On this 13th “Day of Thankfulness” I’m grateful for the various organizations in my community, our nation, and the world which seek to make this a better place in which to live. And I’m honored to have the opportunity to be a part of some of them.
This just happens to be a busy week of volunteer work for me. Last night our city’s Multiculturalism Committee on which I serve met. Tomorrow at noon the Ada Recycling Coalition meets and Thursday the Ada Homeless Services board has our monthly meeting. These three committees are my major volunteer projects for now but I also deliver Meals On Wheels when it’s our church’s turn and occasionally help out with the meals for Compassion Outreach. Then of course there is church involvement such as serving on the Worship Committee and singing in the choir (I’m also an elder but not currently serving on the Session). I share this not in a spirit of bragging about what I’m doing – many do so much more – but simply to illustrate how many opportunities are available even in a small town.
Sometimes problems can seem so daunting that it’s easy to get discouraged. We wonder if our measly efforts really make a difference, especially when thinking about issues we face as a nation or the world. But then once in awhile we get a little glimpse of a volunteer act which does help in an obvious way and we are encouraged.
This past week I’ve been pleased to read about the efforts of the Occupy Wall Street folks who are doing a spectacular job with relief efforts following Hurricane Sandy. If you haven’t heard about this, look up a few articles. There are some great stories out there.
We don’t all have an equal amount of time to give to volunteer activities – I happen to be at a point in which I have a fair amount of unspoken for time – but nearly all of us can do something. Those small acts along with small acts by others can add up to something really important and life-changing.
Are you involved in any volunteer activities? If so, leave me a comment telling about them. I love to hear what others are doing. It gives me hope for the future. 🙂
Leave a Reply