BONNERS FERRY — After a lifetime of working and caring for themselves and their families, it can be a difficult transition for those that are retired from their careers to find things to fill their time. There are clubs and services around Boundary County that allow retired community members to fill their free time with productive activities such as quilting.

Several local quilters are involved in a national volunteer program which keeps track of their accumulated volunteer hours and the net worth of the time spent, and rewards participants when they reach the benchmarks.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is the award that some community members received during the award ceremony which took place Feb. 21 at the Kootenai River Inn. Quilters came together for the recognition of their efforts while having a friendly breakfast.

Some of the participants received a certificate, a letter from President Trump, and a unique coin, which displayed the hours and the amount of wages they would have earned. Others that made the next benchmark received a framed certificate, a pin, and will be getting an Olympics-style medal for their efforts.

The program encourages retirees to volunteer their time and receive national and presidential recognition. With the option to use up some spare time, the participants have something to look forward to, as well as being recognized for their efforts.