet. That simple ask turned into a twice-a-week volunteer shift for Donna in the nonprofit resale boutique and the opportunity …

Joan Hawkins had done a lot of creative writing as a younger person, but she mostly abandoned that pursuit as she advanced in her academic career and other priorities took over. Recently she began to feel the pull to return to memoir writing. She attended an open mike night sponsored by the Writers Guild and read one of her memoir …

Kathy Morrison has been the volunteer behind the volunteers for the past 7 years of Hoosiers Outrun Cancer, a fundraising run for the Bloomington Health Foundation Cancer Support Fund that assists – at no charge – those in our community with needs beyond clinical care. Beginning in March each year, Kathy joins the planning committee to begin the seven-month process …

Kathy Pratt has been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels for over 20 years. She originally got involved after being asked by a friend to join her as a partner on her delivery route. She has stuck with it all of those years and enjoyed not just spending time with her friend, but has gained an appreciation for the need …

It may have been how it reminded her of spending time with her grandmother. Or it may have been her desire to have the opportunity to connect with an individual directly. Or, as she reflects now, it may have been precisely because she found herself feeling uncomfortable with the idea of death, that Kit Sommers sought out more information about …

Henry Dohnert’s volunteer journey has come full circle. He was once a high school drop out who couldn’t see a path for himself to get back on track with his education. It was a mentor who turned that around for him and set him on the path to getting his GED and eventually a college education. As a recent retiree …

Kevin has been involved in the Real Men Read program through the Foundation for Monroe County Schools since its inception. He became aware of the opportunity through his place of work and is a part of a team of employees who rotate throughout the month to cover the reading shifts in the kindergarten classrooms they serve. He has really relished …