Quoted from Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle, April 18, 1942.
As we were watching Pearl Harbor the other night it hit me like a ton of bricks. Why do I love what I do? It’s in my heart.
I’m not a member of the Armed Forces, I couldn’t fathom the tenacity, bravery, heartbreak and pure pride affiliated with such a profession. I’m simply a third generation northern Nevada gal interested in inspiring others to contribute.
I Googled “volunteer” and 87,700,000 opportunities presented themselves. Since it’s such a broad search I went ahead and Googled our community, which consists of less than 15,000 year-round full time residents and found 23,700 search results. Although it’s not about the numbers that pop up in an online Google search, I hope you get the point.
What is it you’ve done this month, year? Some of you reading this couldn’t count on one hand how much you’ve done this week alone, although others may be desperate to get off this particular subject.
Local organizations I whole-heartedly support include Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful, Trails and Vistas, Truckee Donner Land Trust, BEAR League, Grace Church of Reno, Girl Scouts of America, and the American Lung Association’s Open Airways for Schools asthma management program (to name a few).
I won’t belabor too long over how easy it is to give a few hours here and there, or mention how many organizations not only allow but encourage you to include your family. I wont even tell you how amazing it is to watch your 8-year-old son serve soup to the needy, pull weeds on a trail or help you watch and play with children so their parents can attend a church service. No, I wont do it. Instead, I challenge you to give it a go yourself, go on, do it.
