Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve on an as-needed basis, such as in response to a natural disaster.
Wikipedia – Volunteering
When Terri and I talked about topics for guest hosting Sunday Stills for two weeks, cats and volunteering stood out as ones to which I could relate. Thank you Terri for trusting me with your wonderful challenge.
Volunteering
We have been blessed by the huge number of health workers who have dedicated their time in giving COVID 19 shots all over the country.
“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.”
Sherry Anderson
People generously volunteer to help in recent tragedies, weather crises, animal over population, reading and math tutors, museum docents, food service preparation serving and clean-up, road and park clean-up, and even blogging volunteers can serve the global community. In every facet of today’s society there is room for volunteers.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
What organizations, projects, or calls for help have you responded to?
Next week Terri will be back at the helm after having no internet during her move. We are all anxious to know how she is doing and how her new home looks. This week, I hope you will tell us how you are doing and what you do for others. Here is my story.
Volunteering in Woodlake, CA
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands — one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”
Audrey Hepburn
When I retired I joined Woodlake Kiwanis and the Woodlake Chamber of Commerce. I stayed in Kiwanis for the long haul and felt that I could make a greater positive impact on the community as part of a like-minded group than on my own. Kiwanis operates for the good of children and the community and fit my goals in life. I am still a distance member.
Kiwanis had several signature projects but they also collaborate with other organizations and our regional division to support the community. Our two biggest projects during COVID was to care for the Woodlake Rose Garden and to help the Woodlake Food Pantry distribute food.
Roses take about 90 hours of care per bush to keep them healthy. The Woodlake Rose garden has over 1,500 bushes. The City of Woodlake has 7,000 people, several parks, and about 31 employees in total including the City Manager, Fire Chief and Police Chief. Having a manicured rose garden was not high on any employee’s list of priorities.
County Supervisor Eddie Valero 
Kiwanis Lt. Governor Terry Thompson 
Kiwanis member – Family Community Service 
Kiwanis member Martha Hense 
Kiwanis members 
Woodlake City Employees 
Woodlake student 
Woodlake student 
Kiwanis members 
Kiwanis member and Master Gardener, Laura Manser instructs students
One of our Kiwanians masterminded the volunteer care of the garden. It was brilliant. After hearing him speak, about six organizations volunteered with us to assist the City of Woodlake. Especially active, are the Master Gardeners, from who we learned so much about rose care.
Even though Kiwanis didn’t run the food pantry many of our members played a huge role in its success. Kiwanis in Woodlake always has projects that require students to help. The organization believes that community service develops their character and resume. Students always had a first-hand glimpse at life.
Keeping Busy and Young All Year Long
The galleries below show some of our many of our activities past and present.
Let’s do this! 
Tiny drivers hang on! 
A tiny car for a tiny person to drive. 
Hold on for dear life!
Kiwanis eventually abandoned the Soap Box Derby because of lack of participation, due to after school sports programs. Kiwanis then joined forces with the City of Woodlake to provide different kinds of after-school support for kids.
Support for City Youth Sports 
Kiwanis Bike Rodeo
Other organizations sometimes hired our catering services which gave us funds for scholarships and enabled Kiwanis to provide services and events like our July 3rd Blast at no cost to the public.
Seeds of Love Banquet student server 
Seeds of Love Banquet – Tulare County 
Woodlake Awards Presentation 
Woodlake Awards Ceremony 
July 3rd Blast Kid Zone 
July 3rd Blast 
Fundraiser for Woodlake Food Pantry 
Toys for Joy store for low-income parents to pick out gifts and have them wrapped at no cost
Thanks to everyone who joined Sunday Stills: Respect the Cat
Forgive me if I missed your post. It’s probably best to post a link in the comment section as well. Pingbacks are not always reliable. Thanks again for joining in Sunday Stills while Terri’s been gone. 🙂
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
50 responses to “#Sunday Stills: Volunteering”
Volunteers are priceless! This was so inspirational – I hope you can continue to volunteer and give back to your community in such great ways!
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Thank you. We are both looking as ways to do that.
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[…] you volunteer, have a passion about something? It’s not too late to post in Sunday Stills. Please stop by my blog for sure tomorrow for the new topic – EMERGING. I’m […]
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[…] you volunteer, have a passion about something? It’s not too late to post in Sunday Stills. Please stop by my blog for sure this Sunday. I’m hosting for one more week while Terri gets […]
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Volunteering is a great topic to emphasize and highlight always and especially right now, Marsha. I love the quote from Sherry Anderson. I appreciate your sentence how community service develops character when discussing the students. Thank you for sharing an excellent post!
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Thanks, Erica/Erika. Sharing it was my pleasure. Volunteering is an important part of everyone’s life, I think.
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[…] a BRIGHT idea. It’s not too late to link a #BrightSquare post to Sunday Stills about YOUR Volunteer Work. Please stop by my blog for sure this Sunday. I’m hosting for one […]
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What a great blog. Thank you for highlighting all the wonderful projects you were involved with in Woodlake. We miss you so much but you keep on Volunteering with your Blog posts!
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I looked at all your new posts on FB. How beautiful everything looks. We’ll see you soon! Miss you! 🙂
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[…] stop by my blog for sure this Sunday. I’m hosting Sunday Stills for one more week while Terri gets her internet […]
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[…] internet is still not set up. I will be doing Sunday Stills on April 11th. Topic: Emerging. Hope to see you there. […]
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Fantastic post 😅
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Thank you so much Willow. You are so kind. What kind of volunteering do you do? I was thinking I do nothing now, but I volunteered to host Terri’s Sunday Stills for two weeks. LOL
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You are so right Marsha we do all need to volunteer and help people. I don’t actually do any official volunteer work at the moment. Hubby and I do make sure we help our neighbours and we do help a blind couple we who live near us as and when we can 💜💜
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Every bit helps. In Kiwanis, we count all of that as hours the members have worked. Kiwanis International then has an idea of how many man hours their members do for their communities in so many ways. It mounts up. Our club of about 18 steady members donates between 400-600 hours a month!
