WHAT DO MAIN STREET VOLUNTEERS DO?

A Deep Dive into the Contributions Made by Main Street Volunteers

About National Volunteer Week

National Volunteer Week is the last full week of April. It is an opportunity for the Madison Main Street Program to recognize the impact of volunteers and their contributions toward a vibrant, beautiful, lively, strong, and healthy community. National Volunteer Week started in 1974 and happens during Global Volunteer Month. This is our thank you note to the 125+ people who have volunteered for over 1,500 hours with the Madison Main Street Program (“MMSP”) in the past year and all the volunteers over the 45 previous years. THANK YOU!

What do our volunteers do? Who are some of the volunteers? Let’s take a look at just a few....

For the past 3 years, Laurie Dorsey has coordinated the 40+ volunteers at the Madison Main Street Program’s biennial loft tour. She spends hours finding volunteers, creating a schedule and assignments to ensure each location has coverage and prepping volunteers with the information they need to talk to attendees about the property they are visiting.

Thank you, Laurie!

Committee Members and leaders step up to execute the work plans that make our programs a reality and flawlessly execute signature events, including Girls Weekend, Holiday Open House and Music in the Park. Shout out to Tonya, Shianne, Colleen, Justin, Ralph, Sally, Link, Tyler, Randy, Andy, Julie, Deb, Kim, Emily, Jennifer, Rhonda, Jess, Valecia, Matt, Larry, Ed, Sharyn, Merry, Kevin, Jenny, Derek, Jeff, Jenny, Rhonda, Linda, Bill, Tyler, Jared, Sharyn and many others.

Michael Balon is a familiar face at the Madison Farmers Market where he regularly volunteers to set up or tear down the Saturday market – rain, shine, winter and summer. Michael and other volunteers display sponsor acknowledgment, traffic barriers, signs, and the information table to free up the Market Manager (Brittany Demaree) to work with vendors, answer their questions and help them get set up for shoppers. Thank you, Michael!

For the past 3 years, Sandy Palmer has been a key member of the team that produces MMSP’s Annual Gala and Dessert Auction. Sandy sources spectacular desserts to be auctioned and works along with the planning committee on the details that make the evening fun for everyone. This year Nicole, Alex and Karen were core members of the planning committee and created a memorable 45th anniversary. Let’s not forget some of the talented bakers that donate their works of art to the auction each year – Pam, Julie, Michael, Dan, Erin, Marlene, Kate, Deb, Vanessa, Whitney, Fiona, Peggy, Theresa, Sandy, Greg, Sally, Susan, Patsey, Dan, Kathleen and more.

Thank you!

Julie Truax, former owner of The Attic/Coffee Mill Café, joined our Economic Vitality Committee and has been active as a volunteer business mentor for downtown businesses. Julie shares her decades of experience, training and talent to help small local businesses succeed.

Thank you, Julie!

Sometimes the volunteer work is less visible – like the group that brought their toolboxes and elbow grease to the office to assemble furniture and hang pictures and displays – Chip, Larry, Jeff, Dan, and Joe.

Thank you!

These are just some of the many volunteers who share their skills, time, and talents to further the work of the Madison Main Street Program. The program’s staff and its Board of Directors are grateful for each volunteer – THANK YOU!