The Issue: The Heart of The Community

What is the heart of a community? To me, it is those that volunteer in our community. Most communities have volunteers in their organizations, on public boards or in events within the community. I truly believe that most people who volunteer of their time do so to help accomplish a purpose that is not personally self-serving.

It is those volunteers that deserve our respect, our recognition and our deep appreciation for what they bring to the community, be it an idea for a stronger organization, be it a creative plan for a fundraiser or be it just an offering of sincere opinion.

We can only imagine how our community would function without our volunteers? A frightening thought to say the least.

But then there are those volunteers that are not in organizations, on public boards or noticeably helping out at events. Who are these volunteers you ask? Well, they are those that volunteer their time to do kind and caring deeds for others. They are most often the silent volunteers in communities.

Sure you know them, but perhaps never thought of them as being a volunteer. They are those that give a stranger a boost when their vehicle won’t start, they are those who pick up items off of department store floors, they are those who move the grocery carts out of parking lots, they are those who walk to a garbage can to dispose of the take-out coffee containers, they are those that park within the lines to leave ample room for your vehicle, they are those who are charitable in the community through their business, they are those who shovel their neighbors sidewalks, and they are those that no community should be without.