April is Volunteer Appreciation Month!

“I’ve learnt that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.”

~ Maya Angelou, American poet and civil rights activist

Volunteering can take many forms, and they all lead back to a sense of community. Giving of ourselves can help us feel connection to people we might not meet otherwise. A volunteer can have many reasons for offering themselves and their time. You can use your hands, your voice, your words, your skills, your good attitude – whatever makes sense for you.

Affordable Living for the Aging has been fortunate to benefit from many caring and industrious people who have served as volunteers, helping us deepen our offerings to those who need it most. Our volunteers have built our program management tools, written grant proposals to secure funding, and served as outreach coordinators to help expand our footprint. Whether it’s an hour or a year, all volunteers make a difference. It can be an opportunity to develop new skills, or share the ones you already have.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

Some of ALA’s volunteers came to us from the AmeriCorps VISTA program to serve their community and fight the war on poverty. Other volunteers found ALA through Volunteer Match. ALA is also the beneficiary of generous pro bono work provided by web developer Swiftkick Web.

For local grassroots organizations like ALA, all contributions make a big difference.

This month, thank a volunteer!

by Maureen Tuohy