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Volunteerism comes in all shapes and sizes |
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Wednesday, 30 April 2008 |
It is quite fitting that both Education Week and Volunteer Appreciation Week fall on the same week.
Volunteering is certainly a learning experience. Anyone who volunteers their time to a cause, a program or a project knows first hand how much they learn in the process. Volunteers understand that the commitment to a worthwhile project benefits them ten-fold.
No one with the right intentions and right frame of mind ever walks away from a volunteer opportunity without having gained something positive in the process. Even when volunteering means facing difficult situations such as disaster response, those who donate their time will agree even the hard times are worth the effort.
Volunteering changes a person at the very core. It is a selfless act that can't help but make a person feel better about themselves and the world around them. Over the years studies have even proven that volunteering not only helps a person to grow as an individual but also helps a person deal with their own challenges in their every day home and work life.
A community that has a strong volunteer spirit always stands out as a great place to live and work. Communities throughout the region are full of examples of how volunteers have helped to shape the very core of their community. It seems wherever there is a need, there are volunteers who will donate time, money and talents to a worthy cause.
Whether it's planting flowers, cleaning up a park or helping to upgrade a ball diamond there are people who understand everyone has a role to fill in improving their community. In communities where volunteerism is strong there are less problems with vandalism and other criminal activity.
Volunteers help build schools, churches and community facilities. They help put books on the shelves of local libraries, they help ensure the youngsters in the community are safe and they look out for the senior members of the community.
Volunteers enable minor sporting teams from baseball to soccer and hockey to figure skatingto be in place for the benefit of a community's youth. Wherever there is a strong community-based program in place, guaranteed there are volunteers at its core.
So this week hats off to our volunteers, young and old. Anyone and everyone can be a volunteer. No volunteer effort is ever too big or too small. There are always opportunities to volunteer in the community and the positive benefits will naturally follow on both the small and large scale.
As we move into the summer season communities throughout the region will be finalizing plans for community celebrations. Now is a great time to sign on as a volunteer and help make your community a great place to live, work and play. |
