Volunteers

I've spent the last month pretty much begging. Begging businesses, resturants, and even the organization I work for--begging for donations for volunteer appreciation. I've had a few successes, but mostly I've had a lot of frustration: no one feels that gratitude is worth money. Sure, saying thank you is always appropriate, but why spend money on "free labor".

It isn't even the lack of money that brings me the most frustration--it's the attitude behind the "we don't have the funds for that right now" that gets me sad. I see money and "stuff" thrown around for all sorts of advertising, staff development, partnership opportunities, but there's never enough for the lives of those who are lifting the real loads.

All of the dirty work--the labor and time intensive work--that is done at my social services center is done by volunteers. They spend the gas money to drive to the food bank for 3 truck loads of food (60 miles) each week. They stand in the rain to wait for the food distribution. They break the sweat that loads this food into trucks and onto our shelves. They sort through smelly, musty, smoky bags and bags of donated clothing, getting rashes from unknown contaminants.

Nothing is beneath them. They are without guile and without honor from their "superiors" bring sustained life to needy needy families. They are the least among us and yet are the greatest. I am humbled. I pay tribute. I appreciate volunteers.