When people comment to Beth Saffell about what the Jefferson/Lincoln Parent Teacher Organization is doing, Saffell sees an opportunity.

“I tell them – ‘come and join us. We would love your ideas. We would love your support. We would love your help. If you want to come and volunteer, we will find you a job,’” Saffell said.

Building up the ranks of PTO volunteers post-COVID is one of the biggest challenges for Saffell, now in her second year as president of the Jefferson/Lincoln PTO in Sterling.

“People just stopped volunteering. Someone told me recently, and I think this is so true, that after COVID, people just stopped. They stopped volunteering, they stopped participating,” she said.

COVID also changed groups like the PTO.

“We do a ton of stuff, and it’s because we are allowed to. That’s not a criticism of the PTO board before us. With COVID and post-COVID, they just weren’t allowed to do a lot of things,” she said.

Saffell and her husband, James, have two children, one at Jefferson Elementary and one at Lincoln Elementary. Beth has been involved with the PTO for the past four years.

“The first year, I just listened in and helped out wherever they needed me,” she said.

The second year, the Saffells put together a movie night for the school community.

“My husband and I do a lot of outdoor movies, and we have a big setup for that. We thought that would be fun to do as a back-to-school fun movie night. That was one of my first big projects on the PTO,” she said.

When she was asked to run for president, Saffell said yes.

“I like to make sure things get done. I am super passionate about the kids in our community,” she said.

She also volunteers with Sterling United Soccer, and before joining the PTO, she worked at the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA, where she instructed classes and helped with fundraising events.

Saffell admits she is able to devote so much of her time to volunteering because of her circumstances.

“I am very blessed to be a stay-at-home mom. It’s something that my husband and I work really hard at, and it’s something that we cut corners to do,” she said.

But she also says that making time to volunteer is a matter of priorities.

“What people need to understand - and this is how I feel - is that our kids’ schools come first. Period. People will sell tickets for sports and other things their kids are in. My kids are good athletes, but they are not going to be professional athletes. I am not banking on that. So for me, the school is where I want to put my time and money because that is what is going to give our kids the core memories that they will carry with them,” she said.

One of those core memories is the annual Fun Fair that Saffell and her board revived.

“We want to bring people back together, so we decided to bring the Fun Fair back. The Fun Fair was something the schools always did. I work at the Fun Fair, and the SVCC Impact program students volunteer there. They told me that one of their best memories when they were in elementary school in Sterling was the Fun Fair and how happy they were that we are doing that again. To hear that from kids who participated in the Fun Fair, it’s just awesome and it’s the best feeling,” Saffell said.

She knows rebuilding interest, enthusiasm, and participation, including fundraising, is an uphill journey.

“We had around 10% of our students participate in our big fundraiser this spring. We do a big fundraiser with Headon’s Meats in Creston. It has been from 10% to 12% participation for a long time,” she said.

Participation in the PTO can take many forms, and Saffell said every little bit helps.

“People don’t have to put the time in that I do. If more people just bought items from our fundraisers, that is helping enormously. A little effort goes a long way when you volunteer,” she said.

Saffell and her board hear from parents and the public who want the schools to bring back the field trips and events that they remember from their school years. She said they want to do as much as they can – and can afford.

“People complain that we don’t do the big fun field trips anymore. The PTO supplies around $5,500 for field-trip money. I would love to raise that. I would love to send these kids on field trips to Chicago and do all kinds of things like that, but when we only have 10% of the school participating in fundraising, it makes it really hard,” Saffell said.

In response to questions about where the fundraising dollars go, Saffell made a Facebook post at the end of 2025 detailing their use. Among the activities the PTO sponsors are Christmas bags for every student in the two elementary schools and support for teachers.

“We spend money on students and staff. These teachers are basically raising our kids. They are with them all the time, and I feel like they are worth putting this effort and work,” Saffell said.

What keeps her going is knowing that she and the PTO are reaching kids.

“I want to help, especially with kids like I was. I was a kid who was lost. My dad died when I was young. I went through a really bad stage in my life, and I struggled for years. I can’t let my kids or other kids go through that. It’s super personal for me. It’s the reason I volunteered at the Y. I am not going to let some kid get lost and fall through the cracks,” she said.

Saffell went back to school, earned her GED, and attended college. When potential volunteers worry that they may not have the skills needed to volunteer with the PTO, Saffell quickly cites herself as an example.

“Everybody has a past. I am a high school dropout. You don’t need any special skills to help out. We can use the skills you have. That’s what my strength is. I just want to help. I want to build that community back into our schools,” she said.