Linda Holstein Stronge: Highlighting many volunteers in honor of Volunteer Month

To The Daily Sun,

Since April is Volunteer Month, I want to take the opportunity to highlight the volunteers in Franklin.

After my move to Franklin, one of the first things I noticed was the abundance of volunteers and organizations who help to make the city such an active and welcoming community. Thanks to Bread and Roses and Twin River Food Pantry for making sure our neighbors are fed. The Franklin Parks and Recs Volunteers (skating rink), Outing Club (Vets Memorial Ski Area), NEMBA and Snow Mobile Club provide us with recreational opportunities. Mill City Park and Webster Lake Association work to sustain our natural resources through cleanup days at the park and monitoring the health of our lake. Franklin Footlight Theater and Franklin Opera House bring the arts to our city and introduce theater to our children through the FACT program. VNA and Hospice care for our sick and elderly. Thanks to all those who donate, plant and water the unique kayak flowers. Hundreds of volunteer hours are donated by the gardeners who weed, mulch and water the public gardens. Thanks to the Christmas Tree Committee for our festive downtown during the holidays. Thanks to Choose Franklin for sponsoring Community Day as a way of bringing our community together and providing a day of fun for our children. To our elected and appointed officials, they spend countless hours of donated time running the city which is no small feat with plenty of difficult decisions, thanks. There are volunteers at the schools, at churches, those who clean up our trails and at the Trip Center. I am sure there are many I am leaving out so, to all the volunteers, their work is appreciated, they make a difference. I am grateful to all.

Linda Holstein Stronge

Franklin