2026 February Volunteer of the Month - Friends of the Yankton Community Library

If you love books, February is your month! Library Lovers’ Month is all about celebrating the places—and people—that keep reading alive and thriving in our communities. At United Way of Greater Yankton, we believe literacy opens doors, and we are proud to highlight the volunteers who help make that possible every day. This February, we are excited to recognize the Friends of the Yankton Community Library as our Volunteers of the Month. They graciously answered questions for us to give us more insight into what happens behind the scenes:

Please describe your organization and its mission or purpose: The Friends of the Yankton Community Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the activities and goals of the Yankton Community Library and its Foundation. Through advocacy, fundraising, and volunteerism, the organization supports programs and resources that enrich the library experience for all members of the community.

Please describe the impact your organization makes on the community, share some stats: Founded in 1992, the Friends of the Library has grown into a thriving organization with more than 150 members. These members support the library through annual memberships and by volunteering their time, most notably through six book sales held each year.

Over the past five years, the organization has experienced tremendous growth, more than doubling its membership. What once consisted of small monthly sales generating around $100 has evolved into a major community effort, raising over $10,500 in book sales and more than $4,600 in memberships in 2025 alone.

What value do volunteers bring to your organization? Volunteers are truly the heart of the Friends of the Library. Behind the scenes, members spend countless hours sorting and boxing donated books, puzzles, and games each week. Every book sale—whether indoors in January, April, and October, or outdoors under tents in June, July, and September—requires 35 to 40 volunteers.

These volunteers move between 130 and 200 boxes of books per sale, setting up displays, organizing materials, and staffing the event. Their dedication ensures each sale runs smoothly and remains accessible to the entire community. Without their efforts, these events simply would not be possible.

The Friends also help ensure materials remain accessible to all by offering dictionaries, reference books, and Bibles free of charge. Following the October sale, “Free Book Monday” provides another opportunity for community members to take books home at no cost—spreading literacy and joy even further.

Please provide any pertinent statistics that show how volunteers impact your organization: Funds raised through volunteer-led efforts directly benefit the community in meaningful ways. Proceeds from book sales support a wide range of library enhancements, including summer reading program performers, the beloved fish tank in the library corridor, Mead Museum passes, the toy lending library, the children’s Imagination Station, outdoor benches, guest presenters, and more.

The organization also benefits from strong collaboration with library staff, who assist in accepting donations and sharing space to support operations.

At its core, the Friends of the Library group is powered by individuals who love what they do: sharing the joy of reading, learning, and community connection.

New members and volunteers are always welcome. Membership forms are available at the library, and meetings are held as needed on the third Monday of the month at 5:00 PM in the library meeting room.

The Friends invite the community to attend their next book sale, scheduled for April 9–12, 2026.

Thank you, Friends of Yankton Community Library, for all you do! To learn more about local volunteer opportunities or to nominate someone for United Way’s Volunteer of the Month Award, please visit www.yanktonunitedway.org/volunteer, email volunteer@yanktonunitedway.org, or call United Way of Greater Yankton at (605) 665-6766.