HOT PURSUIT

There are many special sections that we have produced over the years, but I’ll say that one of my favorites yet is inserted into this week’s edition. It’s the Heart of Steele.

One of the favorite parts of our jobs as journalists is meeting all the interesting people that are doing most of the time unselfishly great things in our communities. This week’s special section attempts to reflect in a positive way on those unsung heroes. While we have attempted some variations of this in the past, mostly through our annual Good News Holiday edition in December, it’s our first attempt at doing such a section focused solely on profiling the good deeds of our friends and neighbors.

Our editorial staff collected no less than 19 stories largely profiling volunteers and some paid dedicated professionals that make our communities strong. The communities around us are full of people willing to donate their time for the greater cause of making the lives of others better.

As you will see from our stories, there are many opportunities to give back to your community in church, hospital auxiliary, community service clubs, sports, civic organizations, foundations and many others.

What we’ve discovered is that people of all backgrounds have talents that can be used to enhance their communities. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t have to always involve writing a large check. Quite honestly, most people don’t have the ability to donate huge amounts of money. And that’s just fine because communities survive and thrive through volunteers who are willing to donate their time and energy to important causes.

If there’s anything our section sheds light on, it’s the fact that people are passionate about doing what’s right for our communities. Forget about all the nonsense political crap going on and the political division within our country. There are actually people out there who care deeply about making our communities better for the right reasons.

Jim Hoffmann is one of those people. The Vietnam era veteran dedicated more than 1,400 hours to the Owatonna Veterans Memorial a few years back and up until recently has still been putting the finishing touches on the memorial. He swells with pride knowing what has been accomplished. “I’d do it all again in a minute,” he says. He also serves on the Owatonna Color Guard.

There’s Gail Zollner who dedicates herself to so many different organizations that she has a hard time keeping them all straight. From quilting circles for Lutheran World Relief to promoting agriculture at area dairy farms and performing in community theatre, Zollner volunteers nonstop with a sense of fulfillment. “It feels right. It bolsters me and feels like I’m serving someone else, which is what we are supposed to be doing,” she said.

Those are just two of the fantastic volunteers and others you’re going to meet in this week’s Heart of Steele. Some felt they weren’t even worthy of being featured. But even the littlest effort can go a long way to helping build a better place to live for future generations.

I hope our effort will push you in ways that you’ve never experienced before. Find ways to help your community. There are hundreds of ways to volunteer. Even a few hours a month can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

We are all busy in our lives, but we still can go in hot pursuit of hitting the bullseye while keeping the Heart of Steele in mind.