Helping out

[L. Love]

In the current economic climate many people are out of work and also many community and voluntary groups are having their funding cut more and more.  Many of these groups carry out vital work in their communities and yes I find in my own local area, while the level of unemployment creeps up, the number of people willing to volunteer is dropping drastically!

 

I am lucky to still have full time work and I volunteer in my local area working with disadvantaged families (not a do gooder no, but because I believe in supporting each other is the way forward).  We are organising an Intercultural Family Fun Day next week and have just held 2 workshops for the local children making masks.  We asked for 6 people to give us a hand with them....all the people, bar one, that helped out, were all working full time and took time off work to help, including myself.

I do not do what I do for any claps on the back, but because I believe communities can help themselves most of the time - they just need the resources to be able to do things.

What I get a little peeved about is that we had 54 kids come along, mostly with parents who are at home for whatever reasons and yet none would help out.

It drives me crazy!!  

 

After working all week, I had to go out early this morning to buy all the prizes for next weekend as no one else would do it.  I might add I am also the secretary for this local group and we have 16 members but of those 16, I would say there are five that are active.  Only for my partner coming with me, I would not have been able to manage it all!

 

For goodness sake, if you are in a community that has an active group or groups organising events, go help if you can!  They will be extremely thankful and appreciative and you will get far more out of it than you put in!!  This is why I have been involved for more than 20 odd years.

 

Sorry for the rant.  No need for replies......just need to get that off my chest!!!

[L. Love]

((((((hugs))))))