My Take: By Gordon Lambie

By Gordon Lambie
My Take: By Gordon Lambie

The format of a My Take is 150 words – no more, no less – to express an opinion on a different topic each week. This week’s topic was volunteers

Next week is National Volunteer Week: a week of appreciation for those people who offer up their time to a cause without asking for anything in return.

Volunteers are presented as selfless and noble when offering their services, but when those same people want to step back or express concern about being overcommitted, it can lead to grumblings about selfishness.

Volunteer support is a fantastic resource, particularly for groups without the staff to carry out their missions on their own. Drawing some inspiration from the fact that April 22 is Earth Day, though, organizations need to remember to manage their resources responsibly, lest they become exhausted.

A community that is supportive of its volunteers will see more of them show up, whereas one that puts more and more work on the backs of just a few, will find it harder and harder to stay afloat.

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