Next weekend is Cheese Days! It is hard to believe but I will be celebrating my 9th Cheese Days. It is such a wonderful event that brings so many great things about Monroe and Green County to a larger population of people. I am also excited as my family comes from all over to attend this weekend. They enjoy the fun, food, music, beverages and especially the cheese! 

Have you ever taken a moment to think; how does a community the size of Monroe pull off something this big? I can tell you in one word: Volunteers. Now that is not to say there are many people who “get paid” to make Cheese Days a reality (like any other large city festival), but the majority of work that happens in the next week comes from the hands and hearts of volunteers.

So my question is this: why? Why does someone take the time to volunteer their time? It is an interesting question, and probably not one that many of you have thought about. There could be a variety of great answers such as: I believe in the mission of the organization I am volunteering with. I am “required” to volunteer as part of my child being involved in this activity or sport. I volunteer because a co-worker or friend asked me. I volunteer because I want to give back to so many people or groups that have given so much to me over the years. I volunteer because it is fun (yes volunteering can be fun). No matter what your reason, the most important aspect of this is you made the “choice” to be a volunteer, and because of your time, something special is going to happen that will help others in our community.

As you wander around the Square this coming weekend look around, and be grateful that so many in our community, for whatever reason, decided to give an hour or two (or more) to help make Cheese Days a reality. Then think to yourself, what group, organization, project, cause could my family and I get behind in the weeks and months ahead that will make a difference in the lives of others (and offer us as a family another chance to be together sharing some good quality time)? 

I see the billboards that promote Green County EMS as well as our Monroe Fire Department that are always in need of more members. These organizations are foundational to the safety and security of our community.

I know that organizations such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Monroe Optimists, Kiwanis, Lion’s Club, United Way, and the Monroe Theater Guild and many more are always in need of people to assist in making our community so much stronger in a variety of ways.

This summer I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Green County Fair as well as for the Mobile Food Pantry (held at St. Vincent DePaul Store the third Thursday of every month). These events and opportunities took little effort on my part, but made a difference to the organizations that sponsored them and the people that were served.

As the classic Cheese Days song says:

“Come to Cheese Days in Monroe, it’s a place for you to go. They’ll be dancing, yodeling too, and a big parade for you. And you know you will be pleased when you taste Green County Cheese. Come to Cheese Days come to Cheese Days come to Cheese Days in Monroe!”

If I could be so humble as to add something to this wonderfully historic song ... “Thank the volunteers, thank the volunteers, that make Cheese Days so great!” (OK so forgive me I am not songwriter).

And while you have a cheese curd and beverage this weekend, look around and think, what organization and group am I going to give an hour or two with for the next couple of months? Then give them a call or email, and be ready and willing to make a difference in the life of this great community!

It is often said, that 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work for many volunteer-based organizations. Isn’t it time for you (and your family) to be part of that 20 percent?

On behalf of the entire community of Monroe, thank you to all volunteers who do so much for so many!

— Joe Peters is the principal at St. Victor School in Monroe. His column appears on the second Saturday of each month. He can be reached at joepeters@stvictormonroe.org.