Motivation Mondays: VOLUNTEER – #NationalVolunteerWeek
“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” Elizabeth Andrew
Motivation Mondays: VOLUNTEER – #NationalVolunteerWeek
Research has shown that people who volunteer often live longer. Allen Klein
If every American donated five hours a week, it would equal the labor of twenty million full-time volunteers. Whoopi Goldberg
Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another. Erma Bombeck
Do you Volunteer? This is National Volunteer Week and it gives all of us another opportunity to reach out, connect with our local charities and serve others. When Points of Light established this special week in 1974, their intention was to shine a light on those among us who give selflessly to others every year; to celebrate the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to come together to tackle tough challenges, and build stronger, more resilient communities. They also wanted the rest of us to remember that we grow by serving others and to serve is to remember our shared humanity. When we volunteer our time to help others, we receive not only psychic rewards but also the satisfaction of knowing that our selfless act helps others get back on their feet. The earlier we start, the better as it helps us share the importance of volunteering with our children and family members. Of course, it is never too late to start or offer help. Find what works for you and give back to your community. You can help offline or online… same difference.
READ: Public Service and Volunteer Opportunities
International Volunteer Program
Create the Good
“If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever.” Kofi Annan
Motivation Mondays: VOLUNTEER – #NationalVolunteerWeek
Motivation Mondays: VOLUNTEER – #NationalVolunteerWeek
Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in. Author Unknown
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands — one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. Audrey Hepburn
What is your earliest memory of Volunteering? My earliest memory of giving back takes me to my childhood days. I remember my parents made it clear to us kids that we had to make an effort to help those in need. My mom had a small chicken coop and a vegetable garden in our backyard, and she would donate eggs and extra veggies to local families in need. She also gave away our toys and clothes without notice. If we complained, we were admonished and reminded that life apportions her gifts randomly and those who had more were expected to give back to the poor and the destitute. I must admit that, as children, it wasn’t always a palatable concept but, we went along with the admonition and participated in our own small way. Over time, the teachings settled inside of us as we became more comfortable with sharing our largess. It was heartwarming to see the joy and gratitude on people’s faces when they received help and it all made sense that we were, indeed, our brothers’ keeper. During the war years, we came to understand that helping others was imperative to our collective survival. It’s a lesson I have never forgotten and I have passed it on to my kids.
READ: Global Volunteers
Volunteer at NARA | National Archives
For the Record by Adrienne Rich via PoetrySoup.com
The clouds and the stars didn’t wage this war
the brooks gave no information
if the mountain spewed stones of fire into the river
it was not taking sides
the raindrop faintly swaying under the leaf
had no political opinions
and if here or there a house
filled with backed-up raw sewage
or poisoned those who lived there
with slow fumes, over years
the houses were not at war
nor did the tinned-up buildings
intend to refuse shelter
to homeless old women and roaming children
they had no policy to keep them roaming
or dying, no, the cities were not the problem
the bridges were non-partisan
the freeways burned, but not with hatred
Even the miles of barbed-wire
stretched around crouching temporary huts
designed to keep the unwanted
at a safe distance, out of sight
even the boards that had to absorb
year upon year, so many human sounds
so many depths of vomit, tears
slow-soaking blood
had not offered themselves for this
The trees didn’t volunteer to be cut into boards
nor the thorns for tearing flesh
Look around at all of it
and ask whose signature
is stamped on the orders, traced
in the corner of the building plans
Ask where the illiterate, big-bellied
women were, the drunks and crazies,
the ones you fear most of all: ask where you were.
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for MAR 2018/APR 2018 are:
03/04 – Women’s History Month, National Nutrition Month, Irish-American Heritage Month, American Red Cross Month, 08 International Women’s Day, World Kidney Day, 04 Academy Awards
03/11 – 11 Daylight Savings, 14 Pi Day, 15 World Consumer Rights Day, 17 St Patrick’s Day
03/18 – 19 St Joseph, 20 International Day of Happiness, 21 World poetry Day, 22 World Water day, 24 Earth Hour
03/25 – Palm Sunday, 29 Holy Thursday, 30 Good Friday, 31 Passover
04/01 – 01, April Fool’s Day, 02, Autism Awareness, 06, International Day Sport Development Peace, 07, World Health Day,
04/08 – 10, National Siblings Day, 10, Equal Pay Day, 12, Holocaust Remembrance Day
04/15 – 17 Tax Day, NationalVolunteerWeek
04/22 – 22, Earth Day, 23, World Book Day, 27, Arbor Day
01/29 – 29, International Jazz Day
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2018?
