Last week I realized that I have sat on at least one board of directors for a non profit organization for each of the last twenty years. They have not been the really cool charities or organizations that people get excited about and I have held every board position there is but the boards are not prestigious. It doesn't seem like they will change the world, but they are the local neighborhood based groups in St. Paul that make our communities stronger and maybe make one little part of the world better. They handle the every day tasks and needs of some or our neighbors and they shape the future for our neighborhoods. They are the backbone of our community and part of a kind of hidden infrastructure that helps make it all work.
Volunteer work has enriched my own life in so many ways. For years I was a volunteer for the Community Reporter Newspaper and I was the chairman of the board of directors for a few years. I have also sat on the board of directors for our district council which is a grass roots neighborhood organization. I am currently on the board of directors for the West Seventh Community Center where I have also been a volunteer for the Meals on wheels program for the past 8 years.
Every neighborhood in St. Paul has a district council and they always need volunteers. Most of the neighborhoods have some kind of a community center too. They are opportunities to get involved in the community and in some cases to have a voice. Strong communities are good for property values and being a volunteer is a great way to share the skills you already have and to learn something new that might even lead to a better job in the future.
This is a particularly tough year for non profit organizations that get funding from the United Way. They didn't raise as much money this year becasue of the recession and higher than average unemployment. They need your help but I know that this blog post probably won't raise any money but maybe you will decide to at least learn about your local community center or volunteer.
There is always a need for Meal on Wheels volunteers and that need is nation wide. Meals on wheels is a wonderful program becasue it helps older Americans stay in their homes longer. If we are very lucky we will all be old one day and some of us just might need to have that meal delivered. As a volunteer myself I can assure you that it is just about impossible to deliver the meals and have a bad day. I can see it in the faces of the people who answer the door when I deliver the food that the service is greatly appreciated. Meals on wheels is always happy to accept donations to. Heck we have volunteers who can barely afford the gasoline it takes to deliver the meals.
One thing I have noticed over the years is that the same small group of people seem to get involved in everything. They do too much while most of us don't do enough. I like to do something and always wish that I could do more .
