Yesterday I saw an elderly lady in a wheelchair handing out
food to runners the end of a 5K. She could not run to support the charitable
cause but she found a way to help. This morning I met a different elderly lady coming out a church I was visiting who me asked for help with her car. I found a way.
Government, police, schools, companies, computer, crosswalks
– we live in a very complex society full of systems, methods, protocols, and
organization that should take care of us or at least give us direction from cradle
to grave.
But things fall through the cracks and more often than not
it is volunteers who step up. Volunteers fuel our community – thanks to all who
do.
Your skill set or comfort level may incline you to help out
in different ways – reading to kids, mentoring an adult in literacy, building a
wheelchair ramp, serving a hot meal, helping organize a fundraising event, checking on your elderly next door neighbor.
It all counts and it all helps.
While you think about some ways that you can serve, let me
list a couple of things going on next weekend which I hope will be of interest:
1)
Carnival Cares Youth Engagement Summit
How to volunteer. Success stories told by youth and by
organizations are not only inspirational but also instructive, i.e. here is a “how
to” laid out from beginning to end. With
over a dozen sessions in the half day conference, the is a tremendous resource
for service learning, volunteerism, and engagement. The event will be very valuable for teachers, youth leaders, volunteer coordinators, high school students, college students, and community volunteers. The morning sessions will be followed by a
luncheon featuring Bill Courtney of “Undefeated” fame. After the luncheon,
everyone is invited to a service project cleaning up Zion Cemetery. Sessions
are free for students. For more information see http://www.facebook.com/carnivalYES?fref=ts , for reservations see http://yesummit2012.eventbrite.com/#
2)
River Arts Festival
Like the outdoors? Arts & crafts? Music
& food? Then the River Arts festival has need of YOU and 349 people just
like you next weekend. This year’s RiverArts
Fest will be held on Friday, October 26, Saturday October 27th
and Sunday October 28th. This three-day street celebration of the
visual, performing and culinary arts with attractions and activities for all
ages could not take place without scores of volunteers who work together each
year to make this event a success. Over 170 artists from around the
country will gather in the historic South Main District to present their unique
selection of original fine arts in what has become this region’s largest
outdoor juried artist market and urban street festival. A festival of
this size takes almost 350 volunteers to put on. Volunteers will receive free
admission to the festival ($5 value), a 2012 Festival T-Shirt, snacks, water
and the satisfaction of helping us put on a great fine arts festival!
Please visit our website (http://riverartsmemphis.org/volunteers/) and view the various volunteer
opportunities and shifts available. The volunteer application is at (http://riverartsmemphis.org/volunteer/) and only takes a few minutes to complete. On the application you will
select which activity and which time(s) you wish to volunteer. Many
positions fill quickly, so we just ask that you be flexible in case we need you
in another area.
And there are many other ways to serve of course. As we come
closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas, serving will be top of mind…but why wait!
