April is National Volunteer Month, a period to honor those who graciously give their time every day to help others. It’s one of the younger of such celebrations, established by President George H.W. Bush in 1991 as part of his 1,000 Points of Light initiative, but youth doesn’t take away from its importance.

Because there’s no taking away from the importance of volunteers in our communities. They’re in our churches, our schools and our nursing homes. Nonprofit organizations couldn’t exist without them, as their compassion and call to serve provide essential assistance and allow nonprofit officials to focus on the big-picture tasks that keep their doors open.

There are plenty of ways to honor our community’s volunteers during this month. You could do some volunteering yourself. It can understandably be difficult to find the time to volunteer during hectic lives, but just a couple of hours a week can make a significant difference.

If anything, when you come across volunteers during your daily lives, take a couple of seconds to give them a heartfelt “thank you” for the work they’re doing.

Come to think of it, that’s a good thing to do, no matter the time of the year.