Lessons in Volunteerism

Aug.10,2012

Every August the Larchmont Chronicle publishes the Women of Larchmont, a pull out section that highlights women who are active in our neighborhood. It also holds the Directory of Who’s Who for non-profits where women in our neighborhood have served. Over the years it has grown from a small “round-up” type section to being several pages long. In order to keep it updated, we start calling these organizations at the end of May (working off the previous year’s list and any that have been sent in in the meantime) to verify that all the information is correct. Since it’s summer, people are on vacation and sometimes it takes several calls to track someone down to make sure that what we print will be accurate. We try not to depend on websites too often since smaller organizations don’t have websites, and they are sometimes not up to date. Deadline for the August paper is usually July 15 or so, and sometimes we have people still getting back to us after that.

Every year when I start with the phone calls I dread it and I grumble about it. Every year the same woman hangs up on me before I can get my request in and I have to call back or email and tell her assistant who I am and why I am calling. And then the assistant makes sure I have the relevant information. Every year I get someone who is suspicious of why I’m calling and wants to make sure I’m not going to sell the information to anyone. But also every year I run into story after story about the type of volunteering that is available out there. From reading to kids at the library to helping sell used books to keep the library going to putting on events for disabled kids to fundraising for music and the arts to advocacy and political organizations. I speak to one woman every year who works with a group of people who advocate for women in the military overseas. I speak to another woman every year who is involved in an academic scholarship program for people studying the Greek Orthodox faith. Sure, there’s the Junior League, the DAR, the Debutante Ball, the Hilltoppers and the Ebell, but there’s also Planned Parenthood, KCET, several parent/teacher organizations, the Music Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Hope-Net and the Barnsdall Arts program. And that’s just in my neck of the woods.

I am a haphazard volunteer at best. I don’t have a car and am adverse to “joining” anything. But if I ever decided to volunteer, there would be no way I could say “there’s no place to volunteer” or “I have nothing to do.” There is plenty to do.

Anyway, every year, despite all my grumbling, I am amazed at the men and women, from all walks of life, who I speak to who are involved in these organizations – at all that they do and put their hearts into. I just wanted to say thank you to all those volunteers out there who make our world a little better place.