A day of service

Please excuse my journalist instincts, but after volunteering today at the Special Olympics, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my own volunteer experience. So, I leave you with a column, of how I fell back in love with volunteering, enjoy.

Relearning what it means to serve

My alarm clock buzzed me awake a full hour earlier than my internal clock expected. Its a Sunday, I'm already 5 minutes late, and somehow magically, by 7:00 a.m. I am already in the car. Arriving in Mequon, I jog to the door, only to realize that the smart organizers gave us a 30 minute window to check in.

I have committed a half day to sitting at the scorers table of a regional Special Olympics Basketball Tournament. As I stand and watch the parade of athletes I am struck by how amazing this moment has become. Individuals, with varying disabilities, have been given a space where they can enjoy the freedom to reach for their dreams. As they wave to the crowd and round the bend, two teams report to my court. Flanked by three volunteer high school students we sort out the glitches and cheer on the teams. Nothing is different about this tournament than the countless others I experienced in my 10 years of competitive basketball. They are athletes, who have trained, overcome obstacles, and now get to have some fun.

This volunteer experience is especially emotional for me, because it was done in memory of a fallen Peace Corps Volunteer Kate Puzey. One year ago she was tragically murdered in my old village of Badjoude, Benin. She died fighting to give female students in my village their own safe place where they too could reach for their dreams. She dedicated her whole life to helping others and I know she was keeping an eye on us.

After the first game, I traded posts with a high schooler, letting her take a turn at learning how to keep score. A smile comes to my face as I realize this is what I have chosen to do as a living. In our nonprofit classes we constantly have to validate why we have chosen the nonprofit sector. In the simplest of terms I have learned to be a professional volunteer; I get paid to try and help others. As the morning went on, I got to talk with my fellow volunteers. They asked what I do for a living and I laughed saying: this - I get to play with kids and try and make their days just a little brighter.

So, cheers fellow nonprofit professionals, get out and volunteer, because it reminded me on Sunday of why I chose this path in the first place. It also made me realize that I have been given an incredible gift - the ability to motivate and rally others. Find your passion, select the course, and remember those who have gone before us helping to light the way.

~ Annie Reifsnyder,
NLSA President