The Spirit of Giving

As the holidays approach, the spirit of giving is on everyone's mind. It is important to remember, however, that there are people (and animals and ecosystems!) faced with urgent needs every day of the year. Five years after coming to the United States from Poland, Agnieska Macias wrote this for an English assignment:

If I could have a super power, I would want to have a power to heal the people, because I think that in the world there are too many people who are tormented-not only people, but also animals, flora. If I could have a super power, I would try to help them all, because sometimes [it] is the people who need help [that] don't get it; those who don't need it have too much.

She is not the first person to feel that way. While we remain unable to tap into that super power, many people have chosen to give what talent, resources, and time they do have. Few people exhibit the commitment towards helping others than the volunteers in the Peace Corps and their younger, local counterpart, AmeriCorps.

The following are reflections from Deanna Grantham, who is volunteering full-time for one year as an AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteer In Service To America) at The Extra Mile. Many of the feelings that Deanna experienced are common to most volunteers, whether they work one hour a week, or eight hours a day. I hope these words provide you with a reminder of why you are volunteering, or are an inspiration to start giving your time, not only during the holidays, but year-round:

Month 1: One question that I ask myself is: How can you ask others to be volunteers if you are not willing to volunteer your own time? That is one of my many reasons for choosing to be a VISTA. Of course, anyone that works in the nonprofit sector can attest to the fact that a large amount of time is "donated" by a dedicated staff.

When I attended the VISTA Pre-Service orientation, I found that though we were all of different ages and backgrounds, there was a common bond: A dedication to working together to help others improve our world. At the end of our training, we met some past VISTAs and they all said they never regretted the time spent working in the program. These volunteers felt they had gained far more than they ever gave. I have found this to be so in the past, and look forward to the coming year.

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