Every week, a small group of people supported by Rise visit the Friday Memorial Library in New Richmond, Wisconsin to volunteer and give back to their community. 

With support from Employment Exploration Specialist Shylo Olson, Jake Peterson, Chris Cameron, and Adina Eads work together to disinfect and organize books in the children’s section of the library. Jake focuses on disinfecting while Chris puts his strong organizational skills to use by alphabetizing the books. They sometimes switch tasks to learn new skills. Adina joins in when she can, helping sort books by color, wiping them down, and jotting down new words she discovers in her notebook. 

This volunteer experience gives them the chance to build valuable work skills while giving back to their community. “I’m just trying to come here to support the community,” Jake shared. Chris added, “I like coming to the library and putting the skills that I have to work. I put them in order and like to be organized.” 

“They’re showing teamwork and representing Rise‘s mission of get people involved in the community,” Shylo said. “We’re a team,” Jake shared. “My goal is to get a job in the community,” he explained, sharing his personal goal as he builds experience through volunteering. 

Through this volunteer activity, they are not only keeping books clean and organized, but also building confidence, practicing communication and teamwork, and preparing for future jobs in the community. 

This activity is made possible through the Inclusa Foundation. This is contribution in action, a core part of Commonunity®. Participants gain valuable skills like teamwork, communication, and organization while giving back to their community and preparing for future job opportunities.