– Join the Daily Post Post-a-day or Post-a-week Challenge.
— Join the BlogHer Writing Lab
MORE BELOW!
“Volunteering is so pervasive it’s invisible. We take for granted all the things that have been pioneered by concerned, active volunteers.” Susan J. Ellis
Motivation Mondays: VOLUNTEER – #NationalVolunteerWeek
Motivation Mondays: VOLUNTEER – #NationalVolunteerWeek
What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good. Aristotle
Volunteerism is currency that appreciates. Website Of Administrators Of Volunteer Resources Bc
Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve…. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What is the essence of life? I suspect that if we ask 10 random people this question, we would get so many different answers. However, I suspect that, given the opportunity to choose from a list, most would include service/help to others. Why? Because it is impossible to thrive in this world without the support and goodwill of others. Think about your entire day and all the nameless/faceless people who have performed their tasks so you can ease into your day seamlessly and perform your tasks while making all sorts of choices. By the same token, when we volunteer our time to give comfort to others, we are continuing that chain of love and its reverberations will ripple across our hearts, our homes and Mother Earth, enriching and empowering many. Go SERVE!
READ: 2018 – 2019 Best Volunteer Abroad Programs, Organizations, & Projects
Have a happy, peaceful and productive week ahead!
Any Zen Antics stories via
Positive Motivation Tip: Reach out and help another – volunteer!
Motivation Mondays is open to anyone who wishes to share a motivational quote, photo, personal challenge or a post that encourages others to start the week on an upbeat note.
Basic Instructions: Each week, I will have a motivation word to help us create a response. (See listed words for the months above/below)
Email address: You may email or share your post as a comment and I will add it to the round-up of related posts. email it to: contact(@)mirthandmotivation(.)com
Category tag: – Share your post using Motivation Mondays
Twitter hashtag: – Use this on Twitter #MotvnM
Dedicated Page: There is a dedicated page for Motivation Mondays. It has the same instructions and will include other helpful tools and a link to the round-up
Facebook Page: MotivationOnMondays Join our page and add your post and/or any motivational piece you think will be helpful to others.
Facebook Community: We have a Facebook community forum to compliment the page. It serves as another way to share uplifting posts and thoughts. Please join in and add your voice.
Badge: – I created a fun badge using PicMonkey’s free photo editing tools. You can create your own, use WordPress’ integrated tool on your blog or you are welcome to use mine. (see dedicated page)
Tag: – Motivation Mondays
Hashtag: – #MotvnM
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PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos, VOLUNTEER, VOLUNTERING via Pixabay, AND/OR VOLUNTEER via Wikipedia…
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Trackbacks
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This is such a great post and i love that you left lots of information for people to take part in! I have always volunteered, but haven’t done this year so far!
What powerful and beautiful photos you picked for this motivational Monday. I absolutely love all of these.
I’ve been volunteering for about 8 years now but I didn’t know there existed a week like this! This is such a nice way to bring awareness and get more people involved. I do believe that giving is the best path to happiness!
Volunteering reminds me of community, allowing me to serve others by time and talent. It allows me to be with others with no other motive but to be of service.
We had this so-called ‘Christmas Package Drive’ back in grade school where we’d pool together relief goods and donate them to less fortunate families. Now my son does the same volunteer work too. 🙂
The volunteer activities in any program have some serious work..
I volunteer as a mentor with a group who supports special needs families as they get their child’s initial diagnosis and my son and I volunteer at a shelter to 7elp serve god twice a month. I think we can’t live our own happiest life if we don’t reach out to others…
Volunteering is so important. I volunteer once a month serving dinner at our church for those less fortunate. It makes me feel great too, Eliz. Great post.
I don’t remember the first time I volunteered but the last time was a year or so ago when my friend asked us to help volunteer with her instead of getting her a birthday present. We worked with habitat for humanity building a house. It was definitely a great experience.
I started volunteering my time as a big sister and it was the best thing I’ve done. I have such a connection with the girl even though she is now in University and I live in a different country, we talk very often.
My children and I volunteer at the local animal adoption center and we read the Bible to the elderly. I hope it teaches them empathy and gives them a purpose in life.
