Jackson Chamber of Commerce honors volunteers

Volunteers at Southeast Missouri Hospital saved the entity nearly $1 million in 2009, Jim Limbaugh said Thursday.

Limbaugh said those volunteers' donation of 58,000 hours of work underscore their motivation for giving up their free time.

"That relates to our hospital and most organizations," said Limbaugh, executive vice president of planning and business development at the hospital. "This commitment to volunteerism can be measured in different ways."

Limbaugh was a speaker at the seventh annual Jackson Chamber of Commerce Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. A volunteer from each of the 16 entities present were honored during the luncheon at the Missouri Extension office in Jackson.

"The real benefit [of volunteerism] is right around here," Limbaugh said, looking across the crowd of volunteers and executives of various businesses and organizations present. "It's the relationships created that drive the fuel of volunteerism. Our own biggest takeaway is the relationships we create around this table and these tables and all this other stuff that happened."

Jim Gosche, a retired federal government employee, was among those honored for their volunteer efforts. Gosche's involvement with the Jackson Ministerial Alliance includes working with a food pantry that has served 250 families this year.

"It's fun and the right thing to do," Gosche said. "We all are supposed to be servants."

Jaime Craig said she chose to volunteer with Lutheran Family and Children's Services because of others who inspired her earlier in life.

"I feel like I get to do something worthwhile and give back to people," Craig said.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

243-8600

Pertinent addresses:

684 W Jackson Trail, Jackson, MO

125 E Main Street, Jackson, MO