your
REWARDS by JOYCE HODGSON POST
Volunteers freely give up their time and labor for the greater good of their community and are the backbone of many organizations, including The Salvation Army.
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Austin Wideman
M
y father once said to me with all seriousness, “Never volunteer.” He was, of course, only kidding since he was a minister and relied heavily on volunteers of all sorts to support the church and its many programs. His kidding aside, it’s easy to make excuses for not volunteering, even for causes, events, or activities that you really love or want to support. “Life is busy,” “work is overwhelm ing,” “school is distracting,” “my kids run me ragged,” “I already volunteer,” the list goes on. But, frankly, without volunteers to step forward, the world would simply not revolve. It is the volunteer backbone of nonprofit organizations that provides food for the hungry, clothes for the needy, shelter, educa tion, training, support, advocacy, and again, the list goes on. Even large corporations and academic institutions encourage volunteer ism to provide team–building opportunities for their employees and students and establish camaraderie in the community. High school students are encouraged to give many hours of community service before they graduate. When Jesus reached out to the disciples, he didn’t offer an oppor tunity for a job interview. He knew these men well and knew their strengths and weaknesses. He needed volunteers to preach the gospel and do good works. They were, indeed, volunteers. Their
Volume 9 Number 6, 2023
