Sometimes we all need to pause for a moment and remember to appreciate the simple things, like people helping people and how getting involved often makes a lasting difference in our lives.
Think about all the things that nurture and strengthen our local communities. They begin with family, follow through to faith and forge the bonds that foster civility and create wholesome and healthy societies.
Even when so many of us are preoccupied with vacations, hobbies and all the summer activities that break up our regular routine, that commitment to community involvement can be part of just about everything we do.
Coaches and referees keep summer youth sports leagues running, smiling senior volunteers quietly patrol our favorite parks and teenage counselors help create summer memories for younger kids with games, crafts and field trips.
Some of us take a week or so of our vacations to chaperone a youth outing, help out at scout camp or support a church group outreach mission.
Many of us know at least one person who is so committed to a particular cause that they find ways to make an impact throughout the stages of their lives.
What about the moms and dads who take their teenagers along for a day of service making sandwiches or folding clothes for the local shelter?
All of these things are fine ideas that lead to great actions and produce lasting results. What makes them really special is that they cost little more than our personal decisions to look around, see what’s needed and jump in and get involved.
With technology cutting back on our personal connections to people, maybe we need to look for ways to touch the lives of those close by, and volunteering is a great way to start. If you think about it, we all can choose to give a bit of ourselves to help make things better. Volunteer to serve and see for yourself.
Source: Derrill Holly, NRECA
