AW Stories of the Month
Volunteering is as Important as Breathing
By Lois Spatz
After several years on this planet I realized something important. It is the ending of a beautiful Beatles song that says, “And in the end, the love we take, is equal to the love we make.”
In other words, an act of giving to others is really an act of giving to yourself. The best way to pull yourself out of a rut is to look around and see where you can make a difference. Sometimes even the smallest acts can change the effect of success for an organization.
For those who are unemployed, volunteering can be an absolute door to the other side. Not only is it important to keep busy, but it is a way to network. Trust me, you will feel a lot better helping at the gift shop at Hospice than you will sitting on the couch watching reruns of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
I wanted to share this article with you today because it inspires me and I think we could all use a little inspiration these days. And just maybe it will light a little spark to get out there and give a little love.
Volunteering in the School System- They Couldn’t Do it Without You
Make Your Corner of the World a Better Place
As she speaks to her nervous audience filled with bight-eyed parents of recently registered kindergartners, Binks Forest PTA President Shauna Hostetler reminisces, “Twenty-four years ago today, I sat there like you, wondering how I would stay involved in this new chapter of my child’s life.”
The answer came easy for Hostetler back then, she would volunteer, and she has been at it ever since.
Now a mother of five, ages 29, 27, 24, 13 and 11, Hostetler has devoted more than half her life to making a difference through serving others. “I believe that whatever corner of the world you are in, make it a better place. Whether it is school, sports or church, you can make it better by having been there.”
After her three boys were all in school, Hostetler worked her way up the volunteering ladder first as a Room Parent and eventually as the PTA President at Cypress Trail Elementary. “My capacity has changed through the years according to the ages of my babies or whether I was working or not, but one thing is for sure, the other parents I met while volunteering became and remain my closest friends.”
According to school records, Binks Forest Elementary volunteers logged more than 20,000 hours in the 2009-2010 school year. “Even at only ten dollars an hour, that is quite an added benefit to the teachers within the school system,” Hostetler said. “Having that type of parental support has a major impact on the academic environment of the classroom.”
And through all her years of nurturing others, Hostetler gives her fellow volunteers some well earned advice. “The thing most volunteers find out the hard way is the same thing I eventually had to figure out for myself, you have to take care of yourself first before you can take care of others.”
Middle School is the Time to Stay Involved
Lisa Nardi began helping teachers in the classroom 15 years ago while her first daughter was in preschool. Today, she is the PTO President at Wellington Landings Middle School. “I got started with volunteering to be involved with my children’s lives,” Nardi said. “You see your kids through different eyes when they are at school.”
Nardi has set a course for recognizing the importance of volunteering in the school system. She’s been there for all three of her daughters now ages 13, 14 and 17, especially throughout their middle and high school years, where she said behaviors suddenly start to change. “Things get different for them once they are in middle school. They go from sweet children to impulsive teens. Seeing you walking down the hallways of their school has a Big Brother effect. It definitely deters them from doing things that might get them into trouble. Being at the school also allows me the chance to get to know all of their friends.”
As she’s led the PTO the last five years at WLMS, Nardi’s main advice to parents arriving with kids starting in sixth grade is remaining persistent. “Even though they say they do not want you there, they want you there. The more resistant they are towards having you around, the more of a red flag it should be. Stick it out, because this is when they really need you.”
Being There Makes a Difference
“I think it makes a difference when kids see their parents involved,” said Wellington mother of three and longtime volunteer Terri Priori. “For the first few years my kids went to school, I worked full-time, so I helped the teachers at home. It made my kids feel good seeing me cutting things out for their teacher.” Priori’s kids, now ages 13, 15 and 17, watched her serve many teachers in Wellington over the past eleven years.
Once Priori stopped working outside the home, she began giving more of her time serving in various capacities within the school from Room Parent to secretary to treasurer. Currently, she is the Room Parent Coordinator for Binks Forest Elementary and she’s served as treasurer on the board at Wellington Landings Middle School for the last three years.
Anyone Can Volunteer
For the last ten years, Sheri Siegal has worked part-time as a District Volunteer Coordinator for Central Palm Beach County. She is one of four District Volunteer Coordinators who oversee about 40 schools each. “There is a parent volunteer coordinator for every school in Palm Beach County. One of our main responsibilities is to go to every school within our area and train each school’s parent volunteer coordinators how to pair up parent volunteers with the needs of that particular school.”
Siegal said most people don’t realize there are so many existing volunteering opportunities for everyone from teens to grandparents.
Siegal said one of the county’s most popular volunteering programs, is the youth mentoring program. “When a student volunteers, it teaches them to give back. Children respond well to teens who spend time with them reading, listening and helping them with their homework.” Siegal said students also benefit from volunteers who come from the retirement community, sharing their culture and knowledge and from businesses who participate in everything from classroom education and career fairs to being involved as a business partners.
Volunteers in public schools (VIPS) must agree to submit to the county’s certified criminal background check and all programs are supervised. If you are interested in volunteering, it is as simple as calling your local school’s main office number or going to www.palmbeachschools.org to see where you can make a difference.
Lois Spatz is an avid life enthusiast, professional photographer and content writer. Featured writer in local magazines and newspapers and published photographer. A self-proclaimed expert on life experiences passionate about living the best life. And after twenty years in the trenches, somewhat of an expert on surviving depression and how to get back in the game- even when you think you can’t go on. Check out her “Lois Live” Blog and subscribe by visiting: http://loislive.wordpress.com/