April celebrates and recognizes the many volunteers that help support communities across the United States. The entire month of April is National Volunteer Month and within that April 17-23 is National Volunteer Week. Volunteering is encouraged as many great opportunities are available. The drive of volunteers donating their time and passion to causes they care about helps the communities around them flourish.

An organization that works to make a difference here in the Owatonna community is the Owatonna Key Club sponsored by the local Kiwanis International. Key Club is a well-known organization, open to ninth through twelfth graders, that helps its members with college and scholarship opportunities. Kiwanis International also offers a scholarship for the members to utilize in higher education pathways. Owatonna Key Club President and senior Madi Voracek said,“Key Club encourages students in our student body to get out into the community to help other people. Being a member means working directly with people, helping in any way we can, providing opportunities for meals, affordable clothing and community pathways by collecting donations.”

 Key Club members pledge to uphold the Objects of Key Club International and aim to provide experience in living and working together to develop useful leadership skills. To accomplish this, they hold monthly meetings where they discuss different leadership skills and what it means to be a leader. To be eligible to letter in Key Club, members must have 20 service hours a semester with a total of 40 hours at the end of the school year. There are student benefits as well for being a part of the organization. 

Members also go out and do two or three service projects per month within the community. OHS teacher and Key Club advisor Mr. Jon Miron said, “Volunteers are crucial to our school and community because part of being a well-rounded person is understanding what others go through and understanding how we can help each other. Starting opportunities like this comes at a really impactful time to help students develop good habits and become great people.” The values and goals of Key Club push students to become true leaders in the community. 

Volunteering has never been easier; this month there are many volunteer opportunities available locally and statewide. Local volunteer opportunities coming up include the Big Brothers-Big Sisters fundraiser, Green Team park clean up, Owatonna Community Education family fair and the Village of Yesteryear clean up at the beginning of May. Voracek said, “I joined Key Club because I wanted to help the community and my peers, and also be a good role model.” 

The act of volunteering provides many benefits that are rewarding to the individual, including teaching valuable skills, creating relationships and networks and improving not just physical but mental health too. National Volunteer Month makes it easy to get involved and help pave the way to change in the community. Get connected to these volunteer opportunities by reaching out to the Owatonna Key Club.