Good Citizenship

Yesterday, I was invited to speak at the first annual Baraboo Public Library volunteer appreciation luncheon. It was a joy to prepare my remarks about volunteerism, for I treasured my nearly 30 years of working professionally with volunteers, as well as the many years I've been a volunteer myself.  As I researched and reflected on the topic, I recalled the many wonderful people I've gotten to know throughout the years because of the career path I had chosen that would lead me into meaningful working relationships with a bounty of selfless, hard-working volunteers.  According to volunteeringinamerica.gov, 64.5 million Americans volunteered nearly 7.9 billion hours last year.  Their combined estimated service was worth nearly $175 billion nationwide.  While I have always been fascinated by such numbers, I don't believe the true value of volunteerism can be quantified.  There is so much benefit to the one giving of time and talent, as well as to the organization receiving it that I believe volunteering defies the application of dollars and cents.  Rather, from my experience, volunteering is the application of hands and hearts.