We could probably dedicate every issue of the paper to local volunteers and never run out of stories. Thankfully, community-minded, big-hearted people are everywhere, though the tasks they perform are so fundamentally essential, and sometimes so seemingly miniscule, that you might not notice. Like the people who voluntarily throw on an orange vest and wander along the side of highways picking up trash. Then there are those who volunteer with the Literacy Council to help teach people how to read and write. Or the members of GleanSLO who scour backyards, grocery stores, and farmers markets for leftover food with which to feed the hungry. Some interns are actually volunteers, and we try to answer the question of whether that’s legal. This week, the entire staff comes together to pay homage to the people who selflessly teach, clean, farm, and perform hundreds of additional tasks in service to their community.

—Ashley Schwellenbach, managing editor