Volunteers in America

This month, the folks at Yahoo! want to know if the members of the Motherboard have noticed an "Obama effect" on the rate of volunteerism.

It's an interesting question. And since Yahoo! was kind enough to sponsor me at last month's Vlogamama Workshop, I thought it would be fitting to answer it by making a video:

Can you believe I've worked on that ALL WEEK? Between dealing with the camera, the lighting, the sound, the editing... and having to look at my face and hear myself talk... well, let's just say that video puts me out of my comfort zone, and getting back in there is going to take me a lot of practice.

And while my video response was really kind of simple, I actually DO have a lot more to say on the matter.

You see, it's an interesting question. President Obama came into office by announcing a national "day of service." It rang true for me because as a "community organizer," he began his career by walking the walk. And I get the feeling our First Lady has always given back to the community, too.

But when the first President Bush tried to tell the public that we don't need tax dollars to pay for services because volunteers would step in to make the difference, I felt it was a blatant attempt to cheap out on the public so the upper classes could have tax cuts. I just never got the feeling that the Bush men ever got their fingers dirty helping the poor, unless it was for a photo op.

Of course, I'm only talking about the men. The women seemed authentic in their volunteer efforts - mainly because wealthy women have always put their energy and talents into volunteerism and charitable efforts. After all, with help at home and no need to earn income for the family, how else do you create purpose in your life?

Now, of course, our state (and the entire country) has to deal with some really tough financial issues (and I won't bother to tell you who I blame -- anybody who knows me has already gotten an earful on that). And it turns out that the first President Bush was right: Americans tend to be generous volunteers, and not just the upper classes.

Arianna Huffington posted an essay on just this subject today, in which she states:

"...We are hardwired to seek out unshakable meaning. The longing for necessariness is in our DNA. In The Fourth Instinct, I wrote about this part of ourselves -- the instinct that compels us all to go beyond our impulses for survival, sex, and power, and drives us to expand the boundaries of our caring beyond our solitary selves to include the world around us: 'The call to community is not a hollow protestation of universal brotherhood. It is the call of our Fourth Instinct to make another's pain our own, to expand into our true self through giving. This is not the cold, abstract giving to humanity in general and to no human being in particular. It is concrete, intimate, tangible.'"

Volunteerism is what we do, because we are human.

MORE POSTS ON THIS TOPIC BY MEMBERS OF THE YAHOO! MOTHERBOARD:

• A Parent in Silver Springs: There Are Do-Lots and Do-Littles
• BeccaRama: I Am One of THOSE PTA Moms - and Proud of It!
• Bonggamom: Why I Volunteer at School
• Chef Druck Musings: My Checkered Volunteering Past
• Connect with Your Teens Through Pop Culture and Technology: Rising Trend in Volunteering - Is Your Family On Board?
• Hormone-Colored Days: Volunteering, Blogging for Good and the Ripple Effect
• I'm Not the Nanny: When Do I Have Time to Volunteer?
• It's All About Balance: How One Email Changed My Life
• Just Precious: Teachers, Take Advantage of Your Parent Volunteers
• Mar Vista Mom: Just Say No to Volunteering
• Multi-Tasking Mommy: Volunteering and Skill-Based Volunteering
• North Jersey Beanstalk: Volunteer to Stop the War
• Parent Grapevine: Volunteering -- It's Getting In the Way
• Suddenly Single Journey: It's a Mixed Bag
• Teach Mama: Teacher Appreciation Week -- Water Bottle Notes
• The Traveling Circus: Not Missing the Volunteer Gene; It's Just Misplaced
• Who's the Boss: Everything I Need to Know I Learned From Volunteering in Kindergarten
• Caffeine and a Prayer: A Tale of Two Volunteers
• Melanie Myatt: I'm Ashamed to Admit

Comments

[Kimberly/Mom in the City]

I agree that volunteering is something that everyone can do - in different ways at the various times of their life.

[Amy]

How wonderful that you used your new vlogging skills! Great job! And it's true, there are choices we make each and every day that "do good" for the greater community. It's nice to be reminded that it's simple to be a part of something beneficial all around.

Keep up the great vlogging!

[Donna]

Hey, Amy - THANK YOU for the encouraging words. I'm determined to use these new tools in creative ways, but my goodness, there's a learning curve here!

[Donna]

You're so right. I also think it's nice to be reminded that even when you're busy, you don't have to make all that much effort to do some good for your neighbors. Thanks for coming by and commenting!

[Robyn Roark]

I am so impressed with your "vlog" post. I've only done 1 on my blog. It took me a million takes and didn't have any of your fancy captions and photos. Way to go, lady!

Nearly all of my volunteering is centered around the kids... room mom, team mom, etc. I look forward to the day when I can pick my volunteering activities based on my own interests. :)

[Donna]

Aw, thank you for the kind words about the vlog! I really benefited from taking TheGoToMom's Vlogamama Workshop ( http://www.vlogamama.com ).

Yeah, I think kids are the gateway drug to volunteerism... someday, I'd like to be a museum docent or contribute in some other fashion - but right now, it's all about school and sports!