Many people you meet on the street every day have some sort of volunteer duties. Volunteers make life better for others and bring community together.

What’s more volunteerism allows an individual to become a part of the community. Many volunteers will tell you they have a sense of achievement and feel more motivated.

Recently, Selma and the Black Belt Region benefited from the work of some dedicated volunteers. The Vaughan Regional Medical Center Auxiliary held a ribbon cutting ceremony last week at the formal opening of the hospital’s newly renovated dining room. Vaughan volunteers donated more than $20,000 to the project, including providing new furniture to the space.

Additionally, the auxiliary awarded nine local students scholarships enrolled in two-year and four-year colleges and universities. The students receiving those scholarships had to be in some kind of health care-related field. The volunteers donated $15,000 in scholarships to nine students.

The work of the medical center’s auxiliary is just one example of how volunteerism reaches beyond the self and into other lives.