Be a Volunteer

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Winston Churchill

I’ve always had a love of volunteering and come by it honestly growing up in a farm family where my parents were strong examples of volunteering in our small community and church – bringing food to the local smorg, serving in the rink’s canteen, coaching baseball and more. And they still do – cutting the grass at church, organizing a community picnic, entertaining the elderly at the local seniors home and more. This is so important in a small community as there are less people to help out.

My love of volunteering grew after high school when I spent a year volunteering in Indiana. While I was hesitant at first, it turned out to be one of the best years of my life. I volunteered at three different part-time jobs in my new community. I met some amazing people and learned so much. It was an inspirational experience and as it came to an end I recall thinking that I’d love to volunteer every day for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, volunteering doesn’t pay the bills. So while I do have a job, I still try to volunteer as much as possible.

These days my volunteering seems to revolve around one of my passions – agricultural education. Regular readers of this blog will know that I’m passionate about helping people – young and old – connect farm and food. I’m more than happy to volunteer my time helping people make this valuable connection through various initiatives and events.

“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”

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This is National Volunteer Week, a week to celebrate and thank our many valuable volunteers. If you volunteer your time, thank you. If you don’t, I encourage you to find something you’re passionate about and give of your time.