April is National Volunteer Month. This month is dedicated to promoting, encouraging and celebrating volunteerism.

Volunteers are an essential piece of the Johnson County Department of Aging and Human Services. Not only during the month of April but year-round, we are humbled by the dedication of our volunteers who serve in rain, snow and extreme temperatures.

AHS annually recognizes volunteers for their service. Currently plans are underway to resume an in-person volunteer appreciation event this fall.

Connecting with our volunteers and hearing their “whys” are important to us, too.

For Ilene Collins, by joining the Home Delivered Meals volunteer team she is able to carry on a family tradition. She is the third generation to volunteer for the Home Delivered Meals program.

“It’s important to me that my daughter grows up watching her mom care for our neighbors the way that Jesus taught his followers. My mom demonstrated this for me as I was growing up, and it’ s special to be able to do this with her as well,” Irene said.

Her mother Laura Adair, added, “I have always wanted to do Meals on Wheels (Home Delivered Meals) because I knew my mom enjoyed serving this way in the community after I went to college. Despite the desire, I didn't have time to do this while I was homeschooling my three children. Now that the youngest is in college, I have the time and am delighted to be able to do this with my eldest – who happens to be named after my mom! Ilene wanted to start young, teaching her children to serve so now we get to do this together .”

In 2022, 780 AHS volunteers provided 23,848 volunteer service hours to our community through one of our four program areas: Catch-a-Ride, food pantry , Home Delivered Meals and office administration. The independent sector recognizes the national value of each volunteer of $29.95 per hour. Using the independent sector’s rate, AHS volunteers contributed nearly $714,248 in service to the county last year .

AHS is grateful for the hundreds of volunteers who provide service to our vulnerable residents.

We are always looking for new volunteers to join our team. Currently we have immediate openings in our Catch-a-Ride and Home Delivered Meals program. With just an hour or two a week, volunteers make a world of difference to those they serve.

For more information about volunteering please visit: jocogov.org/AHSvolunteers or call 913-715-8859 to speak with our volunteer services coordinator.