The Tennessee River chapter had our first all-volunteer meeting recently. A lot of things came from that meeting other than what you would expect to gain from getting volunteers across different lines of service together.
I opened the meeting with a “Why I volunteer” video. I then asked each person to introduce themselves with a short description of why they choose to volunteer. It was interesting that the expected answer, “I had extra time on my hands,” never came up. The one strong word that was repeated over and over was the word “heart.”
It is true that the heart of our volunteers can be seen over and over again at any given time. I have seen it in an arm that is stretched around the shoulder of a client who had just lost everything. I have seen it in the smile of an instructor as they repeat the same message over and over to new volunteers. I have seen it in the hugs to the children as they are presented a Mickey Mouse doll, or the visit to a funeral home to extend a hand of condolence. I see it in the grateful eyes of a service man or woman’s family members, who without our help would not be able to have their loved ones home for a funeral, or maybe a last conversation that no price could ever be put on.
This organization not only provides families with help in a time of need, it gives others the ability to serve…to lend a hand while sharing their heart and their talents with their neighbors across this country. It is through the time and care of ordinary people that we can do amazing things, because when heart is present, our mission comes full circle.
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