We Love Volunteers

​There is a certain day in February that gets a good deal of attention. Advertisements suggest a variety of gifts to help express the way we feel about someone special in our lives. These are all wonderful things to do, but I would like to add a special group of people that we should add to our list. Let’s appreciate and acknowledge all that volunteers do on behalf of B’nai B’rith.
 
Volunteers enable organizations to do the work they do every day. Often working hand in hand with staff, they help move our agenda forward. They contribute their time and money towards projects that make a difference in their community and around the world. Their love of volunteer work breathes life into the projects and our organization. You may not see them, as they are often behind the scenes raising money, working on publicity or outreach to involve others and usually shying away from attention when they work the day of the event.
 
While we can never mention all of these dedicated men and women, we want offer our thanks. Whether their project is held every day or once a year, you can be sure a volunteer is involved. In Los Angeles, there are volunteers working every day, before the sun comes up, to bring  donated bagels and baked goods to school children in need in their community. When school is not in session, they bring the food to them at shelters.
 
I was recently involved in an e-mail exchange that demonstrates how volunteers work. A gentleman and his wife in Atlanta wanted to donate gently-used stuffed animals to a program they knew B’nai B’rith did in their community. This is the B’nai B’rith Cares for Kids project, which puts a loveable huggable in to the arms of a child facing a difficult time. I passed the request on to the B’nai B’rith volunteer coordinator who answered the e-mail immediately. He arranged the pick up for the next day at a convenient location for both of them. His e-mail closed with “yours in service” and that said it all.  
 
Studies show that people who volunteer are happier and healthier. Most likely, this is because volunteers enjoy being with others who think similarly about life and the community they live in. It is a great way to make new friends who care about the same thing—helping others. So, if you are not already a volunteer, please think about getting involved.
 
We can never thank volunteers enough. So, I hope that you will think about someone you know who volunteers for B’nai B’rith and take the time to thank them. We can offer a wonderful way, sort of like the gifts in the ads this month. You can make a donation in their honor and we will send a tribute card that will tell them that this has been done to support the organization and programs they love so much. You can reach me at rlove@bnaibrith.org with your request.
 
If you put the words “quotes about volunteers” into a search engine, you will find thousands of quotes attributed to famous and unknown authors.
 
I liked a simple one from an unknown author. “Volunteers are love in motion.” A perfect message for February and all through the year!

---

​Rhonda Love is the Vice President of Programming for B'nai B'rith International. She is Director of the Center of Community Action and Center of Jewish Identity. She served as the Program Director of the former District One of B'nai B'rith. In 2002 she received recognition by B'nai brith with the Julius Bisno Professional Excellence Award. This June will mark her 38th anniversary at B'nai B'rith. To view some of her additional content, Click Here.
​