Congratulations to Prime’s Vice President Marilyn Bina, who was recognized as the April Volunteer of the Month by the City of Elk River. Marilyn was honored at a recent Elk River City Council meeting and accepted her award from Elk River Mayor John Dietz (pictured here). The following are Marilyn’s words about her time spent volunteering in the community that she enjoys so much. Congratulations, Marilyn!

“Volunteering is in my blood. As a longtime Elk River resident, I have seen firsthand how volunteers help make the community a better place to live and work. Without volunteers helping our non-profits, they would be hard-pressed to meet the needs of residents in need of help. Volunteering is the least I can do to make Elk River a safe and wonderful place to live and raise a family.

As a volunteer, I served on the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce from 2011 to 2014 as well as on various other committees over the past several years. I also volunteered my time to serve on the Vestry (Church Council) of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Elk River for six years. This position involved the ministry of evangelism and marketing and included helping my church procure membership in the Elk River Chamber of Commerce. I enjoyed making sure my church supported Chamber events throughout the year, including the annual all-member fall event.

I also served as a member of the Holy Trinity Women’s Group, volunteering time with the CAER (Community Aid Elk River) Food Shelf, the Great River Family Promise and Open Doors for Youth. I devoted countless hours to projects for these causes, from putting together travel bags for the homeless to making sure Holy Trinity Episcopal Church provided non-perishable food items and other needed supplies for CAER throughout the years.

As a member of the Guardian Angels Board of Directors for eight years, I have been involved in the planning, organization and coordination of the Annual Gala during my time on the Gala Committee. The Annual Gala attracts over 400 people each year and helps raise funding for Guardian Angels. I have also enjoyed serving on the Fund Development Committee and have attended the monthly board meetings as well as volunteering on numerous committees of this fabulous Elk River community-wide organization.

Which causes and organizations are near and dear to your heart? I encourage you to give back by getting involved!”