Volunteers give their time and labor without expecting anything in return. They are often considered to be the glue that holds a community together.

To recognize their dedication to serving, the Pecos County Commissioners Court proclaimed April 17 through April 23 as National Volunteer Week.

“Volunteerism is a dying breed,” Pecos County Judge Joe Shuster said. “We see this in many different organizations locally in Pecos County and the city of Fort Stockton and other communities. It is important that we do have volunteers.”

National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 and it has now become a nationwide effort to encourage more people to volunteer in their community.

“Volunteers in [AgriLife] Extension are one of our most valuable resources,” said Karan Heffelfinger, County Extension Agent/County Coordinator. “This year, for our volunteer report for 2021, we used 253 volunteers totaling 1,394 hours.”

Pecos County AgriLife will be hosting a volunteer banquet on April 18 at the Large Community Hall and they will be receiving a gift card.

“This is the least we can do for our volunteers,” said Payton Keifer, County Extension Agent (Agriculture and Natural Resources). “Specifically in 4-H, we offer so many different programs. Karan and I can’t be everywhere, so we rely on them to send our kids to contest.”

The commissioners also proclaimed April 24 through May 1 as Soil & Water Stewardship Week to show that “effective conservation practices provide the soil, water, animals, plants and air that can ensure a rich standard of living.” This proclamation encourages stewardship, a call for each person to conserve natural resources.