Sharons of the Senior Center recognized

"Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart." - Elizabeth Andrew.

It's hard to imagine two people who embody this quote more than Sharon Dunnigan and Sharon Hirchert. Together, they've volunteered to keep the New Rockford Senior Center operational for years.

For their tireless volunteer work and devotion to the senior center, the two Sharons have been selected as the New Rockford Chamber's Employees of the Month for March.

They were nominated for the honor by Joyce Peters, who wrote in her nomination form, "Without these two ladies, the senior center would have to close the doors."

Sharon Hirchert, a native of Steele, N.D., first moved to the area in 1970 and immediately got to work. She told the Transcript on Tuesday about the many jobs she's done over the years, and how she loves to keep herself busy.

"I've never been idle," she said. "It seems like I'm always busy, but of course I don't want to not be busy."

To keep herself working, Hirchert operates the kitchen at the senior center; where most of her work involves preparing dozens of meals for delivery and for anyone wishing to eat at the center in person.

Sharon Dunnigan, meanwhile, operates the thrift store at the senior center. Dunnigan is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and moved to New Rockford when she was 65 years old.

Now, she comes into the Senior Center as early as 6 a.m. every weekday, where she organizes, maintains and sells the many knick-knacks, clothes, toys and other items that can be found at the thrift store.

Both expressed how much they enjoy the work they do. Hirchert said she loves staying busy and helping the community, while Dunnigan loves the "stuff" she gets to work with in the thrift store.

However, they also expressed a need for more volunteers and more customers if the senior center's doors are to remain open. Ever since COVID-19, however, getting people to come in has been a struggle.

"We had a lot of people here," said Dunnigan, of what the Senior Center was like before the pandemic. "We had something like 25 people eating here every day, now there's only a couple."

Dunnigan added that she gets more people from out of state visiting the thrift shop than she does folks in town.

Hirchert, meanwhile, is in need of volunteers to deliver food from the kitchen. She often prepares up to 40 meals a day, five days a week, and most of those meals must be delivered.

Hirchert cautioned that having an operational senior center in town is a luxury not all communities enjoy, and if the New Rockford Senior Center can't keep the volunteers necessary to keep the door's open, New Rockford may lose a valued asset to the community.

"I really enjoy being here and having something to do," she said. "... I think it's quite a thing to do, but a lot of places don't have it anymore, and I'd hate to see that here. I sure hope we don't lose this."

Anyone wishing to volunteer is encouraged to call (701) 947-5378, or visit with Sharon Hirchert at the senior center. But even if you can't volunteer, feel free to check out the thrift shop and sit down for a quality meal!

Lunch is served as early as 11:30 a.m. Monday - Friday.