National Volunteer Month

April is National Volunteer Month, with the week of April 23 through 31 being designated as National Volunteer Week. This year's theme is "Inspire by Example."

At the Crescenta-Cañada Family YMCA and the Verdugo Hills YMCA, we are fortunate to be inspired on a daily basis by the generosity of our volunteers. From our membership office to the pool, our volunteers make a splash wherever they devote their myriad talents and time. We are fortunate to live in an area where volunteerism and community activism are a way of life for many. The YMCA is a grateful recipient of the interest and dedication of folks who are local and even a few who must travel some distance to volunteer here.

The people who volunteer at the YMCA are your neighbors and friends. They come from their jobs to the Y, where they then help with swim classes, give a health lecture, tackle a long-delayed filing project, coach a youth sports team or show other members how to use fitness equipment. There are those who sit on committees and help with fund-raising. Our volunteers come from school to assist with gymnastics and to distribute posters of upcoming YMCA events. They stop by after church to help at the welcome desk for a couple of hours on Sunday. They help out in baby-sitting while visiting grandchildren who reside locally.

I've only been the director of volunteer services since November. These past five months I've met some of the nicest, most dedicated volunteers in our community. For me, this has been a pleasant perk associated with my job. I go home after work feeling fortunate to have spent the day in the company of people who are so interested in giving something of themselves back to the community. Since it is our policy at the YMCA to check all references provided by perspective volunteers, I also spend considerable time on the phone with the people given for referral. I hear words such as "compassionate," "respectful," "smart" and "kind" used consistently to describe a volunteer base as diverse as the area in which we live. It's uplifting and heart-warming to hear friends, co-workers and teachers describe our new volunteers. I have found that those who choose to volunteer are usually the type of people who elicit enthusiasm from those who know them well.

Many of us want to volunteer but are discouraged due to lack of time. There is no denying that time is always in short supply and that we lead demanding lives, leaving little of that valued asset to be used at our discretion. Some of us are stymied by the requirements of demanding careers, long commutes and family life. Often it appears that volunteerism is viewed as a destination ? a place we'll one day reach when we have extra time, perhaps when we retire. Surprisingly, few of our volunteers are retirees, most being people balancing work, school, family life, social life, volunteerism and other interests.

If you've been thinking of volunteerism as a destination, you may be closer than you realize. It doesn't have to be a huge commitment ? volunteer hours are flexible. "Some day" can be now. The YMCA can be the place. Come on: Inspire by Example -- it's not just a theme, but also way of life.