I am very fortunate that in my position I am able to connect with other nonprofit directors. Specifically Marie Perry, who recently joined Monroe Arts Center, and Denise Plantenberg.
Despite the fact that we are all based downtown, we have a limited number of volunteers that we share. To me, that is all the more impressive than that whenever we are together, there is such an understanding and gratitude for the volunteers who are bringing what we do to life. I am quite confident that Monroe takes that to an entirely different level.
In the 20 years we have been a Main Street community, over $1 million worth of volunteers’ time has been donated into the program. According to Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), we have averaged over 1,500 volunteer hours a year with the number increasing significantly each year. That is astounding! Independent Sector, with the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland, announced on April 23, 2024, that the estimate for the value of a volunteer hour was $33.49 in 2023. And that dollar amount only increases each year.
Volunteers are the heart and soul of this movement that we have now been a part of for 20 years. There is no set start date and certainly not an end date. What volunteers hold dearest to them no matter how often they volunteer or in what capacity is the full potential and joy of what is possible.
One of my favorite quotes is “volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.” And that is why I am quite confident and just how much so many of us love Monroe.
We recently unveiled our full summer concert, calendar of events. We will have approximately 26 event days, on top of 52 farmers markets. Volunteers will be at every single one. Yoga on the lawn classes, entertainment at the farmers market every third Saturday, Concerts, Cars on the Square, the upcoming wine walk on Friday, April 25. Volunteers make all of that possible as they have been for the past 20 years. In a matter of weeks, flowers will again be planted in our flower pots downtown thanks to volunteers. Some people will be involved in multiple projects, but many will not be. Together you volunteers weave together skills, time, and ideas to “vote” every day to make things happen, make Main Street what it is, and make Monroe better.
As you hopefully know, several of our volunteers have been recognized by the state Main Street program. These are the amazing volunteers who are so committed that most of us never have to think about who planned a pop up concert with a Canadian band, who arranges cars and drivers for participants in a parade, or who spruces up downtown benches.
My sincerest thanks to everyone who volunteers, especially those who did in the early years of Main Street Monroe when things were not established and generations had not yet layered over with many kinds of local knowledge. It has led to not just 20 years of lasting but of growing and changing with the times. The durability of the practice of working together and celebrating together is a “get stuff done” attitude, whether with Main Street Monroe or another volunteer driven non profit, making Monroe the kind of community we want to live every day. We are not just staying relevant, but we are staying vibrant.
For those interested in finding out more about how to volunteer for Main Street, visit mainstreetmonroe.org or contact me directly at 608-328-4023.
— Jordan Nordby is the executive director for Main Street Monroe. He can be reached at MonroeMainStreet@tds.net. Complete details on Main Street Monroe and its efforts can be found at mainstreetmonroe.org.
