Live Life with a Purpose by Volunteering in Your Community

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Live Life with a Purpose by Volunteering in Your Community

July 8, 2009

“Why am I here?” – how many of us have asked ourselves that question? I know I have. One way to live your life with a purpose is to perform volunteer work in your community. Karen Moyer, co-founder of The Moyer Foundation (a Seattle-based non-profit organization dedicated to helping children in distress) believes there are incredible personal benefits to volunteer work, “Through the Foundation, I have the opportunity to live my passion for helping children in distress and help make a difference in the world – living life with purpose gives meaning to both my personal and professional life – they are intertwined.”

Dellann Elliott, Executive Director and President of the Chris Elliott Fund for Glioblastoma Brain Cancer Research (CEF) feels the same way. “Volunteering for the CEF for me is about making a REAL difference in people’s lives who have a brain tumor as well as their family, friends and caregivers. It is extremely gratifying working with brain tumor patients and knowing how I have helped/extended brain tumor patients’ lives. I’m also able to see first hand the breakthrough research the CEF has helped fund that makes a worldwide difference in how brain tumors are treated.”

The Mrs. Washington America Pageant, run by State Director Pam Curnel is an organization well known for their emphasis on community service. Their motto of “Making a Difference” encourages women to become active in their communities, even if they’ve never before performed volunteer work. “Community service is one of the most rewarding things a person can receive in life. It also makes you feel good knowing you helped someone,” stated Curnel. Here are Pam’s tips for performing community service:

Tips for Performing Community Service:

Find out what type of service you would like to help with
Find out the time commitment
Establish a contact person
Follow the organization’s policy and procedures
Dress appropriately
Enjoy yourself

Volunteering can help more than just the organization, it can also help you! “By volunteering their time to something they are passionate about, women can gain personal empowerment, social connection, and a sense of community at any stage of their lives,” states Elizabeth Larsen, the 2009 Mrs. Washington. “The power of one can make a difference – by donating their time to an organization, women can have a powerful impact on an individual and/or community level.”

I couldn’t agree more with the importance of women performing volunteer work in their community. But you may be thinking, “I’m just one woman, can I really make a difference in my community?” Absolutely! For example, my passion in life is making a difference in the lives of women by helping them achieve their dreams. So for my volunteer work I bring women together and help them create a personal development plan, teaching them how to believe in themselves and face challenges head on in order to keep learning and growing. Over the last several years I have provided 52 free training seminars and reached over 1,500 women.

As Elizabeth mentioned, the power of one person really can make a difference! This summer, start thinking about what you’d like to do to make a difference in your community – and then go make it happen. You can do it!

~ Lisa Quast

Links:
The Moyer Foundation: http://www.moyerfoundation.org/

Chris Elliott Fund for Glioblastoma Brain Cancer Research: http://www.chriselliottfund.org/

Mrs. Washington America Pageant: http://www.mrswashingtonpageant.org/

Elizabeth Larsen: http://elizabethlarsen.blogspot.com/

Career Woman, Inc. Community Service Events: http://www.careerwomaninc.com/events.php