Nick Trahair

I believe that community involvement not only helps the community you live and work in strive, but it also helps shape you as a person.  Volunteering within a community helps the community become stronger but it also makes you a stronger person with more connections, personal bonds and friendships and learning about what makes the community so special. I I am lucky to have been a part of many amazing organizations over the years in many different roles.  From large festivals and events, to smaller scale fundraisers I always enjoy getting out into the community.   Over the years I have served on boards and committees - from community visioning to children's museums and everything in between.  By getting involved you learn about some of the smallest, unrecognized non-profits that make some of the biggest impact in the community!  One such that still stays with me today was I was serving on a committee for the United Way interviewing and awarding annual grant requests.  We heard from "the regular" non profits and then these two people got up and they were with "The Laundry Project"    They discussed how they have days at laundry mats where they help community members struggling to help keep their clothes clean.   I thought "why" at first and then they talked about kids - they go to school in clean clothes.   They talked about job interviews.  and just talked about how personal hygiene and a clean set of clothes just makes a person feel better for themselves physically and mentally.  Something I never even thought of - clean clothes - could make such a difference.   But then I understood.  I saw kids at school who has not been able to wash for weeks because of living situations, money situations or something else.  I learned about them because I got involved.  I remember looking around the room and there were literal tears in some of the interviewers eyes.  Talk about impact.