SKC student named a Montana Student Volunteer

Jade Dempsey, a Salish Kootenai College elementary education student, is one of 12 Montana college students to receive 2023 Montana Student Volunteer Awards.

Dempsey, who is also a TRIO Student Support Services Scholar, is involved in many community service projects, which all involve collecting donations for local organizations.

“Jade is committed to her communities and has a warm, caring personality, making her an outstanding volunteer,” says TRIO director Kathie Maiers.

For example, she has collected donations for a fundraiser her family does every year in remembrance of her nephew, who passed away on his birthday. This is the sixth year the family has organized silent auctions, bake sales, a raffle, a free spaghetti meal, and a live auction to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House in Missoula.

In 2018, she and her family raised over $4,000. In 2019 they raised more than $6,000, and then skipped a year due to COVID. In 2021, they raised $8,602, and in 2022, she and her family raised $18,000. She hopes to do the same this year.

Dempsey also collects donations for Boys and Girls Clubs in Ronan and Polson. She solicited school supplies from Walmart in Polson, such as crayons, markers and colored pencils, and dropped them off at the Ronan club.

She also collected donations for Safe Harbor in Ronan. This program helps people escape domestic violence by providing shelter and helping women and their children find safe housing and get on their feet. She collected bathroom and kitchen supplies, clothing, toys, and other household items for this vital community organization.

Dempsey says she finds volunteering very rewarding and plans to continue collecting donations for valuable community services.