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It sounds like a lovely idea to me 💜
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You know, we often don’t realize how much we do for others, so it’s a great way to remember that we are trying to make a difference 🙂
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Yes indeed it really is 💜💜
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🙂
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The world would stop spinning if it weren’t for volunteers.
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How true. And there are so many different ways to volunteer. I remember when I was a Candy Striper in a hospital as a kid. It didn’t last, but I learned what I did and didn’t like.
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That’s another useful aspect of volunteering, Marsha.
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Have you ever wanted to have a volunteer help you? We used high school student helpers when I taught fourth grade. I thought I would train a couple of guys to help me blog. I did teach them a lot, but it never panned out to have them help me. I loved working with them, though.
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I used to love my parent volunteers in the classroom. We could do so much more when we had parents in to help. I always appreciated that they gave up their time to come and assist. I made some good friends that way, and their children loved it too.
I would love somebody to volunteer to help with my website, but I’m the only one who does that. All work and no pay, you know how it is. 🤣
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I had forgotten about that. My mom volunteered every year in my brother’s class. I had fabulous parent volunteers when I was in the classroom. We did so much – sewed aprons in first/second grade, had a Colonial Day in 5th grade, made gingerbread houses in fourth grade. I couldn’t have done any of that without my parents!
About the help on our websites, let’s chat soon about that. No I’m not coming to Australia, and I don’t offer any services, but I’m meeting with other bloggers, and I’m sure you are too, but having face to face chats is super helpful.
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Parent volunteers add so much value to education. The value is immeasurable and uncalculated.
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Amen to that!
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That was a lovely read and I sure can see why we cannot get through anything much at all without kind and caring volunteers! Covid also brought out some of the best in people didn’t it? More of a community feel. Denyse
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There were some positive attributes, for sure. To me it is unfathomable that the whole world screeched to a grinding halt and we returned to being a family unit. If not for the internet, I think we would have not been able to isolate like that. Now nurses and doctors all over the world donate time to give the shots so that we can get back to a more public life. It will never be the same, though. We are changed. Thanks for your lovely comment Denyse. I want to learn more about your experiences. You have such a positive attitude about life. How would you like to do an interview about your blogging and photo challenge experience for my blog. It would give me a great excuse to spend time exploring your site and getting to know you better?
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Thank you . I would like that very much, best email is denyse@ozemail.com.au cheers, Denyse
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This sound like fun in the making! 🙂
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Hi, Marsha – Volunteering is so important to our communities and far beyond.
During our retirement, the main volunteering that my husband and I have done has been with our local SPCA animal shelter. We have also had the opportunity to do some volunteering with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kenab, Utah. Here’s a quick pic: https://www.instagram.com/p/BblcuSBFZMy/
Thank you so much for taking the lead in hosting #SundayStills the past two weeks. This is greatly appreciated!
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That sounds like something I’d like to do here in Prescott. Thanks for sharing and participating while Terri’s been gone. Talk about “much a appreciated!” Terri and I both appreciate it so much! 🙂
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Hello Marsha, thanks so much for looking after #sundaystills…it’s now Easter Monday -a public holiday – here in Australia. My post is here and I look forward to returning to catch up with others… Denyse https://www.denysewhelan.com.au/denyse-blogs/about-volunteering-sundaystills-14-41-2021/
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Thank you so much Denyse. I can’t wait to see it. 🙂
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You’ve done some great work! Although I volunteer here and there, I often think I should do more than write a check. There are so many needs to be met. Oh, and thanks for volunteering to help Terri while she moves into her new home!
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Thanks, Janis. I was glad to do it. I would have participated anyway, so it wasn’t much extra work. 🙂
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Good for you Marsha. Looks like you got involved in a lot of great projects. Here’s my response: https://grahamsisland.com/2021/04/04/another-humpback-whale-breach/
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Thanks so much, Graham. Yes, I do feel super busy! Thanks so much for participating!
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Thanks for helping Terri out by hosting.
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Thanks for sticking around, Graham. My biggest worry was that nobody would join in. You made my day! 🙂
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[…] Posted in response to Becky’s April Squares challenge theme of ‘Bright.’ See more responses here. Also posted in response to this week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme of ‘Volunteering.’ See more responses here. […]
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Great post Marsha. It stirred in me a desire to think of ways I can volunteer simply around me in the midst of everyday life.
Here’s my link
https://troyerslovinglife.blogspot.com/2021/04/taking-in-life-around.html
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Wonderful, thanks for sharing, Kirstin.
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What a wonderful tribute to the generous act of volunteering, Marsha! Your efforts in your former community will be remembered for years to come. I’m hoping to find some volunteer activities here in 9 Mile. I was happy to volunteer when the kids were young with their sports activities and helping at the windsurf club. Thank you for hosting Sunday Stills again, my friend. ❤ And happy Easter to you, Vince and Cindy!
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Thanks, Terri. It was my pleasure. Your fans will be anxious to hear all about you living in your new house! I’m one of them. 🙂
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What wonderful work you have done, Marsha. Kudos to you!
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Thanks so much Susan. I was the photographer so I have tons of pictures.
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Great topic! There are so many volunteer opportunities – simply something for everyone. Two of my favorites … volunteer tutor at an English Second Language class …. ballroom dance with Down Syndrome adults.
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Those sound like awesome projects, Frank. My mom’s cousin Hal, at 95 still participates in tutoring an hour of English class. His “students” are primarily Chinese working on their doctorates. I went with him once. What fun!
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