The editor:
You may have noticed lately, in your paper and on social media, that numerous organizations are calling for volunteers. Not just calling actually, but full on begging for help. From your son’s soccer team to your great aunt’s church group, everyone needs a hand. So why isn’t anyone stepping up? The answer to this question is generally “lack of time.” We are busy
people, maybe busier than we’ve ever been. Work, school, clubs, the pressure to make a Pinterest project out of every life event – the list goes on. With all of this, who wants the headache of committee meetings and fundraisers, early mornings and late nights, recalcitrant children and reluctant donors? I’ll say it if no one else will: volunteering is an often thankless task. The thing is, without volunteers, our entire com
munity suffers. Our kids don’t get to play baseball or learn to curl. Those without a home don’t have a shelter in the winter. Without volunteers, no one is raising funds for new hospital equipment or manning the phones at victim support centers. If we don’t have humane societies or family centers, the list of things we lose is devastating. Please consider finding an organization you are passionate about and
giving it a few precious hours. Think about your own personal skill set and what it can do for a local non-profit. I will not lie, you will often be frustrated and tired. But that first success, that fundraising goal met or that child with their first medal, is the best feeling in the world. When you volunteer, you benefit as much as your community does. We need you.
Jane Howard Estevan
