Cheri White

• Name: Cheri White

• Age: 43

• Family: Husband, G.W.; stepdaughter, Jacquie

• City of residence: Colusa

• Occupation: Self-employed, business consulting and grant writer

• How long have you lived in the Mid-Valley area? Five years

• Hobbies, interests: Reading, sewing, pets, I'm domestic, have a garden, do Renaissance fairs

• For what group do you volunteer? The Community Foundation of Colusa County for the past three years. I worked in this office when it was created, so when I had the opportunity to serve on the board I jumped on it. I do event planning, am the secretary, do public relations and community outreach, serving about 37 hours a week.

Our organization was new. Everything that needed to be done I did; I didn't think of it as volunteering.

This is the first thing I've ever volunteered for. I always thought I was one of those people who thought they didn't have anything to volunteer, so I didn't bother.

• How do you fit it into your schedule? Being self-employed I can manipulate the hours the way I want. If you make it (volunteering) the most important thing, it is the most important thing.

• Words of advice: Everyone has something to offer. Find something that means something to you and what you have to give will mean something. There will always be a need for volunteering.

• Worse part about volunteering: People don't realize that volunteering is hard. It may be volunteering, but it's a job.

• Quote: "Even if all of us had our basic needs met we would still want to do for others."

Volunteer of the Week runs Tuesdays on the Local page. To submit the name of a volunteer to be featured, contact Leticia Gutierrez, Community Editor, at lgutierrez@appeal-democrat.com or call 741-2400.