Sharon Dion, a Gloversville woman who volunteers her time with the 4-H Youth Development Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Fulton and Montgomery Counties, was recently honored as an "outstanding volunteer" for her commitment to serving the community's youth through the organization.

Sharon is always willing to put in some extra effort to help out, including participating in community parades, sorting and distributing orders in the local food fundraiser or working shifts at the snack bar.

As part of the “Hometown Heroes” series, we’ve partnered with County Waste, Latham Ford, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region and Awards by Walsh to celebrate local unsung heroes for their good deeds and honorable work.

We asked Sharon a few questions. Here's what she had to say:

Q: What inspires you to volunteer with 4-H?

A: What inspires me to volunteer with 4-H started with enrolling my daughter in 4-H when she was 5 years old. I had always heard about 4-H but never really knew what it was all about. Within my first four months of volunteering I realized how much I enjoyed helping all the kids and what 4-H was about. 4-H is something that I have grown to feel strongly about and will continue volunteering as long as I can.

Q: What's the most rewarding thing about what you do?

A: The most rewarding thing about volunteering for 4-H is knowing that I might be making a lifelong difference in not only my daughter's life but for the other kids I help. When we are doing a project together and I see everyone having fun, it makes it even more rewarding.

Q: What are some of the challenges?

A: One of the challenges of being a 4-H volunteer is hoping a project I might suggest will be interesting enough to the kids that they will enjoy it.

Q: Do you consider yourself a "hero?" Why or why not?

A: I do not consider myself a “hero.” Me alone no, but as part of a team of 4-H volunteers, together we can make the difference like heroes.

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