Set a Monthly Volunteer Quota

Your investment could literally change the course of someone's life.

By Sacha Zimmerman

From For America

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Expect Much of Yourself

It is a sad truth that millions of people in America need help. For each needy person, though, there are many people who have stable, secure lives. Imagine the potential of our nation if, for every person in need, one or more volunteers came forward to help.

We could keep kids who live in rough neighborhoods off the streets; we could ensure that no elderly people find themselves alone in the world; we could make sure that in a nation with so much, no child goes to bed hungry; we could prepare more students for jobs or college; and we could help struggling families face life with confidence and integrity.

Contributing a few hours a month to volunteering is a mandate we should all follow. The trouble is, most of us are busy -- very busy. That means that if we don't schedule time and make arrangements for volunteering in advance, it probably won't happen. The answer: set a monthly quota -- just 1 to 4 hours -- and plan to fulfill it. This small investment in your community could literally change the course of someone's life for the better.

Better yet, make volunteering a regular family activity. Use the opportunity to teach your children about charity, about giving, and about the responsibility all of us have for each other. It is said that of those to whom much is given, much is expected. We can argue about the politics of the day (and we should!), but in America, we receive much more than most other people on the planet. Our homes; our education; our abundant food, water, and natural resources -- we are given much. So expect much of yourselves.