It’s more than a tool to round out your resume. More than a way to feel better about yourself.
Volunteering actually makes you feel like you’re contributing to the health of your community, as one local volunteer put it recently in a Herald article. It’s not a stretch to say that volunteer work makes a community healthier.
Many people from various community agencies gathered last week in Snohomish to brainstorm ways to encourage others to give up some time for worthy causes. It was a good reminder that we can’t take others’ efforts and attitude of giving for granted. Whatever our skills and talents, we all have something to offer our communities and this season of renewal is a good time to explore ways we can help make our communities stronger.
Fortunately, there’s no need for a group guilt trip on the topic. Volunteerism is up, in general, according to an annual government report released late last year. More than a quarter of Americans 16 and older performed some kind of volunteer work between September 2002 and 2003. So who volunteered the most? Women, 35- to 44-year-olds, parents with school children and married people.
A national survey released early this year that said young Americans – people 18 to 34 – see volunteering as better than doling out cash to their favorite charity.
Now forget the national and government surveys and who does what. Scan the newspaper on any given day or talk to your friends at church, the grocery store or your local coffee shop. The stories of people who do amazing things with their time and talents without expecting a dime in return are incredible. Just this week columnist Kristi O’Harran wrote about local artist Linda Martin, who designed and detailed wall murals in some rooms at the Department of Social and Health Services’ Everett office. Without her efforts, officials never would have been able to afford such a cheerful place for young children to meet with their parents in what can be a stressful, awkward situation.
Marysville-Pilchuck High School soccer players gave their time to help a teammate’s young niece suffering from cancer. A couple, ages 62 and 93, take in foster children who desperately need the attention.
In each situation, these volunteers are making their neighborhoods and cities healthier. Whether it’s restoring a building or a relationship, the impact benefits the rest of us whether we realize it or not.
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