The spirit of volunteerism is the richest of American traditions. Americans have always come forward to do volunteer work at their local parks, schools, and churches. Sometimes we even answer challenges from our national leaders.
And so it was when President Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961. Tens of thousands signed up to serve for 2-year periods in far away places, sometimes in harsh conditions.
There’s a certain nobility for those who follow, or have followed this course. It’s hard to describe, but it usually brings out the best in people. Kennedy called on an army of emissaries to bring their talents and good will to benefit others in less developed parts of the world.
Volunteer work can be very rewarding if done for the right reasons. A willingness to roll up your sleeves and learn new skills is obvious, but having the right attitude is even more important.
Maybe it’s not what you expected; maybe it’s a lot harder than you thought, and maybe you can’t handle the petty politics that go with it. At this point, one has to ask, “Why did I sign up for this? and, “What’s my motivation for doing so?
A friend of mine did some volunteer work on a Neighborhood Council back in 2002. Facing some tough challenges the 1st year, about 25% of the Board quit.
My friend saw it differently. He stated that at the time we had young men & women in uniform wearing about 80 lbs of gear in 115⁰ heat with bullets flying at them. He said, “If they can do that, I can certainly do this.” He stayed on for 8 years.
That’s what I mean by the right attitude. I’ll hear comments or excuses from people that have volunteered on projects as to why they can’t do this or that work. I understand; most everyone has a job or busy schedules and as parents, it’s tougher yet, – – but I think it’s important to keep things in perspective.
There are 168 hours in a 7 day week and only 40 hours in a full work week. Can you account for the other 128 hours? Most community work requires 1-2 hours per week, if that. The bottom line is that it can be richly rewarding, even virtuous; it just depends on what you’re willing to put into it. PW