Volunteers are key for any community to be successful. Volunteerism is one of those elements of our larger community that we should all be proud of as year after year residents step up and donate time for a specific organization.

Yet more people who are willing to help out are needed.

A good case in point is the Union County Warming Station. Last week, an Observer staff reporter wrote a piece regarding the fact that the warming station needs more volunteers.

The need is serious, and within a few weeks, when winter really hits, it will become acute.

Right now, there are enough volunteers to get the warming station going but not enough to sustain through the next couple of months. While the volunteer situation has improved some during the past few weeks, more needs to be done. The warming station needs more volunteers to remain a viable service.

That’s where the rest of us come in.

Donating some time each week will go a long way toward creating a sustainable facility. Volunteers must pass a background check. The background check costs $33 but the warming station will pay the cost.

It’s a win-win situation for those among us who want to give back to the community. Volunteers at the warming station do not face a dizzying array of difficult tasks to perform. Instead, they will be working in a low-key environment and providing a crucial service that will only become more critical as the winter months drag on.

Volunteering is one of those themes we’ve returned to time and again because we believe it is important for any community to be able to know it has a resident that is willing to help out when needed. We understand it isn’t easy in this era to find large blocks of time to give back to a community organization but it’s not impossible.

A community functions and is successful because of a long line of factors. Key pillars keep the community viable and moving into the future and one of those is volunteers.

So, if you have some free time and want to help out, look into volunteering at the Union County Warming Station.