Perham volunteer fair connects residents with 14 local organizations

At Perham Living, 14 booths lined up Thursday morning with one shared message: Perham’s nonprofits, service clubs and community programs still need volunteer help to keep going. Elevate’s second annual volunteer fair brought together organizations that touch daily life in Otter Tail County, from the Perham Public Library and Perham Health to Kinship, the Perham Lions Club and the Backpack Program.

The fair ran from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on April 30, 2026, and Elevate said the point was to give residents a low-pressure way to explore volunteer opportunities and find a fit for their skills and interests. That mattered in a room filled with groups that depend on steady, local participation, including Lutheran Social Services, Love Inc., Empowering Kids, the Central MN Foster Grandparent Program, the East Otter Tail History Museum and the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center.

The turnout line may have been playful, somewhere between 15 and 1,000, but the need behind it was not. In a small community, volunteer hours often stand in for what a budget cannot cover: helping seniors, supporting children, staffing library programs, running youth mentoring, and keeping service groups active. Elevate itself is a grant-based program through Perham Health that focuses on helping adults age well through social connection, volunteer opportunities, flexible work opportunities and resources.

The event also pointed to a larger staffing reality in Perham. Elevate’s volunteer page says the History, Arts and Cultural Association of East Otter Tail County operates two museums and a seasonal festival grounds in Perham, all primarily volunteer run. If those slots stay empty, the effect reaches beyond one organization’s calendar. It can mean fewer open hours, fewer hands for events, and less capacity for the local institutions that give Perham much of its civic identity.

The fair’s second-year return also showed it is becoming part of the spring rhythm for local recruitment. A related Volunteer Fair by Elevate appeared on the Perham Area Chamber of Commerce calendar in 2025, suggesting organizers saw enough interest to bring the event back and expand the conversation about who is available to help, and which community services are most at risk when they cannot find enough volunteers.