Give a bit of yourself back to community

The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago (TVC) and its thousands of volunteers applaud the Daily Herald editorial from Sunday, Jan. 3 which both recognizes our local volunteers and heroes, while also encouraging community members to get involved in worthy causes throughout the Chicagoland area.

As executive director of The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago in Arlington Heights, I can tell you that we witness daily the impressive accomplishments volunteers carry out unselfishly and with great dedication. TVC refers more than 15,000 volunteers each year to work in area partner agencies in more than 140 local nonprofits from towns in the North and Northwest suburbs.

These volunteers serve youth, the elderly, the homeless, the abused and the poor, as well as promote education, health, the arts and environmental concerns.

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact us at (847) 228-1320 or check our Web site at www.volunteerinfo.net.

In these hard financial times, nonprofits will be increasingly relying on volunteer support to achieve their missions and meet critical and growing community needs.

The Volunteer Center is a key resource for connecting volunteers to meaningful service positions and looks forward to increasing volunteer rates in 2009.

We add our voices to the Daily Herald - volunteer in 2009 and make our communities better!

Mary Fitzgibbons, executive director

The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago