Penny: Make a difference in your own back yard
When asked what I love about southern Minnesota, one thing that always rises to the top is the drive that people have to help their neighbors. This was especially evident during the recent blizzard. Volunteers helped dig out vehicles, rescue stranded travelers and open their doors to provide shelter. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we work to help our neighbors in many ways, including by placing people in service roles across our 20-county region through the national AmeriCorps program.