Dean Banner Dedicates Life to Service, Helps Brighton Become JustServe City
Cheryl & Dean Banner
By Allie Shortt, Brighton Stake Media Specialist & Corey Christiansen, Denver Region Media Specialist
When Dean Banner retired in 2007, he was just starting to go to work.
Over the past 18 years, Banner has dedicated his retirement time to service and being an active member of his church and community. He and his wife, Cheryl, have served two missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Together, they served in Poland for two years and in Pennsylvania for 18 months at the Priesthood Restoration Site.
Banner has also spent time over the last 10 years volunteering for the Rocky Mountain National Wildlife Refuge and the Buffalo Run Golf Course. He served on the 2010 Census Committee for Commerce City. Twice a year, he donates blood through Vitalant. He has been on the Water Board Election group twice to sit at the polls and has been an election judge at every county election for many years. He spent every Saturday morning for a year volunteering at the Henderson Community Church Food Bank and volunteers every year at the Brighton Mayor’s Day of Service, fixing up homes, and at Barr Lake for clean-up projects.
“My wife and I have been rewarded with rich years in our lives up to retirement and we don’t want to drop into a void after retirement,” Banner said. “I’d like my life to remain rewarding and fulfilling and not be idle. Volunteering is productive and uplifting, and where much is given much is required. This is a way to give back and show gratitude to the Savior who gave me so much.”
Banner said he is inspired by others who have been such an example of kindness and empathy. He recognizes where angels are and he sees them in all of his opportunities and it inspires him. Others who do the same thing inspire him to follow their example. Banner’s example of service just never stops.
For the last two years, he has volunteered at the Platte Valley Hospital two days a week. He sorts mail, helps out in the oncology department, sets up infusion stations and serves the nurses and those receiving infusion treatments.
Banner has spent time recruiting non-profit organizations to appear on the JustServe website to get communities involved and to introduce them to the tool of JustServe. He was able to use his connections from previous volunteer opportunities to get in touch with these organizations and meet with several people who wanted their information listed on JustServe. Many of the contacts that he has made for JustServe have been developed through his years of service for other organizations and building relationships with many different groups.
All of Banner’s efforts to promote JustServe played a key role in helping the City of Brighton become a JustServe City.
Banner encourages people to get out in their community and find opportunities to serve by using the JustServe resource or by getting to know people and filling a need wherever they find it. He believes that serving others is at the top of the Savior’s list of important things to do.
“There is a tremendous need for emotional and financial support for immigrants, for the needy, for the struggling,” he said. “The trend in the nation is toward self-centeredness and entitlement — volunteering reverses that trend. The need is ever-growing. Budgets are short, staff is short, and it’s a godsend to organizations to have those volunteers to help them do important work.”
Service to God and to others is rewarding and inspires others to do the same. Banner said, “When I see angels in operation, it’s magnetic. It’s contagious.” He noticed that when he puts himself out there to connect with and serve others, the Lord puts new opportunities in his path and he is trying his best to do the Lord’s work.
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