GIVING FROM THE HEART - VOLUNTEERISM – Part 1

By Dorris Wood

Guest Columnist: Dorris Wood has lived in Yreka since 1949. She attended local schools and was employed by a number of local businesses. On January 1, 1998, Ms. Wood retired from the United States Forest Service. She has served as a member of the College of the Siskiyous Board of Trustees since 1983. This is part one of a two-part series.

I guess I never really thought about volunteerism very much or even planned to be a volunteer. Of course, I’ve always known volunteerism existed, and I have always known and still know many people who volunteer. There is a whole cadre of people who quietly go about making life better for many of our fellow citizens in so many ways.

However, when I was a young adult, the idea of volunteering was sort of vague to me – I never knew exactly what they did or the extent of the commitment they made. I never investigated further, as I just expected that someday I would have both the time and the inspiration to offer my services and that would be soon enough.

The Red Cross, Salvation Army, and the auxiliary hospital volunteers, to mention only a few of these organizations were always "out there." I particularly remember the role of the Red Cross in 1964 during the so-called 100-Year Flood. My husband and I lived in Hoopa and the devastation was all around us. The Red Cross did a tremendous job of helping people, both with their immediate and long-term needs. It never occurred to me to question if they were volunteers or if they were paid. It seems as though I always just accepted what others were doing without consciously appreciating their sacrifices.

As I focused on raising my family, establishing a home, and from time-to- time working outside of the home, the years quickly slipped away. As with many other young parents, I pursued the interests of my children, and supported such activities as Little League, working in the concession stand at their games and helping with fundraising activities. For the Cub Scouts, I became a Den Leader and took my turn as the chairperson for Parent’s Club meetings; I became totally involved with all of those related activities and fundraising.

Both my husband and I have many friends and relatives. On occasion one of them would need a helping hand and we were always glad to do whatever we could. When needed, I did their household chores and cared for their children, driving them to doctor appointments, providing their children transportation, doing whatever I could at the time they needed help.

Looking back, I didn’t even think of these activities as volunteering and the activity certainly didn’t have that label. But, I guess it probably was. I was just living along to quote from the pages of Far Tortuga.

For a short period of time, I did knowingly volunteer, wearing the volunteer label, for Parents Anonymous. I did so in association with some very capable folks in the field of family counseling. I don’t know if volunteering gave me any particular "glow" or "do-good" feeling. For me it was again just a slot that needed filling and I was satisfied that my contribution helped in some way.

I recognized the value of the counseling and saw the positive results, but at the same time, thought my part was pretty minimal. However, that was quite fortuitous for me, as I made a number of life-long friends and quickly developed great admiration for several of the counselors who have continued their counseling careers to the benefit of their clients. In addition to those friendships, I learned a lot about human behavior in general and continue to learn.

A great deal more time has since passed by, and my experiences have widened, I have learned of many groups – far too numerous to mention, consisting of volunteers who give so very selflessly of themselves to help people in every conceivable situation. These quiet, diligent workers, are volunteers in the purest sense, who ask for nothing in return, even personal recognition.

As the years slipped by keeping the wolf away from the door became more of a challenge and when someone asked me what kind of civic activities and/or groups I participated in, or was personally involved with, I testily answered, "I work! That’s what I do!" Well, yes, I indeed worked. Then - lo and behold – I retired! Well, I must say how much I truly enjoyed my work. Nearly every day brought opportunities to do what I like best – being out and around the mountains and trees. Then I discovered I could return to those same activities and still be retired. Volunteering now took on a new meaning to me. I like to think of myself as being unselfish, but in reality, I am when it suits me to be so.

I didn’t catalog all of the many needs for volunteers out there, if I had, I might have re-thought my volunteering choice, but probably not. I thought of what I would like to do and zeroed right in on the subject that most appealed to me at this time of my life. I could do a little good for the benefit of others and a lot of good for me.

To share a little of my personal homespun philosophy -- is that you must approach volunteering, as you would exercise. In order for it to work, volunteering must be to the pleasure and satisfaction of the one who is doing it, not just for the good it brings to the community. Otherwise, volunteering as with exercise, becomes a chore and the desire to contribute will quickly die for the lack of interest and excitement.

In my next article I will continue with my tale and fill you in on my volunteering choice and how I made it happen. Until then. . . .