I am 33 years old. If I gave you a list of all of the organizations I have been a part of or volunteered for in some respect, your head would spin. I am not making this statement to brag in any way, but to illustrate a very important point: I am in the minority.
The past few years I have noticed an extreme shift across the board, regardless of the type of organization… It is HARD to recruit new members and volunteers.
It got me thinking… Has our generation become so self consumed and “busy” that there is no time to give back? Or is it that it’s just not important to many people?
I always get the questions: “Why do you do so much?” “Why are you always volunteering?” “Why don’t you just say no?”
I had to think about this because I never really stopped to think why, I have simply always been involved. I enjoy giving back. I’ll say that again… I ENJOY giving back. Is this such a foreign idea?? When did we become such a selfish society that more people do not raise their hands or give their time? When did people close their eyes to all of those in the world who need our service?
We are all busy. I have a demanding career as a financial advisor, my husband has a demanding career as a realtor. We have a 2 year old and a 5 month old. We have family obligations… plans with friends… birthday parties to throw… Baptism celebrations… a house to keep clean… three dogs to feed walk and care for… The list goes on.
I will be the first to admit that in the past two years I have scaled down how many organizations I am actively involved in, but it never even crossed my mind to give up that part of my life. It is important to me as a person. I wish I could do more.
I will teach my boys how important it is to give back and to do their part to make a difference. Whether it is in the lives of other children, animals, the community… whatever they feel a passion for. If we don’t teach our children the importance of giving back, who will? Can you imagine a world with no compassion? I can’t. But if we lose the will to serve others in some way, shape or form, it will come.
Here is Hunter getting an early start… learning that volunteering can be FUN! Making a Scarecrow to benefit the local Junior Women’s Club in Haddonfield, NJ.
I challenge you to think of ways that you can give your time and talent. Did you notice that I mentioned nothing about money? Here is the best part about giving back: It can be done for FREE. Each of us have talents, and each of us have time. For those of you in South Jersey, I can recommend many local organizations who could use your help. But no matter where you are geographically, there are organizations that would gladly have you. Pick an organization that is near and dear to your heart, whether it is your faith, children, animals… let your passion fuel you! Show your children how it feels to see your hard work make a difference. If you are having trouble finding a cause that moves you, ask friends, family, or colleagues. If you are new to an area, go to good old Google.
What do you have to lose? A few hours of your time?
Are you shy in new situations? Grab a friend or family member to join you so that you don’t feel uncomfortable. The times that I have been a new volunteer or member of an organization, I have been pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was made to feel at home because all of the others there share a common thread, they want to give back. I have made some amazing friends through volunteer work.
So what are some of the benefits that I have experienced from giving back?
If you are already actively volunteering, THANK YOU. If not, give it a try! Grab a buddy, do it together. As moms we all need some adult time, and I enjoy spending time with other moms in a social setting where we are also giving back. Find something you like and pass it on. Spread the word and teach your children as you go. Every time we go to an event, whether it is a walk, or something fun, we do our best to explain to our sons why we are doing it. They may not understand it yet, but just like everything else in life, the more we repeat it and the more we teach, they eventually will.
Let’s make our world a better place, one person at a time, and teach our children to do the same!