To celebrate National Volunteer Month, I googled “quotes about volunteers” to find just the right inspiration for a blog post that would show how important volunteers are to Camp Fire First Texas. Among the many quotes about volunteers, there were a few that I particularly like:
“Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.” Erma Bombeck
“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.” Tom Brokaw
“If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life.” Author Unknown
“The broadest, and maybe the most meaningful definition of volunteering: Doing more than you have to because you want to, in a cause you consider good.” Ivan Scheier
We are so lucky to have volunteers at Camp Fire. Sure, studies say that volunteers live longer and are healthier than non-volunteers (1); that volunteering establishes strong relationships, much better than online connections (2); that volunteering is good for a person’s career (3); and that volunteering gives an individual a sense of purpose (4). But I think most people volunteer because they just want to give back to the community and make it a better place, not because of what they may get out of the experience.
Whether it’s as a Junior League volunteer at Diamond Hill Station, helping elementary students learn how to tend a garden or as a member of our Board of Directors, providing strategic direction for the council, volunteers make Camp Fire programs better and provide a perspective that we need to ensure our programs and services are making a difference for children.
Volunteers make Camp Fire what it is. Each summer, sixty or more men and women from all walks of life spend a week at El Tesoro de la Vida, working with children who have had a death in their family. These volunteers provide comfort and hope to boys and girls who have experienced grief at a much younger age than many of us can imagine.
Volunteers work year-round on special events such as Camp Fire’s Topgolf fundraiser and An Artists’ Christmas Gala & Art Auction, asking friends to come and learn more about this organization and seeking underwriting so the net income is as large as possible. They know that mission matters, but money makes things happen.
Then there are volunteers who very quietly perform tasks like making phone calls to past campers, because they know the value that children receive from spending time in nature at El Tesoro.
And of course, there are the volunteers who answer a call that begins with, “I need your advice.”
We are very grateful for volunteers, those individuals who are compassionate, unselfish and who make a difference. We are thankful for volunteers who touch the lives of many, many children and youth. We appreciate volunteers who believe in what Camp Fire does, doing more for this organization because they want to help. Most of all, we are indebted to each and every one of our volunteers who gives of themselves to make the world a better place.
Thank you, Camp Fire volunteers. You are the best!
1 “Psychology and Aging.” www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2 “5 Reasons Why You Should Volunteer.” Psychology Today, March 12, 2014
3 “9 Ways Volunteering Helps You Get Ahead.” Psychology Today, May 23, 2016
4 “5 Reasons Why You Should Volunteer.” Psychology Today, March 12, 2014
Ann Sheets is the President/CEO at Camp Fire First Texas. Ann has been a part of Camp Fire since childhood, beginning as a Blue Bird and later earning the WoHeLo Medallion as a youth member. As President/CEO of Camp Fire First Texas, Ann heads one of the largest and most active Camp Fire councils in the nation. She is a graduate of George Williams College, receiving a master’s degree in camping administration in 1977 and was recognized as the Distinguished Alumna in 2007. She was named the 2012 CFO of the Year – Non-Profit by the Fort Worth Business Press.
