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Dear Editor,

The following quote, often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr., summarizes why you should write in Shaunna Hunter-McKinney as the Town Council Representative for Ward A: “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.”

Shaunna is a stoic, strong pillar of this community. She approaches everything she does with a thoughtful intent behind it. Volunteers are hard to find nowadays, and those who commit to lives of servant leaders often simply take on whatever volunteer roles and tasks are available to them. Not Shaunna. In the 7 years I have worked and volunteered alongside her, Shaunna has always deliberately assessed every single opportunity and decision, making sure that everybody’s time and hard earned money are used only for projects that our community both needs and wants.

It does not matter whether we are talking about her collaborative work with area libraries, the Prince Edward Christmas Mother program, or her leadership of Girl Scouts and Rotary Club of Farmville, Shaunna invariably puts each of her decisions and actions through that particular litmus test, ensuring that her own efforts, and the efforts of many organizations she represents, are not in vain, but are truly making the difference in our community. And once Shaunna is committed, her commitment does not just grow, it lights a fire for a cause in others too. Her empathic approach, calm and organized demeanor, and positive energy have yielded so much good in our community. I get it – we do not all have time for Shaunna’s level of servant leadership. So let’s make sure that your write-in vote on Tuesday, Nov. 8 represents your commitment to our community for the rest of the year too. By writing in Shaunna Hunter-McKinney, you are selecting to exercise democracy every day!

Sue Carter

Farmville