We just completed the largest giving season of the year. November and December were filled with gatherings, which included opportunities for giving to others. One of the best ways we gave of ourselves was through potlucks. We participated by making food and then sharing it. This is a fun tradition unless the situation becomes complicated, like it did for me.

I forgot about a potluck and left people standing. It was the worst feeling when I realized what I had done. There were several nonprofits affected by my forgetfulness because the leaders waited for me to show up. The worst part was that I had the keys to the building. So, not only was I absent but no one could share their food without me. Upon discovering my blunder, I was disappointed in myself and fearful of going crazy. How could I forget something so important?

Volunteering is part of giving back in a community and SOAR is the way I’ve done that since 2018. SOAR is a cooperative of nonprofits who get together once a month for training. SO MUCH GOOD has happened through SOAR since nonprofits have started working together on projects. The Lights Above the Clouds Parade and the 4th of July Celebration are each managed by three SOAR nonprofits now.

There’s one thing you have probably noticed about volunteering. It takes the back seat when personal priorities develop. Volunteers come and go depending on what’s happening in their lives. A problem develops when the person driving a project moves to the back seat. The potluck was an example of that and it was a crash, an accident, which was a tragic mistake on my part. I had not told anyone about my leap over the center console from the driver’s seat to the back. I left the steering wheel unknowingly and crashed more than once last year because of it.

The research I’ve done in regards to numerology says 2025 is the year to honor the strides you have made. There’s no need to start anything new or make big changes. It is a time to float along and appreciate where you are in relation to the things you’ve done. You can read more about this through the following article: https://www.numerology.com/articles/numerology-news/2025-numerology-predictions/

I am excited to see where the tide takes me this year although I prefer flying and in fact, SOARing. It is the year to take in the view from 30,000 feet and see the fruits of our labor. Join me in relaxing through January as the SOAR meetings resume in February. The meetings are always the second Tuesday, 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. The cost to be involved for the year is $36. Call 719-233-9902 for details.

Contact Gayle Gross at iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org or 719-233-9902 if you want your nonprofit to be part of this column or to be part of the Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County. Gayle Gross has worked with nonprofits in the community since 1998. Now, she facilitates SOAR’s Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County. Meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month, 9:30 a.m. – 10:45. The group meets at Reserve Our Gallery or at a nonprofit’s location. Join the group on March 12 at the gallery.