Reaching Out to the Community

People who know me also know that I am all about community outreach. I support the process of addressing the needs of people in my region (I live in New Mexico). I have been part of the charity circuit for a long time. My mission is to encourage others to follow my lead and play a part in a vital enterprise. All you need to do is read about various organizations and select those of immediate interest. You can help the homeless, provide service at a home for the aged, support the elimination of animal abuse, or work with kids in any capacity. There is always need for your time and/or money.  I do both.

Here is how it works for me. I volunteer a day here and there for a particular charity organization that is helping rebuild part of a church that burned down in a wildfire that spread rapidly to adjacent structures. You might expect a religious group to fund its own cause, but help is needed to bring about the actual work in a timely manner. It is not always about money. In this case, the church did not have a reserve fund but it does having caring parishioners. They promptly organized a volunteer group to address demolition and new construction.

This is the kind of grass roots project I love to see happen. It shows how volunteerism works and how a charitable program operates, especially on an emergency basis. I am usually first on anyone’s list in my area when it comes to manual labor. People know I will make time and use whatever skills I possess. Oddly enough, I don’t have any real talent in construction and was surprised to be included in the newly assembled building posse. In fact, I am rather leery of power tools since my cousin had a minor accident with one and almost lost a finger. Fortunately he did not, but it still reminds me of the danger of getting into something outside your purview.

Where there’s a will, there’s always a way. When I arrived at the church and joined the group of volunteers, I noticed a variety of materials and tools. They were being handed out with each person selecting what they wanted to use. I spied a paint spray gun from Paint Spray Pro and immediately glommed onto it. This was the perfect device for me. Not much danger of injuring yourself with a bit of stray paint! The “construction boss” said he would show all of us how to wield our chosen gadget and in what order our services would be needed. You don’t just jump in when it comes to renovation. There is a proper order to things. The paint comes in at the end so I had to bide my time and be patient. I elected to run and get sandwiches for the crew. I could make myself useful while I waited for my turn. I was rather looking forward to finishing off the project with a lovely color.