Royal Neighbors of America, a fraternal benefit society located in downtown Rock Island, announced its Sherrard, Illinois, Chapter 20187 and Rock Island Chapter 20200 as two of its top 10 community chapters in the country.
Royal Neighbors chapters are made up of members who have a desire to impact their local community through volunteerism. This designation is based on the number of volunteer hours generated by a chapter in one year.
In a news release, Royal Neighbors also reported a record $24.5 million in Social Good for 2022.
A provider of life insurance and annuity products, Royal Neighbors has made social good the cornerstone of its work. With more than 250,000 members nationwide, its local chapters carry out the organization’s mission.
The number of volunteer hours submitted by the chapters is calculated to measure Royal Neighbors’ annual Social Good goal. The organization evaluates its Social Good impact by measuring four areas including: annual philanthropic investment, annual volunteer value, the monetary value of the long-term impacts of volunteerism, and total savings provided through its Member Savings program.
Royal Neighbors Chapter 20187 of Sherrard, ranked number four – having completed 6,720 volunteer hours in 2022. Chapter Leader Christine Rugh, and her team of 12 served the community by supporting all the functions of New Kingdom Trailriders, a local equine therapy organization. Participating riders develop the skills of interaction with horses and people, gain physical strength and coordination, and receive emotional support and connection from both animals and people. The chapter also helps by providing lessons to students, while volunteers perform the work of grooming horses, working in the stalls, as well as doing any necessary administrative work.
Ms. Rugh is grateful to serve her community. “Having been raised on a local farm with lots of animals, I have a soft spot in my heart for horses,” she said in the release. “It’s such a joy to see students develop the same attachment to ‘their’ horse. The physical and emotional benefits can be awesome.”
Royal Neighbors Chapter 20200, located in Rock Island, ranked number 10, completing 4,320 hours in 2022. Chapter leader Deb Kuntzi and her team of 10 served the local organization Friends of Hauberg, working tirelessly to restore and renovate the Hauberg Estate, which has been a cultural and architectural icon in the Quad Cities for over a century. The Chapter helped to preserve the 1910 historic mansion, carriage house, and 10-acre estate.
Ms. Kuntzi appreciates the hard work and diligence of her team. “Without the help of our volunteers, Hauberg Estate would have been lost to our community. It is very rewarding to see it come back to life and our community being able to enjoy it,” she said.
“National Volunteer Week is the perfect opportunity to recognize our chapters who are making a lasting impact through grassroots volunteerism,” Royal Neighbors Director of Philanthropy Amy Jones said in the release. “Our chapters are serving their communities in a variety of ways from stocking food pantries and serving meals to mentoring young women and sewing blankets for seniors. Congratulations to both Chapter 20187 and Chapter 20200 for the thousands of hours they committed to serving their neighbors.”
According to Royal Neighbors CEO and President Zarifa Reynolds “The work of our chapter members exemplifies what it truly means to be a Royal Neighbor. These are everyday women who are leading the way in the care, support, development, and service for others. It is humbling to be a part of such a committed network of volunteers and an organization dedicated to philanthropic impact.”
She credited the efforts of chapter volunteers with helping Royal Neighbors hit the record milestone of $24.5 million in Social Good.
Other Royal Neighbors chapters recognized across the country include:
- Chapter 20196 of Seminole, Florida, 16,586 hours.
- Chapter 20142 of Oakland, California, 16,090 hours.
- Chapter 20184 of Seminole, Florida, 7,430 hours.
- Chapter 20210 of East Brunswick, New Jersey, 5,756 hours.
- Chapter 5146 of Grasston, Minnessota, 5,648 hours.
- Chapter 163 of Garden City, Kansas, 5,363 hours.
- Chapter 20139 of Phoenix, Arizona, 5,165 hours.
- Chapter 20195 of St. Petersburg, Florida, 4,510 hours.
