Bargain Bonanza update! Thank you so much to everyone who has volunteered to help. It takes a village. We are blessed to have so many folks willing to chip in. We are still in need of folks to help accept donations on Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:15, and 11:30-12:30, and Wednesday mornings from 10 AM till noon. As you can see in the photo, we have lots coming in, and some extra hands would be appreciated! Please contact me at Louisa.duck@gmail.com if you’d like to help. Thank you! Louisa PS The Bargain Bonanza is scheduled for May 25th!
I was thinking about the volunteer experience the other day. My mind went back to an experience I had…sitting in a large room, filled with community members, volunteers, staff. This was a secular non-profit organization, I have been familiar with their work for some time and supported it with my time, talent, and treasure. I saw someone I had not seen for some time, a familiar face. I soon discovered why she had been absent. “They are not doing things here like they used to…” I am not one of those people who gives everyone the impression I am on their side. “Why are these changes bothering you?” She could not say. “It worked for us for years, I don’t understand why they would change now”. I suggested she speak to a staff person. “No, they don’t listen”. I asked, “Is it that they don’t listen or is it you don’t agree with the decision?” She quickly changed the subject, “I like your Herald columns”. I guess we were done.
When people complain about me to members of the church, I never expect anyone to come to my defence. The listener might agree with the complaint. It’s when the person who is listening disagrees with the complaint and says nothing. I just don’t get that. I suspect its why people only speak to those who agree with them. No chance of disagreement.
When people tell me, “There are so many new people at Bethany, I don’t know them”, I respond, volunteering is a great way to learn new names, faces, stories, make friends. I remember when Brian and Sandra Shields came to Bethany, we were in the middle of the Fall Fair. They volunteered. And to this day, the relationships they made then endure now. In any volunteer organization, what we remember is not “did they do things my way” but rather the people we met when we worked together. Control is over-rated, volunteering is not.