Community Appreciation

Thank you. 

Thank you for all that you do to make this community what it is today. As you read this, I hope you take a second to pause and think about all you’ve done here in Jefferson. Maybe you’re involved in a local non-profit organization or two – that’s an easy effort to identify. But some efforts are harder to identify. Maybe you find yourself shopping at local businesses instead of traveling out of town or to the internet. Maybe your kids or grandkids are involved in youth activities. Perhaps you frequent the library, rec center, golf course, or city parks. Maybe you find yourself at school events such as plays, athletic events, or music concerts…even if you don’t have kids in the events. Perhaps you attend community events such as the Bell Tower Festival in June, Porch Fest in July, Cruisin’ to the Square, in August, Art in the Garden in September, and countless other endeavors held around the community. Or maybe you take the time to read a newspaper column.

This is a short list of ways that you make Jefferson, Jefferson. The common denominator in them all is you. Your involvement. Your efforts to know what is happening around the community.  I can tell you that our office at Jefferson Matters makes a solid effort to get the word out as much as possible about community events and happenings, but it still takes you to seek information out. Thank you for doing that as well.

One of the overarching goals identified by the Jefferson Matters Executive Team is to “Strengthen Jefferson’s sense of community.” This means that each of the seven teams that comprise the organization sees the work they do through the lens of strengthening the community. These seven teams are made up of dozens of volunteers that are the backbone of Jefferson Matters. I am so grateful for the efforts and care these folks put into strengthening Jefferson’s sense of community. My sincere thank you goes out to them, especially.

Hopefully you’ve picked up on this column’s underlying theme of gratitude. I find gratitude and showing of appreciation to be some of the most important sentiments to express, and to do it generously. Every year Jefferson Matters hosts a Community Appreciation Night event at the high school performing arts theater. The apex of the event is recognizing the previous year’s volunteer of the year, which we call the ABC Award. This stands for Above and Beyond the Call. I’ll speak more on this in a future column.

Last year at the Community Appreciation Night we debuted “Forces Under 40”, a way of expressing gratitude for the “younger” volunteers in the community. Now we need YOUR help to recognize a few more “forces” this year! If you know someone(s) who you feel has made a difference in the community by giving their time and efforts, please nominate them by emailing me at director@jeffersonmatters.org with why you feel they are deserving of recognition, and how they have made a difference in the community. The cut off date for nominations is April 4. We will be recognizing the next group of Forces Under 40, celebrating the new ABC winner, and celebrating a number of other things YOU have done to make Jefferson, Jefferson at the 2024 Community Appreciation Event on Sunday, April 21 at the Greene County High School performing arts theater at 2:00 PM. Mark your calendars!