Speaking of Volunteers...Christmas 1925
So much of the good things that happen in our communities do so thanks to volunteers--from those caring for the homeless, to those who donate blood, or serve in neighborhood councils ; )...and such.
As we further tighten our belts this year thanks to a depressed economy, we may not be able to donate as much cash. But we can still donate our time, labor and compassion to the less fortunate.
It's wise to choose carefully to whom you donate your time and money, as not all nonprofits are created equal. Generally, spend a few hours researching your local nonprofits (including the brand names). Often, it's best to invest your time, skills and money locally with small-medium organizations who genuinely need all hands on deck, and where you may have a clear sense of how your time and money is spent. Transparency is key...and we all know how organizations in both the private and the public sectors struggle with that principle.
Back in Christmas 1925, as this amazing photograph from the Library of Congress suggests, volunteers were treated like army recruits...even if they got an overcooked turkey leg of thanks for Christmas. A close-up look can be rewarding.
My rule of thumb for the non-martyrs among us...if you're not regularly smiling at least privately "inside" where you volunteer...bid them farewell and go serve elsewhere.
If you're professional, compassionate and volunteering, and yet you can't bring yourself to smile inside, you're misplaced and will falter and burn out. Instead, invest your social conscience where you can smile within with ease, no matter how hard the work or suffering.
It's one of the best gifts you can give yourself this holiday season.
Another gift would be visiting Shorpy, an on-line high-resolution photographic time machine that'll tickle your nostalgia and jolt your perspective...history you can almost smell!
