Volunteering

"People don't volunteer, because they are not asked," reasoned Detroit's Governor George Romney prior to initiating his dream, a national volunteer campaign. With national media attention, the recruitment of all living presidents, and with General Colin Powell serving at the helm, Romney's idea for a National Summit on Volunteerism raised the level of the public's awareness about the benefits of volunteerism. Specifically, if we volunteer in our communities, our communities will be better places to live.

Romney's national campaign outlined leadership goals as well as the basic fundamentals to creating solid volunteer efforts that existed outside the realm of financial donations. "People were pumped and awestruck by his enthusiasm," Geneva Williams, President of Detroit's United Way, and co-worker in this national effort told TeenSpeak. After the National Summit, which successfully raised a lot of awareness across all party and cultural lines, encouraged people to interact with other people to solve community problems, and planted the seeds for General Colin Powell's America's Promise, Governor George Romney died, but his dream had come true.

Teenagers, according to Ms. Williams, make wonderful volunteers. As mentors in reading and writing, recreational activities, hard working builders and painters, teenager volunteers gain a tremendous sense of understanding and tolerance of other human beings, and develop a sense of pride and accomplishment as a result of their helpful actions.

In direct contrast to the risky behavior teens see daily, such as child abuse, teen suicide, drugs, alcohol, and sex, volunteerism raises self esteem and confidence in one's abilities. Ms. Williams spoke about a teen volunteer she had met who had significantly impressed her. He had volunteered for 4 different jobs, kept his grades up at school, and always wanted to do more to help. She asked him how he found the time to accomplish everything. "There is always a way to do good, always a way to find the time to do God's blessings in this world," he admitted.

If you are interested in doing some volunteer work, Ms. Williams advises you to make sure that a counselor carefully matches you up with your interests. Clearly, if you are doing something you enjoy, you will do a better job. Share your interests, and past experiences that you have enjoyed with a counselor. Also indicate if you are interested in working close to or away from home. It is the counselor's responsibility to clearly describe the job expectations and requirements.

The rewards of volunteerism are abundant. So, don't wait to be asked to volunteer. Just do it.

Visionary plants the seeds that harvest the rewards of volunteering