Volunteers Make A Difference Every Day in Schuylkill County!

Across the country, we celebrate Make A Difference Day one Saturday in October each year. That is a single day where thousands of Schuylkill Countians will volunteer their time and talents to help someone else. Prior years saw 8,000 or more of our residents taking time out of their busy schedules to celebrate this day of volunteerism.

Some participate individually, while others join groups. Some projects help out individuals, while others benefit one of the over 700 non-profit organizations in our community. Organizers emphasize that no project is too small or too big to take on, and all individuals are encouraged to contribute something to the celebration that day.

Even though Make A Difference Day is a national day of volunteering, here in Schuylkill County volunteerism is celebrated not just a single day -- it is a way of life. Every single day at our local fire companies and churches, hospitals and schools, thousands of Schuylkill Countians volunteer to make our community -- and the lives of others -- better.

We have a strong volunteer contingent in the region, which helps us build strong communities. But volunteering does not just benefit the individual or group being helped. The volunteer also benefits: making friends, meeting new people, and feeling good about making a difference in someone's life. "Doing good" makes you feel good. Perhaps it is even good for your health and well being.

As M.A.D.D. approaches (it is Saturday, October 23rd this year), you'll probably read and hear people planning their projects. If you want to join an established group, look for boy scout troops, clubs, church groups, and companies who need volunteers. You can also form your own group, or do it solo. Or why not make it a family project this year, and get your friends and family to join you? Look around.

This is a tough economy, and people all around you could use a little help. You could gather canned goods for the food bank, visit nursing home residents who rarely get visitors, or help an elderly neighbor with housework. The projects don't have to cost money, and they don't have to take all day to complete.

No, you cannot change the world in a single day of volunteering. But maybe by giving a few hours of your time to someone who really needs it and appreciates it, you just might feel that you did make a difference in someone's life.

-Erica Ramus, Publisher Emeritus, SCHUYLKILL LIVING MAGAZINE

Make A Difference Day: Schuylkill County, PA