The Gift of Volunteering

(The act of volunteering is an act of personal choice devoid of financial reward, a salute to the
spirit of man as a human being.)

Thrice a week in the morning hours I enter the local bus in my town and travel to the local library. No, it is not for the purpose of borrowing books, but it is for giving my time as a volunteer to assist the librarians in their busy day. I assist in cataloging, shelving and mending books during my three-hour stay of the day.

Volunteering has many rewards for me, as it gives me a wonderful feeling that I am doing something good for the community during my retirement. For me it is better than sitting on the park bench and nattering with the other old-timers about this or that.

I am considered part of the staff and enjoy the amenities offered, which is friendship with the staff and other volunteers, that hot cup of coffee and biscuit during the coffee break, small gifts for the holidays (mainly books), the choice of good books to read in my leisure hours, and above all for three mornings I am not underfoot of the misses at home. (My wife too is a volunteer, as she assists high school students in their lessons two afternoons a week. Her reward is seeing her pupils graduate with honors and go on to higher education.)

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Over the years, volunteering has become a fundamental value of American society and a driving force behind its democracy. The more volunteers a society has and nurtures, the greater its ‘social capital’, and has the ability to provide more extensive services to the public at large. You've seen news reports about people who need assistance after a natural disaster or animals in need. Maybe you've walked past people who are living on the streets or looking for a handout. Or perhaps you've watched TV programs about how lonely and isolated older people can get. Volunteering gives you an opportunity to change people's lives, including your own.