According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, 63 million Americans volunteered in the last year.  This means they contributed nearly 8 billion hours of volunteer time.   We can all attest that in the Cooperative Extension world volunteers are essential and thus this is the reason volunteer appreciation is so vital to programming at, not only the local level, but the state and national levels as well.  We should strive to move forward with the vision of Kentucky Cooperative Extension in mind.  Extension is an educational resource for all Kentuckians that serves as a catalyst to build better communities and improve quality of life.  In order to do this and become locally driven, volunteers are essential.  Developing a way to provide an on-going process to thank and recognize volunteers will have an large impact on the success of Extension in our community.   This year, for the first time, Owen County Extension hosted the first annual Volunteer Appreciation Celebration at the Extension Office.  

The support of this celebration was solidified by the attendance of 59 Extension Volunteers along with their families to celebrate their continued hard work in the community.  Also present were 8 4-H teen members to help serve and wash dishes for the volunteers.  Posted shortly after this event on social media: “The food was delicious and the whole evening was a first class event.”  Many volunteers verbally expressed the true appreciation for our program.  They felt valued and respected for all of their hard work over the years.  They also shared that they enjoyed the idea of bringing Extension together to recognize all areas of Extension: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, and 4-H Youth Development.  Overall, this program was a huge success and was the first of many for years to come.