A Great Time of Year to Start Volunteering Your Skills

Thomas Bright volunteered to help the Westport Lions shovel snow from their clubhouse.

Westport Lions Roar

By Lion Bob Reddick

Last week I received an impressive email from Thomas Bright offering to volunteer for the Westport Lions Club. Tom stated that he was a responsible and reliable 17 year old. He told me that he recently obtained his G2 driver’s license so transportation would not be a problem. Thomas gave me a summary of his work experience, citing that he worked for a senior doing gardening and general outdoor maintenance. Also, he has a small lawn cutting business and works on the family farm. His well-constructed email answered all the questions that a potential supervisor might ask, so I gave him a call.

I explained to him that we currently didn’t have many small tasks for him to do, except to shovel some snow around the clubhouse; but in the summer there would be plenty of jobs he could help with.

Little did I know that I would be giving him a call the following week to help shovel snow around the clubhouse?

When I asked Thomas if he needed volunteer hours to fulfill his community involvement component for his high school diploma, he replied that he already had them. People that help others for internal reasons and with no external personal gain are ones that benefit the most.

The reasons people volunteer vary – including gaining job experience, building networks and meeting like-minded people.

Some of the rewards for volunteering include a greater connection with people, diminishing loneliness, helping to get you moving which is good for your physical health and adds fun and purpose to your life. An additional benefit of volunteering is that it costs you very little other than your time and commitment.

While it’s often said that volunteering is selfless, members of the Westport Lions Club believe the sense of fulfillment that comes from bringing joy to others is priceless.

In this New Year, why not be like Thomas Bright and consider volunteering your time, your talent and your skills? You may find it brings you great happiness and fulfillment.