“Volunteering is a great opportunity to just be present and listen to other people,” Tara says. “It will teach you so much about what’s important in life, and about yourself.”
You never know what challenges someone may be facing, whether they're your coworker, a neighbor or a stranger you bump into while shopping.
“People often try to hide the fact that they're hurting or in need,” says Tara Dickson, IT application services specialist in our Vanceboro, North Carolina, Timberlands office. “Seemingly small acts that might not seem like a big deal to you can be life-changing to someone else.”
This philosophy drives Tara’s passion to help her community through wide-ranging projects and programs, and it’s a big reason why she was named a 2021 Volunteer of the Year.
“Tara’s been a board member with United Way of Coastal North Carolina for several years,” says nominator Blair Allman, planning forester. “She’s helped plan their annual fundraiser, the Bacon and Brew Festival, and participates in many volunteer events on their behalf at Religious Community Services, Coastal Women's Shelter, HeartWorks of Pamlico County, and so many others.”
In addition to her current role as board chair of United Way of Coastal North Carolina, Tara is also the treasurer of her local chapter of the Society of American Foresters, and chair of the state-level SAF. She sent her $5,000 Volunteer of the Year Award grant to the food bank at the Trenton United Methodist Church. And that’s just scratching the surface.
“It’s important for those of us who have extra time and resources to share them with others as much as we can,” Tara says. “You never know who’s going without food or educational opportunities in your community, especially in a rural area.”
“Getting this award made my year,” says Volunteer of the Year Tara Dickson, far left. “I almost cried when I found out. It’s such an honor.” Here, she stands in front of one of two Little Free Libraries that WAVES grants helped fund last year thanks to Tara's work with the United Way.
MEET TARA
Tell us a bit about your day job.
I’m part of the Connected Forest Support team, which just formed last year. We support applications used by our foresters and other Timberlands business partners that help them track their activities, pay contractors and keep the business moving efficiently.
What motivates you to volunteer?
Life throws us a lot of curveballs that are hard to get through alone. It’s so inspiring and life-affirming to see people help each other through the power of collaboration and teamwork, and I want to be part of that.
What made you choose the organizations that you did?
I love getting the word out about the great work foresters do for the environment, especially with kids, so my outreach work with SAF is really satisfying.
What drew me to the United Way is how many agencies and nonprofits it brings together under one big umbrella. Until I got involved with them, I didn’t even know an organization like that existed, so I didn’t know how to properly reach out to people who need help.
I live in a very small town called Trenton, and our volunteer fire department has a special place in my heart. I was so impressed with them after Hurricane Florence came through in 2018. Everything flooded except one tiny spot of dry land, and most people were evacuated by air. The firefighters stayed behind and protected those who stayed, making sure they had food and water. That made me want to join their efforts, and I will always support them however I can.
One of the many nonprofits Tara supports is her local chapter of the Society of American Foresters, where she's the treasurer.
What's your favorite part of the work?
Interacting with people, hearing their stories, and trying to learn something from their experiences.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to give back but doesn't know how or where?
Start at places like food banks, churches and organizations like the United Way. Chances are, they're already connected to the needs in your community and can put you right to work. Try different things and see what sticks with you. You might find that a particular cause stirs up a passion and points you in a certain direction.
What are your volunteer plans for the year ahead?
Our local chapter of the SAF has an Adopt-a-Highway contract for which we’ll do four quarterly cleanups, and we’ve planned outreach events with after-school programs and the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts in our area.
Last year I was able to help fund two Free Little Libraries for Jones County through a Weyerhaeuser WAVES Grant I received for my volunteer work with the United Way, and we plan to build a few more in 2022. We also cleaned up a grassy area outside a local food bank called the Filling Station, and this year we hope to install a butterfly garden there.
Tara working on a cleanup of a grassy area outside a food bank called the Filling Station. This year, she hopes to install a butterfly garden in this space.
