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Volunteering demonstrates who we are

Volunteer — a person who is willing to undertake a service.

This is a short definition for a word that profoundly affects an individual. I believe that volunteerism is actually a distinctive part of our being.

Debbie Vandeberg

Volunteering demonstrates who we are.

Volunteering gives you an opportunity to change lives, including your own. If you'd like to support a cause but can't afford to donate money, you can donate your time instead. So how do you go about it?

Find what's right for you. With volunteering you get to pick what really interests you and who (or what) is most deserving of your time. Need some ideas to get you started? Here are just a few:

Help kids learn and grow. Volunteer for an after-school project or sports program. Special Olympics games and events are great ways to get to know special-needs kids.

Give back over the holidays. Serve Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless, volunteer at your local food bank, or distribute toys to kids.

Play with pets at a local animal shelter. Most shelters depend on volunteers to keep the cats and dogs happy and well exercised.

Help the environment. Join a recycling group and help out keeping your town clean. Take part in a local cleanup day. You don't have to be an outdoorsy type — it's really all about pride.

Support a health-related cause. Lots of us are close to people who have a medical problem, like cancer, HIV or diabetes, for example. It can feel good to donate your time to an organization that raises money for research, delivers meals, or offers other help to people with an illness.

For me, I feel it is my responsibility to make the place where I live a better environment for all to enjoy. Others before me have volunteered, and thanks to them I have the luxury of living a great life in a wonderful community.

I feel an obligation to give back, so my family and neighbors will have the same benefits. We live in a blessed community, one that the vast majority of us have willingly chosen to call home. The main reason this is such a great place to live is because of the efforts of present and past volunteers. There is tremendous satisfaction — and fun — in giving back. Is it work? Certainly. Is it worth it? Absolutely!

National Volunteer Week is about inspiring, recognizing, and encouraging people to seek out an imaginative way to engage in their communities. It is about demonstrating that by working together, we have the strength to meet challenges and accomplish goals.

National Volunteer Week is about taking action, encouraging individuals and communities to make a change or a difference. Help us honor the many volunteers in our community by saying thank you during National Volunteer Week April 21-27.

Like most non-profit organizations, the Havre Chamber relies heavily on volunteers to help with a variety of activities.

Those activities include helping with the many Chamber events, as well as, serving on the Board of Directors and the various committees that help drive the efforts of The Chamber towards fulfilling its mission. Without these hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers actively involved, our organization could not exist.

I would like to thank everyone who volunteers in our community, at the hospital, at their child's school, at their church or belongs to a local service organization. I close with a heartfelt thank-you to all the Chamber volunteers. Our organization could not function without you.Thanks for all you do. It's all because of you.

(Debbie Vandeberg is executive director of the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce.)

 

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