In a month that salutes those people who volunteer in one way or another, we’d like to add our 2 cents’ worth.

According to statistics compiled by a University of Minnesota survey, 66 percent of Minnesota adults volunteer an average of 3.8 hours per week, amounting to a dollar value of $6.7 billion.

That survey also estimated that 59 percent of Minnesota/Midwestern youths volunteered. There are approximately 262,000 volunteers between the ages of 12 and 17 years in Minnesota, averaging 3.5 hours of volunteer work per week.

Without the work these people do, many non-profit organizations simply could not exist and do the good works that they do. They work in food shelves, go shopping for elderly neighbors, clean, cook, build homes, renovate homes, drive people to appointments, or simply visit. The list is endless.

And they don’t just do it for the people in their community.

There are scores of local people who volunteer in other states and even foreign countries whose poor need help even more.

In today’s edition of the Tribune, we read about Ruth Ragan, who for years has been the pick-up point for the Kings’ Aid, a relief organization for poor communities. In addition, she makes quilts for a children’s home in Bogota, Colombia. Ragan, like other volunteers, doesn’t do it for the attention. She does it because it needs to be done, and because doing it makes her feel good.

We salute all those who take the time to do for others.

Our community’s volunteers are simply the best.