I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.
Albert Schweitzer
Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
The late afternoon sky was gradually growing darker. I looked out the window at soft new mounds of white snow. It had been falling since that morning and was now knee high. I wondered how I would shovel it clear enough to get the car out of the garage.
My husband was in California, two thousand miles away from this Minnesota suburb. We had moved back here to start a new life. Having recently come from the warmth of the sunny Southwest, I was trying to adjust to a different place, with a climate that required flexibility and patience.
Gazing out the window, I suddenly heard the noise of a snow blower. It seemed to be coming closer. All of a sudden I saw two figures, a man and a school age child. The tall person positioned his son in a place away from the machine he was using and began blowing snow off the driveway and walkway to our front door.
I was astonished, stunned, that a person I had never met, was out in the cold. He was Volunteering help for a new neighbor. No one asked him to do this. He did it on his own. At that moment I could not imagine a nicer gift.
Why did he do it? For that matter, why would anyone do it for a stranger? And, why did he want to include a child in the process?
Later, after they had left, I baked a pan of brownies and walked over to his house. On meeting and thanking him, we spoke. He explained that he wanted to show his son what it meant to help someone.
Volunteerism One Definition
I have always been interested in Volunteerism. I think there are a lot of applications. Some of us want to serve as a Volunteer by helping others in a simple way. Others are attracted to working through an organized program. People have tried to define the word Volunteer. Here is one example.
Volunteer, noun – from the perspective of the doer: Someone who gives time, effort and talent to a need or cause without profiting monetarily.
From the Energize Web site. http://www.energizeinc.com/art/adef.html
Some of the best experiences of my life have been volunteering. Here are a few examples:
- decorating floats for the New Year’s Day Rose Parade in Pasadena California
- guiding visitors at the Huntington: Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in California
- serving refreshments for the 91st PGA Golf Tournament
During all three of the above activities, I learned a lot. I learned to appreciate the construction and design of Rose Parade Floats. I was given classes in Art, a subject I truly enjoy, while preparing to be a guide for the Huntington. And, I donated money I earned, as a volunteer employee of the refreshment stand at the PGA golf tournament, to Children’s Hospital of Minnesota.
I encourage you to learn more about Volunteering and to consider participating. There are a great many benefits.
I have included information from several different sources. If interested, click on the sites listed below:
Web pages describing volunteerism and volunteering:
http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/
http://www1.networkforgood.org/for-donors/volunteer
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/31/your-money/31shortcuts.html?pagewanted=all
http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/jobs/volunteering.html
Volunteering can be an exciting, growing, enjoyable experience. It is truly gratifying to serve a cause, practice one's ideals, work with people, solve problems, see benefits, and know one had a hand in them.
Harriet Naylor
Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, nurse, writer, and thrift advocate. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits
