Have you ever willingly volunteered to get involved and help out your community? Maybe just something small at first, like volunteering to help clean up the local park? Then slowly you find yourself getting more involved and your activity moves to something more time consuming and significant?
Well, that is how it was for me volunteering at the local hospital. It started innocently enough about 10 years ago when I volunteered to help with a golf tournament raffle and sold tickets to the attendees. It was exhilarating to hear we had raised nearly $75,000 to help patient programs. I was hooked!
As the year's have flown by, I have been involved in all sorts of fund raising projects, Run/Walks, concerts, art shows, fashion shows, holiday memorials, and more. Of course, the reward for doing a good job is more work! And so, over the years I have advanced through ranks and am now President.
Being President of a volunteer group takes more work that I ever expected, dreamed or imagined. Motivating non paid volunteers is clearly the most work I have ever expended for no paycheck. So why do I bother?? Because it's actually rewarding to be able to help someone else and step away from my personal drama for a time.
My personal "non-paycheck" reward seems to be the thank-you notes stemming from our non-fundraising projects we provide to the patients. Those would include our cancer quilt program where each new patient gets a handmade quilt, the teddy bears we sew for the scared and frightened pediatric patients visiting the emergency room, the free acupuncture gift certificates we provide the chemotherapy patients, and the homemade pediatric pillow cases provided by the ConKerr group. These are the things that make it all seem worthwhile!
Showing posts with label volunteering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label volunteering. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Queen of Haartz Goes Blog
Welcome,
On the advice and request of Pouty baby, here I sit posting my very first blog. Deborah, the talented blog designer did all of the work setting this up. What I lack in computer savvy, she has in abundance.
For the most part I spend my time helping other people over at the local hospital. I am President of the Auxiliary coordinating the efforts of 350 or so members. This is a group of men and women who volunteer their time raising money and giving of their personal time and talents to improve the patient experience. My daughter also designed our auxiliary blog.
In an effort to stave off boredom and loneliness, my volunteer work also entails being on the hospital foundation board, and being president of a private family foundation. I am also on the annual fund committee for my daughters school and serve at a Board director at another charitable organization.
My summer past time is golfing. My nick name is Boom Boom Haartz as I can drive the ball pretty far for a girl my age :-) ! It is so rewarding to play a round of golf, even if it's not a particularly good score. I remind myself that a lousy round of golf is better than sitting in an office somewhere wishing I was outside enjoying myself. This usually improves my mood and puts a smile on my face.
On the advice and request of Pouty baby, here I sit posting my very first blog. Deborah, the talented blog designer did all of the work setting this up. What I lack in computer savvy, she has in abundance.
For the most part I spend my time helping other people over at the local hospital. I am President of the Auxiliary coordinating the efforts of 350 or so members. This is a group of men and women who volunteer their time raising money and giving of their personal time and talents to improve the patient experience. My daughter also designed our auxiliary blog.
In an effort to stave off boredom and loneliness, my volunteer work also entails being on the hospital foundation board, and being president of a private family foundation. I am also on the annual fund committee for my daughters school and serve at a Board director at another charitable organization.
My summer past time is golfing. My nick name is Boom Boom Haartz as I can drive the ball pretty far for a girl my age :-) ! It is so rewarding to play a round of golf, even if it's not a particularly good score. I remind myself that a lousy round of golf is better than sitting in an office somewhere wishing I was outside enjoying myself. This usually improves my mood and puts a smile on my face.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
