Make Your Mark

By Raymond D. Cohen

It strikes me that over the years many of my editorials have returned to familiar themes. What does it mean to be a good neighbour? To live in community? To become involved in issues? To realize the power of our own numbers? What does it mean when we follow awareness with real action?

This issue features some of the opportunities that are there before us. Some are there on a more or less consistent basis – and some come around only every now and then. In either event, the opportunities presented by volunteerism create win-win scenarios in virtually every community across Canada.

As example, over the last year 844 volunteers got involved in Access Guide Canada, the Canadian Abilities Foundation’s growing online network of accessible resources. Eight hundred and forty-four! Wow! Suffice it to say that this excellent resource would not be serving the community nearly as well without the help of our volunteers.

The truth is, the non-profit sector in general relies on the skills, knowledge and good will of volunteers. Without their assistance, we in turn wouldn’t be able to help those who need our services. We at the Canadian Abilities Foundation (CAF) are humbled and honoured by their incredible contributions.

But who are the “they,” anyway? Who are these people who give countless hours of their time? What compels them to find time away from the usual business of life? What makes them do what they do?

Obviously, the “they” are those out there doing it. The “they” might even include you. If not, the “they” could include you. Really, what’s stopping you from getting out there? If it’s your disability, then read on and be prepared to be inspired. This issue’s special feature, “Reap the Rewards” (page 22), offers an array of examples of how volunteers with disabilities have had lasting impact on the people and communities around them.

Clearly, there is something profoundly rewarding about volunteering. Maybe it’s the warmth that comes from making a contribution, an altruistic gesture of good will, an act of neighbourly love. Whatever it is, it is certainly something that we could all stand to see more of these days.

There are probably as many reasons why people volunteer as there are volunteers doing good out there in the world. By its very nature, volunteering allows us to connect with our own gifts, talents and strengths. It brings out the best in us. For an hour, a day or a month, one can be simply who one wants to be.

It’s kind of like turning into Superman and jumping in and saving the day. At least that’s how I imagine it must be when a CAF volunteer jumps in and fixes a jammed fax machine – or turns in a complicated slate of statistics.

Volunteer jobs are vast and extensive – clowning at a fair, visiting terminally ill patients or helping out in a busy office. Thanks to technology, we can even volunteer online – in simple ways, like giving advice on a message board, or becoming involved in much bigger initiatives – such as Access Guide Canada (hint, hint). Some organizations offer volunteer opportunities in other countries. Some organizations want to tap into your brain power, while others want your brawn. Different opportunities meet different needs – both yours and the organization benefiting from your energy.

I believe that most of us have within an inherent need to give of ourselves. It helps us grow and develop as humans – it helps with our own process of self-actualization. And the adage is true – what goes around comes around! The more you give, the more you get. What a deal!

Summer is coming. I urge you to get out there and, if you haven’t yet started, get going with giving the gift of you. I know you will feel the better for having made your mark. It’s something to hang your hat on at the end of each day. Something to look back at on more difficult days and say, “Yeah, that was me – I made that good thing happen – and I’m going to do it again!”