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鈥檚 soccer team to your great aunt鈥檚 church group, everyone needs a hand. So why isn鈥檛 anyone stepping up? The answer to this question is generally 鈥渓ack of time.鈥� We are busy聽
people, maybe busier than we鈥檝e ever been. Work, school, clubs, the pressure to make a Pinterest project out of every life event 鈥� 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鈥檒l 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鈥檛 get to play baseball or learn to curl. Those without a home don鈥檛 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鈥檛 have humane societies or family centers, the list of things we lose is devastating. Please consider finding an organization you are passionate about and聽
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
