Your article on volunteering’s newest trends (“Volunteering not just for mom, dad,” Page 1, Dec. 3) was both interesting and informative.
Most people don’t understand just how much community groups, health care providers and even government agencies rely on volunteers to help them fulfill their missions.
At the Chicago Department of Public Health, 195 people are donating 35,590 hours of their time and talent in 1996 to make our city healthier. Ranging in age from 14 to 92, these public-spirited Chicago-ans are nurses, physicians, dentists, mental health professionals, phlebotomists, medical technicians, secretaries, translators and filing clerks. They help make our neighborhood clinics and offices more efficient and help extend the resources we have.
Although about 49 percent of American adults gave of their time and energy in 1995, there are still millions who hesitate to volunteer because they mistakenly believe they will be called upon to do more than they can. Our volunteer program, like every good volunteer effort, tailors opportunities to meet people’s talents and time limitations. Our volunteers give as much as five days a week and as little as a few hours a month. We are grateful for them all.
If you have never volunteered, or if it has been years since you last volunteered, please give it a try in the new year. Whether it’s your local health department, school, library, hospital, hospice, shelter or house of worship, chances are you’ll find a rewarding opportunity.