Anyone who thinks volunteerism in Butler County is suffering amid the troubling economic climate will gain a different perspective by reading today's special edition of the Butler Eagle.

It's the time of the year when the newspaper takes an in-depth look at some aspect of life here by way of its annual Progress edition. This year's edition, which appropriately is titled "Butler County Cares," is devoted to the positive impact of volunteers throughout the county.

Considering the number of articles in this special edition, it's unlikely that most people will have time to read all of it in one sitting. So, readers should keep it handy, and read it as time permits.

Many of the articles have the potential to inspire some of today's non-volunteers to look for ways they too can donate some of their time and effort to a worthy cause. Those who already volunteer are testimony to the personal satisfaction that volunteering brings to those who give of themselves on behalf of others.

A sampling of quotes from the Progress edition merits reflection — and action — by those who might have time to volunteer, but just haven't gotten around to it:

n "I take satisfaction that those less fortunate get the food that they need." — Barbara Geist, 72, of Adams Township, who has been volunteering at the Cranberry Township food bank for nearly a decade.

n "We have wonderful volunteers. We have a few who have been with the program the entire 40 years . . . I've been with the program for 16 years and very little changes because everything works so well." — Mary Patacky, director of Butler County Meals on Wheels.

n "I always said that if I got paid for my volunteering, I wouldn't want it . . . I've been very fortunate in my life, and I've had a great life, and I want to give back." — Bill Hetrich, who volunteers for many groups, including having volunteered for numerous projects with the Butler Lions Club for nearly 40 years. A retired teacher, Hetrich continues to tutor small groups of fourth-graders in math once a week.

n "I volunteer because I believe that if you live in a community, you need to be willing to be involved in making it a better place." — Cindy A. Webreck, who has donated her time to a number of community organizations since moving to Butler in 1982. She is most involved now with the Victim Outreach Intervention Center, where she is vice president of the board of directors and a member of the Fund Development Committee.

n "When one retires, I think a person needs to find something productive to do. It's great, too, to give back to the community a little in a beneficial way, and it's provided me with new friends and an educational experience at the same time." — Doug Custead, 61, who volunteers about eight hours a week for assorted tasks for the Butler County Historical Society.

n "When you help someone for nothing in return, they are usually grateful. If you see these people again, they will notice you and think of you as a good-hearted person." — Rachel Burnett, a student at Knoch Middle School.

Each spring, many young people from across Butler County are honored by way of the Leaders of Tomorrow program sponsored by the Butler Eagle and Embarq. Considering the length of the volunteerism resumes many of those young people have compiled, it's understandable to wonder how they find time for schoolwork. Yet these young people earn excellent grades in their classrooms as well.

Butler County Cares shows how the volunteer spirit is embedded throughout the county and among people of all ages. And, it's a reminder that that spirit should be a source of pride to everyone who lives here.

If someone would tally the actual number of volunteer hours given in this county each year, the total would be phenomenal. But as remarkable as that number would be, it would not be as remarkable as the good that emanates from those hours, in good times or bad.

That wonderful spirit must never wane.