Neighbors Receives Nonprofit of the Year Award from Chamber

Someone once said that if you keep your shoulder to the wheel, your nose to the ground and your eyes on the horizon there is no end to what you can accomplish. (To which I can remember responding, “Now, try to work in that position!”)

Neighbors has always been an organization who followed that advice. Not a lot of hoopla, just consistent, determined effort on the part of many, many people over a period of now almost 44 years. People with a sincere concern for others and a commitment to serving their needs without a lot of interest about taking credit. “Let’s just do our work in the absolute best way possible and if we do it well, someone will notice.”

So we were deeply honored, and immensely gratified, when Neighbors was presented with the Non-Profit of the Year Award for 2015 by the Dakota Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Organizations aren’t great; it’s the people within great organizations that are great. In our case, that’s not just staff people, it’s thousands of volunteers and even more thousands of donors who have used, and continue to use, Neighbors as their vehicle for serving others in their community. I have often said that Neighbors is but a conduit through which those who want to assist others are able to do so, in an organized and efficient fashion. It’s a role we take great pride in filling, and one for which we are honored to have the opportunity.

And so for almost 44 years now people have been doing the work of Neighbors well, and on Nov. 19, 2015 someone noticed. For today we will allow ourselves to celebrate. Maybe even boast a little. But then, knowing our staff and volunteers, it’ll be right back to business as usual. For which we also celebrate.

John Kemp