Volunteering

I am a huge advocate for volunteering, I may not do it much myself but I hole heartedly believe in it.  I think volunteering serves two purposes. The first purpose is the obvious one, you are helping someone or some organization out free of charge. You are donating your time to them. The second purpose is one that gets reiterated each time I volunteer.  It’s the feeling you, the volunteer, get after you’ve done this good deed.  There is no feeling like that, the feeling of doing something good for your fellow man.

When I was in high school I knew about volunteering I just never did and now I wish I would have done so.  When I went off to Ole Miss there was a girl on my floor during my senior year (yes I lived in the dorm throughout college) who knew of a sorority that wasn’t like the ones on campus.  She wanted to bring it to Ole Miss because it was different.  If you’ve ever been to any major university then you know that sororities and fraternities are big on campus and they are mainly social (meaning people join to meet other people).  There is nothing wrong with those groups and I know plenty of people who joined them, they just weren’t for me. So when this friend asked me if I wanted to join a sorority I was kind of gun shy about it. I mean I didn’t know if I could afford to be in one or if I even wanted to be in one.  But then she explained to me that this sorority was different.  This sorority was a service sorority, meaning the ENTIRE purpose of it was to volunteer!  Sure you met new people but you were servicing your community and others in need.  Well I was all for that and joined. And on January 25, 2003 I became an active member in this sorority after helping found the chapter on the Ole Miss campus. The sorority is Omega Phi Alpha and our chapter is Alpha Beta.  I was actually our chapter first Alumni as I graduated from Ole Miss in May of 2003.  The projects that we did in the semester we were forming the chapter and the semester after we officially became a chapter were amazing and life changing to me.

I never realized that doing that kind of service for others could give you that feeling.  That’s why when I started working for the company I now work for and found out that there would be more volunteering opportunities I jumped at the chance.  I am always the first to volunteer and not because I can get out of work (although that is a plus) but mainly because I LOVE to do it.  Yesterday is a good example of that. I volunteered, with some co-workers, at the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Toy Shop gathering the Angels toys together and organizing them and in some cases putting toys and clothes together for those children who didn’t get adopted.  Seeing the generosity of some many people during a time when the economy is not great really moved me and had me on the verge of tears.  I really wish I could see the children’s faces when they open their presents. I don’t have any children so I don’t get to experience the look on their faces on Christmas morning when they open their gifts and get what they wanted so I live every year for the Angel Tree because I can just imagine those children’s faces when they thought they were getting nothing, get something. It moves me.  I am so thankful that my job gives me the opportunity to volunteer for various projects.

I encourage EVERYONE to volunteer at least once a year and not just at Christmas time, although that’s awesome, but throughout the year when most people don’t volunteer.  Contact your stewpot, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army or even the children’s hospital. I know there are more so contact them.  Me personally I in the process of training to become a Wish Granter with the Make-A-Wish foundation and I can’t wait to start!!

Merry Christmas All!!

Much Love,

Courtney