Choir Notes

Volunteers and Helpers
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered by: Lloyd D. Newell • Program 4261

To those who follow the news of the day, the whole world seems to be in turmoil. Some would say the world has always been in turmoil, and that may be true. But the difference is that today, with immediate and widespread news coverage, the world seems to be much smaller—and getting smaller each day. For that reason, we feel more connected to those on the other side of the world; we seem more part of a global community. In a sense, we’re all neighbors. And what makes this worldwide neighborhood run most effectively are volunteers and helpers.

We recognize and give thanks for those among us who are willing to help others, those who volunteer their time and talents, those who sacrifice in some way for the betterment of the human family.

One insightful observer noted, "In a world continually ripped by massive calamities, we ... need an auxiliary corps of volunteers, ordinary citizens who willingly undergo discomfort and danger to help fellow human beings. Volunteers are special people with a highly developed sense of responsibility. While pessimists and optimists argue whether a glass is half-empty or half-full, the volunteer sees a glass of water and starts looking for someone who might be thirsty.”1

Each of us can try to do something. We can volunteer our time in our communities, at a school or library, a hospital or care center. In a hundred ways, small and not so small, we can open our hearts to others, down the street or around the world. Volunteering and helping builds love and relationships, renews our faith in the goodness of people, and changes our attitude and sense of well-being.

Indeed, our world depends on volunteers and helpers, co-workers and partners, who offer their hands and hearts in building a better place for all of us.

1 Michael Josephson, "Heartwrenching to Heartwarming,” Character Counts, Mar. 11, 2011, charactercounts.org/michael/2011/03/heart-wrenching_to_heart-warmi.html.