Hello,

   

     Before I begin I just want to convey my appreciation this month of thanks. I am so grateful for our employees and volunteers. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to our Veteran's who have selflessly served our nation.  I hope everyone has a safe holiday and gets to enjoy a delicious meal with loved ones. 

   

    I sometimes ask, ”Does what I do in my volunteering really matter?”

     

    When I return to my Meals on Wheels route after a week or two off due to time conflicts, I’m always cheered by the glowing responses of the recipients of those meals. We chat for a moment and bid our farewells, always with a “Thank you” and “You’re so welcome. Take care!” I am refreshed anew, and my truck takes me to my next recipient.

    Another volunteering experience was working with the Afghan families brought to our valley by the Grand Valley Resettlement Project (GVRP) which was made up of area churches and volunteers willing to help. These families were stuck in Afghanistan after the U.S. pulled out of the country. They had cooperated with elements of the United States and were looking at a dangerous or at least difficult life in Afghanistan after the Taliban took over again.

    Some of the project directors that these Afghans had worked with chartered planes to fly into an outlying airport. With very little notice, these families raced to the airport with only a bag and the clothes on their backs. These families were housed in Abu Dhabi or Albania for upwards of two years while they were processed by our state department.

   As families were processed and brought to the Grand Valley, GVRP sprung into action. We got these people housing, furniture, sundries, school placements, medical help and all the necessities.

    As we helped these displaced families, I never heard a disparaging comment. The Grand Valley opened their arms to these families and welcomed them to a better life.

    I can’t tell you how gratifying the smiles of parents and children being introduced to their new classmates and schools were. I will keep those images close to my heart until I pass from this place.

   So…yes volunteering matters. I am immensely grateful for every opportunity I have to help and appreciate the experience.

    Why keep this joy to yourself? Invite a friend or neighbor to come with you the next time you volunteer…and tell them RSVP sent you.

 

"Sometimes it takes only one small act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life." - Jackie Chan.

                                                                                                                                                    -

                                                                     Best Wishes,

 

                                                                               ~ Dave