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Live United by Erin Haag

We’re over here trying to remember what our passwords are and get back into the rhythm of things. Despite being closed to the public, it was still busy with volunteers in and out. Freezers were defrosted, floors were scrubbed and long late night conversations were had about our challenges and the bigger dreams and the “what if.”

We held our first volunteer orientation the week before Christmas. I thought we’d implement it in January, but Rosemary told me she had a list of five people waiting to get started. So, that’s excellent news that we still have volunteers coming in and out. We’re seeing new faces, which is great because it gives the regular faces a chance to fly off to Jamaica, be sick, spend time with family or recover from surgery. I’m a little salty about the Jamaica one, and dreaming of a white beach.

So those newbies have joined us, and we invite you to join us, too. We will be hosting them each month on the third Tuesday of the month at 5 p.m. It’s an opportunity to learn about the United Way and all the different programs and how to sign up for volunteer shifts, receive a T-shirt and a tour of the building. If you’d like to attend one of these, please RSVP to Rosemary at 507-373-8670 or email rosemary@unitedwayfc.org.

I can hear one of my volunteers now, “so what ARE your challenges that you’re staying up past midnight talking about with Nikolle?” Well, first off, she and I both regretted that late night come morning, but we just laughed. It’s such an us thing to do — wait until everyone goes to bed and the house is quiet, call each other for a personal conversation and then we veer into work talk.

I’ve concluded that the biggest challenge can be summed up as things are Too. Much. At. Once. This applies to a variety of topics.

We’ll check our volunteer list and have two to three volunteers, and we really would like to have a couple more. An email will go out, and then suddenly, we’ll have 15 volunteers. That’s a lot of people, and I’ve heard a little bit of quibble about who should go where. The last thing I want a volunteer to feel is not needed.

Note: I looked up “quibble” to make sure it was as mild as I interpreted in my mind. “Slight objection.” It’s not a big dramatic thing, and we usually do have enough work in different areas, but it does become a little bit all at once. It’s a great problem to have, but it would be better if volunteers scheduled a bit further in advance. Could we take those 15 and have some of them come on Saturday, Jan. 20, when I have only one person signed up? That would be a huge relief to know that we could have a weekly staff meeting, and talk about who’s coming for the week.

It’s the same with our shoppers. We’re seeing shoppers arrive at the same time, which means we don’t have enough chairs for people to sit in, it’s traffic flow and parking issues. Then it’s the same with the phone. The phone that won’t ring at all for hours at a time will suddenly ring and be back to back to back, and it’s usually the same time as the doorbell ringing and someone also sending me a text or calling my cell phone.

These are good problems to have; they truly are. When I first started in 2019, my board considered moving the offices. They worried about location and walk-in traffic. We also had a part-time receptionist who left before I started, and they wondered if they should re-hire to take that position. So, I started tracking. How many times did the phone ring? How many walk-in people did we have? Over the course of four weeks, we had four calls, and all four were return calls that I initiated. We also had zero walk-ins.

Now we’re bustling, clients receiving help, human service providers getting resources to help with their clients, and over 200 volunteers moving in and out. You know, when they’re not in Jamaica.

We’re still growing. Much like my children, I wish we could put the brakes on this growth a little bit and give me some time to adjust to the changes. When my children were small, my husband and I read this book to them over and over. “If I could keep you little, I’d tell you stories every night. But then I’d miss you reading the words you’ve learned by sight.” Just like I’m suddenly looking for pants for my daughter who decided to have a growth spurt and is sporting ankle pants in a Minnesota winter, we’re looking for ways to help us stretch into these new places we’re going. Much of that is going to be asking the community for help. Slow down long enough to collect the data, to be intentional and thoughtful about what we need, what others need and the processes and flow of things.

Rosemary’s been working on data the last couple of days. We are taking those tally marks and preparing a program impact report. Jingle, Winter Gear Distribution, Volunteer Engagement and Welcome Pantry. All of those are in assessment mode, to see how 2023 went. This will allow us to help make 2024 even better.

You’ve already gotten your call to action to volunteer. There are going to be future volunteer opportunities as we implement a Senior Shopping at the Pantry on Thursdays. We’ll need help making phone calls and making appointments for the seniors. I hope to have those details hammered out by Tuesday. We also could use little things — clean plastic bags are helpful to have. Some ask about doing food drives. Currently, we’re able to stretch monetary dollars much further than community members shopping on our behalf, but if you’re cleaning out your pantry we do welcome food donations. We also accept hygiene items, household goods, pet food items and more.

SEMCAC is rocking and rolling over here, too, with the Meals to Go program. They could use a bit of help. Currently they are five drivers short for their route. If you’ve got a day where you can deliver a meal in the Albert Lea area, please give Janelle a call. Her phone number is 507-860-2796. Even if it’s just a substitute driver and not a regular driver, they’d welcome the help!

I hope the New Year has been kind to you these first few days. The world turns too fast, my children grow up too fast and there’s so much need out there.

Let’s do what we can to make it a better place for everyone.

Erin Haag is the executive director of the United Way of Freeborn County.