Cherie Skillings, middle, at the annual Woodbury Friends Fest hosted by the Woodbury Community Foundation.
Cherie Skillings has been volunteering in Woodbury for several decades. Like many community volunteers, she started by volunteering at church and in school when her children were younger. In 2005, she joined the Woodbury Public Safety (WPS) Board, inspired by one of her uncles, who was a policeman. “I wanted to make my volunteering worthwhile,” Skillings says. Between 2005–2008, the WPS Board raised about $200,000 for emergency medical services.
During that time, Skillings helped establish the Koins for K-9 Fund. The purpose and mission of the fund is to purchase and train K-9s and handlers, covering costs not provided to meet needs and demands. Businesses around Woodbury prominently display boxes for donations to support the cause.
The Woodbury Community Foundation (WCF) has also benefited from Skillings’ volunteering. Skillings has helped gather items for donation from local businesses for the WCF’s annual fundraising fest. Her method for gathering donations is simple: She goes to the business and asks if it will donate for the community. “Whatever they are willing to donate is great. If not, I thank them and tell them, ‘I hope you can donate another time,’” Skillings says. She believes that Woodbury has a very generous business community, especially the smaller, family-owned businesses that are always willing to help the community.
Manali Shah is a board member of the WCF and has been volunteering in Woodbury and Washington County for over 20 years. Find more at woodburycommunity.org.
