Volunteerism - It Does a Body (and Soul) Good

Discover why some of the richest people in the world are not millionaires, they are volunteers. – Jobail Brcelona

I like that quote. A lot! I have done volunteer work for most of my life but I think it has become more important to me as I got older. I can remember doing things when I was in school or as a Boy Scout and it did feel good to help but it also seemed like a chore that had to be done. Now I look forward to pitching in when I can. When I was in my 20’s I was a volunteer Event Photographer for the New Jersey Folk Festival held at Douglass College every April. I did this for four (4) years and had a great time. The days were long, the weather was usually quite hot and the action gave me little time to rest but it never occurred to me to turn down the opportunity to help. It is a great festival and a worthwhile cause. I learned a lot about how to shoot events, met a lot of great people and did my part to make the festival a success. I don’t get to the festival much anymore but I still take out the photos from time-to-time and hope to write about some of them in the upcoming months.

Volunteering is an excellent way to provide meaning in your life and help give back to your local community. – Peter Muggeridge

When I got older and had kids my volunteering took on another phase. I helped the soccer, softball and baseball coaches whenever I could; even if it was just taking over as a base coach during a game or playing catch with some of the outfielders during practice. I went on class trips when I could get the time off and they needed parents. My favorite trips were the two that I took to the pumpkin patch when each of my children were in kindergarten. They both had the same teacher, two years apart, and the pumpkin patch trip was one that everyone looked forward to. I have a story to tell about the second such trip but that is for another time. I was also involved when my son was a Cub Scout and then a Boy Scout. I was one of the parents that went to all the meetings and went on camping trips when I could. I wouldn’t trade any of the memories for all the money in the world.

“Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer.” – Unknown

There is some work that I have done from the comfort of my own home. I learned how to build websites back in the 1990’s while working as a consultant for Lucent Technologies and I have put that knowledge to good use over the years. I built and maintained websites for two (2) churches, one that my children grew up attending and one that I grew up attending, and for a dog rescue/fostering group that a friend is involved with. The first church site that I did was something that I was asked to do. The church had a basic site but the person was no longer able to work on it so I took over. I added some functionality, changed the appearance a bit and made all of the updates. I did this for a few years and then it became something that no one had time for and it became somewhat stagnant. They have since found another person to work on it. The second church site was my idea. My grandmother had been quite active in the church for many, many years and I grew up going there. When she died I wanted to find a way to pay tribute and thought the best way would be to do something for the church. I contacted the minister, we had a meeting and I built the site. The only thing I asked in return was to be able to dedicate the site in her memory, which I did. The dog rescue site was run by someone I worked with. She contacted me one day to ask if I could help get the site functional. They had a developer working on it (it was written in ASP.NET) but for some reason quit and “took her ball home.” I fixed the site, added some features and everyone lived happily ever after.

You may not have saved a lot of money in your life, but if you have saved a lot of heartaches for other folks, you are a pretty rich man. – Seth Parker

Most recently I have returned to volunteering with my camera. In 2007 I volunteered for the 1st time with the JDRF Walk for a Cure in Avon-by-the-Sea. That year I was inside opening envelopes and counting money. It was an important job but very boring…. The next year I volunteered to work as a photographer, figuring that I could use the skills I learned working as an event photographer for the folk festival all those years ago. Well, it turned out that I was a Team Photographer. The teams could come to me and have their photo taken on the beach before, or after, they walked the 5k. This was a new experience to me. I had shot a few weddings in the past so taking group shots wasn’t new but some of the groups were 20, 30 or more people and at times I had 2 or 3 teams lined up! Talk about exhausting! I didn’t think I was going to make it through the day but I did. The funny thing was, as soon as I left that day I was looking forward to the next year. I volunteered through the 2013 Walk - that was my last. I learn something each year that helps the next year go a bit smoother. I had years where I was the only photographer and other years when I had help; my last year there were 3 of us. I always had 2 or more assistants to help organize the teams, without whom the task would be unbearable. What makes the JDRF walk so special is that I get to see some of the same teams each year and watch the kids grow. It is such a letdown when the event is over. The 2013 Walk was my last - circumstances had changed and I didn't feel I was needed so I "focused" my attention on other groups.

In June 2014 I worked as one of two Event Photographers for the Monmouth County Pancreatic Cancer Walk at Monmouth University and in September of the same year I worked as the photographer for the Jersey Shore Out of the Darkness Walk in Manasquan (it is now in Lake Como/Belmar). I wrote about Out of the Darkness last year year - Out of the Darkness - Suicide Prevention and Mental Health. Though circumstances have prevented me from working with the Pancreatic Cancer Walk since 2014 (check out my post here - Monmouth County Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk - Let's Find a Cure), I am working it this year - I am excited to get back. I have gotten more involved with the Out of the Darkness Walk in each of the subsequent years and now serve as a committee member as well as photographer. The job is physically demanding but I can't think of a better job in all of the world to have.

This year I was looking for more to do and found the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) and Mary's Place by the Sea. They have walks in May (5th and 19th, respectively) and I will be volunteering with them for the first time.

If you are involved with a charity or other non-profit organization that could use my services, please feel free to get in touch. You can either leave a comment below or send an email to valencia32photo@gmail.com and let me know what you need. If you are interested in becoming involved in any of the events I have written about - please send me an email and I will make sure someone gets in touch with you!