This is incredible! I volunteer for an anti-bullying charity in Canada called Student Unity Project and working with them has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I feel like it’s made me a better person.
I love this! Volunteering can have such an impact on people. Growing up, I was a member of SAVE (students against vanishing earth), and we would clean up the sides of roads on weekends!
I felt sorry in this photo I don’t want to see people suffering in every kind of situation. For me, helping others is easy most especially if you are doing it in purpose and from the heart.
Volunteering is so important and such an important lesson to teach our kids.
I need to take the time to get out and volunteer more. I have weekends free, so that seems like the perfect time!
I love volunteering! It makes you feel good knowing you are helping someone!
Volunteering was instilled in me since I was a kid. I used to volunteer at a soup kitchen as a teenager and then as writer for visually challenged students.
I also volunteer and it’s amazing experience! Now, I just can’t stop 🙂
This is great information. Thank you for sharing this…it’s given me a lot to think about.
Loved it. Its important to contribute and return to the society, for the betterment of all.
What another great motivation monday post! Volunteering is one of those activities that young generation should be active at, I remember way back on high school life we always used to volunteer in our small village, especially helping those ones who are in need, cleaning the seaside, or even helping to solicit to feed poor people. This way it helps us understands others life, we sometimes disregard how blessed we are.
Great post on the National Volunteering Day! My values have always made me value even the small things and for the same reason, I believe in being helpful to the society and whoever is in need. The writing by Adrienne Rich is so beautiful, so deep and meaningful, thank you for sharing.
My parents were active in our community, volunteering weekly for the causes they believed in. It made a great impact in my life, seeing that we all have a responsibility to help.
We used to volunteer a lot, but this post reminds us that we should be doing it more often now and going forward.
Great post! I love volunteering for others. Before I had a full time job and blogging stuff, I used to gain work experience by volunteering. I want to do that again soon.
Volunteers are great people who do great and do a lot for our planet. I know their help and deduction change everything about the surrounding and it gives me hope.
I love volunteering and giving back to our community. I always volunteered when I was in highschool
Everyone should try Volunteering because it’s so inspiring to do it, especially touching the hearts of the people whom we are helping.
I have the most generous parents and they have been a good example to me and my brother. It’s awesome to be able to volunteer and give what you can to those in need. There’s no perfect time for that, you can simply just sign up and go!
Volunteering is so important and something we can all do. I really need to make more of an effort to do it and to do it often.
I love all of these quotes! I need to make more time to volunteer, I enjoy serving others!
I did when I was in the university. Guiltily though I haven’t since then. I have so much respect to people who are into charity works!
Volunteering is an amazing gift to give back to the world. I used to help out at a center where we’d provide meals for elderly ladies and gentlemen, it was a wonderful experience, I loved seeing the joy on their faces whilst we sang songs and did games. If I wasn’t working right now I would love to go back to it. I think it is so lovely that your mum worked hard with the vegetables and chickens to help feed others.
I’ve never been a volunteer, but sometimes I feel I’d love to do something good from time to time. Volunteering improves other’s lives, but it also makes us feel much happier. 🙂
I am one with you in this post. I truly believe service to others especially to those who wont be able to pay you back is the ultimate purpose we have on earth.
My earliest memory of volunteering is my mom and dad taking me and my brother to a soup kitchen on Christmas Eve to help out. I do this with my kids now when we are in the state, and they really do enjoy it too.
I have been thinking of volunteering my time to local causes for a while now … have been looking for something in my neighborhood. Your post pushed me to look harder 🙂
I really think one who volunteer can have the happiness in life. I also knew someone who do volunteering and get addicted to it too. It is a kind deed and wish everyone can help in some way or another.
It’s so important to volunteer! I didn’t do it often as a kid but as a teen, I went with my friend’s family to help at a retirement home and I’d love to bring my kids to do that as well!
Trying to reflect on the last time I volunteered it felt like a long time. Earlier this month, I was contacted to photoshoot a fundraiser which would raise money for cancer patients, research and hospitals. It was a great experience and I am glad I could offer my skills for a good cause.
This is such a wonderful article Elizabeth! I do believe in the importance of volunteering for our societies, i have volunteered one way or another all my life and it is one of the most rewarding activities of my life.
