Im a volunteer and proud of it. I dont pretend to be changing the world or bringing about world peace, but I do believe I make a difference. They may be “baby step” differences compared to the achievements of others, but at least I know Im trying. Much like our different backgrounds and professions, volunteerism is not a “one size fits all” proposition. Its taken me about 50 years to figure out that Im not at my best painting fences in August and am equally hopeless at controlling an unruly classroom of teenagers. But give me the challenge of charity road race logistics or the simpler task of distributing Thanksgiving baskets and I do okay.
If my memory serves me right, my earliest volunteer efforts didnt go too smoothly. I think I was the only crossing guard in the history of P.S. 200 in Brooklyn to cause a collision luckily it was pretty minor. And since the Cub Scouts didnt give a badge in stickball
well, you get the picture.
Most of my efforts as our family was growing up were focused on the boys pursuits mainly school or sports. And since I was useless on skates, I was usually relegated to scorekeeper or equipment schlepper. To be honest, Carol did most of the volunteering then, as she often reminds me now when I try to pry her out of bed on Saturday to help me set up for a marathon at 5 a.m.
So I guess you might say I am a late blooming Volunteer. We moved around quite a bit in the last decade prior to coming to South Florida, but I managed to connect in the different communities through Junior Achievement and various community fundraisers to name a few. Luckily, when I got down here I was able to join Rotary as well and I feel like its a good fit for me. It offers me diverse opportunities to give back locally while enjoying the camaraderie of the others involved. In addition, the South Florida Healthcare Executive Forum (SFHEF) offers me the opportunity to give back to our healthcare profession by mentoring and encouraging involvement. Due to my hectic schedule, a lot of this involves late nights and early mornings, but Ive learned to appreciate these opportunities and work my schedule around them.
So next time you question your ability to volunteer or the value of your (or anyones) volunteer efforts, remember the following quote:
“Noahs Ark was built by amateurs. The Titanic was built by professionals.”
Volunteers do make a difference!
Charles Felix, Publisher
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