The Next Door Inc. Announces 2023 Volunteers of the Year
The Dalles, Ore., April 18, 2024 — In honor of National Volunteer Month, The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) is pleased to announce our 2023 Volunteers of the Year, John Fine and Colleen Ballinger.
John Fine has been a long-time volunteer at TNDI, donating his time to our organization for the better part of a decade. Most recently, he was a tremendous support to our Marketing and Development team in implementing a new donation software system in 2023. What would’ve been a huge overhaul was made simpler by John’s careful attention and gift for teaching as he walked the team through the inner workings of the new platform.
“John's kind and curious personality is infectious, and he is just a joy to be around,” says TNDI’s Fundraising Officer, Ashley Brown. “Couple that with his immense knowledge and ability to explain software in a way that is understandable, he is a gem among humans, and we are so fortunate to have his support!”
Serving as a Board Member for the Hood River County Education Foundation, John had also previously implemented the same donation software for their organization. This knowledge later helped John in guiding TNDI's team step-by-step to finetune the platform to fit TNDI’s needs, troubleshooting and offering support whenever and wherever needed.
“John Fine has supported nonprofits throughout the Gorge in substantial ways for a long time,” says Amanda Lawrence, Director of Marketing and Development at TNDI. “His willingness to help solve technical, complex issues to help our local organizations thrive is a huge gift to The Next Door and the other groups he has supported."
Colleen Ballinger has been involved as a mentor in TNDI’s Gorge Youth Mentoring Program (GYM) since 2006. During that time, she has supported three youth and has been paired with her current mentee for 5 years.
The relationship Colleen has built with her current mentee is steady, secure, and one-of-a-kind. Not only does she maintain consistent meet-ups and regularly attend Gorge Youth Mentoring’s in-person activities with her mentee, but she also has come to know the family, adapting to different needs such as showing up more frequently on snow days when school was closed this winter.
Over the years, Colleen has also built great trust with her mentee. This has come to light as the youth has gone directly to Colleen when going through experiences that are difficult to navigate. She has taken it as an honor to be that person for her mentee, offering the appropriate support through her own experiences and training through The Next Door. She is a wonderful listener and offers an open ear whenever needed. Colleen is highly valued and appreciated by her mentee, her mentee’s family, the Gorge Youth Mentoring staff, and many others within the community.
“Colleen is a retired Registered Nurse for Hospice who certainly has a heart for giving back to her community,” says Charlotte Meeks, GYM Match Coordinator. “She has volunteered in many different capacities, and we have been honored that she has continued to give the gift of time to youth in our GYM program.”
To learn more about volunteering and/or becoming a mentor, please visit nextdoorinc.org/get-involved, call 541-386-6665, or stop by 965 Tucker Road in Hood River or 1113 Kelly Avenue in The Dalles.
The Next Door Inc., (TNDI) the largest social service agency in the Gorge, was founded in 1971 to address the unmet need of support services for youth. Today, TNDI’s employees facilitate over 35 programs that strive to fulfill our mission of opening doors to new possibilities by strengthening children and families and improving communities in Oregon and Washington. For more information, please visit https://nextdoorinc.org/
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