In a small community like ours, volunteers are vital! Programs in our community would not be possible without the dedicated individuals who see the need for helping hands. Whether its actively planning events and coordinating functions, providing input and experience to better develop a program, providing a voice for people who need to be heard, personally assisting members of the community when they are struggling, or being the positive role model in a child’s life, these individuals make big impacts. There are lots of different ways to get involved, it’s really a matter of figuring out how your skills can be applied to a cause important to you.

Diane Dimich is a volunteer with the Navigator program here at the Foundation. She has been able to use her real life experiences to help community members get assistance they may need. Navigators are volunteers who help low income individuals and families complete various applications for programs and services. They develop personal familiarity with available programs and services and are often times just a second set of eyes helping to complete applications.

“It’s hard,” says Diane Dimich, a Navigator, “It’s hard to know where to go, what to do, what you need.” Diane has been living in Red Lodge for 28 years and raised her family in our community. She helped her parents as they aged and struggled with assistance programs. After her parents passed she knew that providing assistance was the direction she wanted to take. After her kids graduated school she began her journey as a Navigator at the Foundation.

“People don’t realize how destitute some people in our community can be. People just want to be happy, healthy, and have their needs met. Everyone I have worked with has had an impact on me, and what’s most important is that people want to know someone out there cares. There are no words for knowing that you helped someone feel cared for.”

Diane was able to find the cause that matters to her and was able to connect her passions and experience to make a difference in others lives. Do you want to find out how you can make a difference? Check out our volunteer opportunities and get involved!