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By Volunteering, We Strengthen Communities And People

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 30, 2007

The spirit of our community is the spirit of volunteerism. From the founding of this great nation to the present, volunteerism has helped make America what it is.

In good times and bad, Americans always seem to come forward to volunteer. Not for the money or glory, but simply for a feeling of a job well done - during difficult times, when America's unique diversity sometimes seems more divisive than unifying; when political infighting seems to pull us apart; or when religious, racial, gender and class issues threaten to separate us.
Volunteer groups offer a chance for diverse people to unite in a common goal.

In volunteering, no one cares if you are rich or poor, Republican or Democrat, black or white. In this way, a community maintains its unity and this country its union.

When asked to volunteer, some have said it doesn't matter, that it won't change anything. How wrong they are. They forget that no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Former President Bill Clinton stated: 'Volunteering is an act of heroism on a grand scale, and it matters profoundly. It does more than help people beat the odds; it changes the odds.'

Many of us, in our efforts to survive each day in economically challenging times, forget about the benefits of volunteering. There is no better exercise for your heart than reaching down and helping lift someone up. During moments of despair, I find great comfort and satisfaction in helping others. If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.

Each year it appears that our governments cut funding that helps community programs such as food banks, homeless shelters, help for battered and abused women and many other efforts. Many of us compare the government as a pessimist who sees a glass of water as half empty. But there are some in government who see the same glass as half full.

A volunteer sees a glass of water and starts looking for someone who might be thirsty. That being the case, we all know that communities depend on volunteers.

I was once told a story of a young girl who wrote to one of our state representatives and asked him how the government can help the poor and homeless. He responded by telling her that it was not the responsibility of government to help the poor or homeless. He said it was the responsibility of the community.

My heart was torn when I heard this story. That elected representative was very wrong in his assumption, but it appears that many in government feel this way. They would rather build a monument to honor themselves or a bridge to nowhere before they allocate funds to assist in providing health care for poor children or other crucial community programs.

President Bush thought volunteerism was so important that he addressed it in one of his State of the Union addresses. Bush stated, 'We will rally the armies of compassion in our communities to fight a very different war against poverty and hopelessness, a daily battle waged house to house and heart to heart.'

Whether you live in Tampa, Zephyrhills, Dade City or anywhere in between, there are many opportunities to volunteer. I prefer to rely on people, not the government. It is you and I who have the power to make change. In every community, there is work to be done; in every town, there are wounds to heal. And in every heart, there is the power to do it.

As the holiday season approaches, I ask you to consider giving back to the community. Volunteering has endless possibilities. You can volunteer to help the elderly, your church or a food pantry, or you can give time to your local library, school, food kitchen and homeless shelter, among a host of other places.

If you are not sure where to go, ask your pastor or neighbor. If you have a computer, look up the hundreds of programs in the surrounding communities that would gratefully accept you with open arms.

Last year I worked with the homeless and poor. The gift of giving was a special moment that will live in me forever. My volunteerism has changed me. As a result, I continue to work with the poor and homeless.

Join me this year, and give of your time or money to a local church or community program.

Remember, volunteering is not getting, but giving.

The French nobleman Stephen Grellet said it best: 'I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not put it off or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.'

Your legacy of volunteerism will live forever. Only when we give joyfully, without hesitation or thought of self-gain, can we truly know what love means.

The writer, a youth counselor, is a Zephyrhills city councilman.

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