I didn’t know there was a volunteer week, how awesome. I have volunteered in my life a few times it felt great. I should get involve again because I enjoyed it so much. I also feel that volunteering is not just helping charities but it can be just being there for someone or doing something nice for a person or stranger. This gesture in life should be embedded in all of us to simply give just because it’s the right thing to do. And you want to do, deep down it feels amazing!
Volunteering is really such a great act. I can stil remember whe I was in HIgh School. I used to bolunteer in our community ‘
Great post! Volunteering in helping other people is really fulfilling. It is really awesome to help people who in needs. Very motivational!
Such an amazing read! I have never Volunteered in anything major but I always wanted to. I would love to do it sometimes in future. And it was a norm for us to hand down our cloths once we outgrew them to those who couldn’t afford to buy new one in my countryside 🙂
I haven’t done any volunteer work for awhile so this post was a great reminder for me that it’s time to give back to the community.
My first memories of volunteering are so cherished. <3 When I was a child I was very involved in volunteering. Having grown up in a third world country, I saw extreme poverty every single day and it broke my heart. I started volunteering when I was in 1st grade – I gave away everything I had to an orphanage and I would go play with the orphans frequently, too. Soon after, I was very involved in fundraising for the orphanage, especially to buy powdered milk for the new born babies. We ran so many fundraisers and campaigns and they are some of my best memories. I kept it up until I finished school at 18 and till this day the organization is still running and fundraising for orphanages. 🙂
I have to be honest, I’ve not volunteered one time this year. I’ve been a slacker due to health reasons but when I feel up to par, I’ll make up for it.
I didn’t know this was a thing, but I’m definitely inspired! The Audrey Hepburn quote makes me want to tear up — so beautiful.
I love the idea of volunteering. I can’t go out to volunteer because I have a small baby but I help in some ways and would love to introduce the concept to my son later. Thanks for the inspiration!
Volunteerism should be coming from the heart. It shouldn’t be forced or shouldn’t be coerced.
You captured it well! Volunteering can come in so many different ways. My son has mild CP yet he manages to help the elderly in so many ways while out walking in public. Once he pushed a disabled women in her power chair completely up our main hill in town because the battery died in it and no one stopped to help her.
I am a volunteer myself but was never aware of such insight into it.
The information is inspiring.
Thanks for the timings and other useful information.
Volunteering is a service more people should consider getting involved with–for the sake of others.
I always enjoy coming to your site. And seeing each post that you share.
Nailil
I had no idea it was national volunteer week. How meet is that?! My earliest memory of volunteering I guess would be volunteering to help at a kids summer camp.
I used to do more volunteering when I was a kid and it was fun for me because I liked staying busy. I need to and want to do it more though because it is a nice thing to do. Salute to all those who dedicate their time and efforts to doing good for others.
Volunteering always leaves me a great feeling when I do it. I have been volunteering since I was younger inside and outside of school.
I love that poem it is so eye-opening. I need to volunteer, I just to do it so much after college–helping people has always been a passion but now that I have kids I just don’t do it. Maybe I should find something my whole family could do. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for this beautiful message, it doesn’t only encourage us to keep volunteering but it also emphasizes the value of it, something not everyone realizes.
We volunteer at least once a quarter. We would love to do it more often but that’s our minimal goal for volunteering and giving back.
Volunteering is great and oh so rewarding. I do it both in my community and have taken several philanthropic trips. Love it!
Volunteer work is a really important part of my life. My mother runs a huge volunteer center.
I urge my children to volunteer more because it’s a great way to make them aware of the issues that we’re trying to solve as a society. I think it’s one of the things that I will always be proud of. It’s so fulfilling to volunteer and help.
Good for you for donating your time to those in need. I haven’t done any volunteering myself in a few years but I used to help out at a food bank as a teenager.
Wonderful quotes! I really love them! They are so inspiring and so uplifting. I love the poem! I love giving service and volunteering. Seeing them smile is so priceless.
I used to volunteer during my teenage times but now I have time not even for myself. So sad. Nice reading your thoughts, it took me back in time and I could think about how lazy I have become along the years.
That’s a great thing to do and one really feels great after doing it. Pictures were great too.
Volunteering is a great way to give to the ones who are in more need than we are. Each of us can do as little as donating their extra food to others, to help. It doesn’t have to be big, but each little gesture makes a difference in someone’s life.