Every day I am astounded by the number of volunteers who walk through our doors, smile broadly, greet each other, and then get right to work!
Sitting at my computer just a few feet from the busy distribution center, I occasionally tear up listening to our volunteers cheerfully support each other, laugh, sing, and dance to the music, and thoughtfully sort and select the food and goods requested by our recipients.
Last week one of our volunteers told me he appreciates being “behind the scenes” ensuring people he might never meet receive what they need.
The work and service that takes place at WPE brings all of us so much joy. Our volunteers don’t see themselves as the givers on one side handing off to the needy on the other side. All benefit, and all are uplifted! This exemplifies our circle of giving, where responsibility for caring for the community is assumed by everyone; as we often say, it is “all of us taking care of all of us!”
The love and energy of our volunteers
is contagious and inspiring!
CA Governor Gavin Newsom on service and volunteerism:
“We are many parts, but one body. Regardless of our political stripes, regardless of our geographic proximity to one another, we have got to start connecting in meaningful and substantive ways. That’s what service is all about. That’s what volunteerism is all about.”