Volunteer Week

It's Volunteer Week!

Volunteering is wonderful. I find that I always get more than I put in.

When I was in law school, several of us from my class used to serve meals at the Community Kitchen weekend mornings. After I graduated, I joined the Board of Liberty Lane and got a bike – not at exactly the same time. It turned out the bike came with a whole community: trails to build, trees to plant, events to organize. Volunteering can be an hour with a rake or a multi-year capital campaign.

I've been doing it long enough that people now call me when they have a project in mind and are looking for information, resources, and support – or when they have resources and want to find a great initiative to support. It's pretty satisfying to do nothing but connect the right people and see magic happen.

When things get really busy, I often joke that my goal is to become a respected former nonprofit leader. But who am I kidding – with a strong volunteer organization, everyone works so well together that the lead role is the easiest and best in the room. I'll never retire.