Volunteerism

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Friends and family gather together, we recognize the folks who make a difference in our lives and we celebrate with gifts.
As anyone who watches TV or listens to radio knows, the big push this season has been on helping others – whether through making charitable donations in lieu of giving physical gifts to friends and family (a very viable option, in my opinion), or through active involvement in local charitable ventures.
The outpouring of kindness to strangers was never more evident here than after the July flooding. But beyond that, many generous souls in Lincoln and Otero Counties give freely of their time and energy to volunteer in worthwhile causes.
However, a refrain I have heard voiced all to often concerns the lack of “new blood” for many of the volunteer efforts in the area. Seems there are the few who wind up doing most everything that needs doing to produce fundraising and awareness events, resulting in the inevitable burnout. My question is: Why do more people not jump in to help? Many hands make the work lighter, the expression goes, and as someone who has produced many events and productions through the years, I can attest to that adage, adding that more hands make it more fun, as well.
As we approach the new year, with its inevitable resolutions, let’s start a conversation through the ¡Vámonos! blog Vital Signs, accessed through http://www.ruidosonews.com – join others there to discuss “What are the issues?” and “Who needs to be reached and how?”
For most local organizations, staying all-volunteer is an intrinsic part of their mission and heart. Some of today's all-volunteer organizations will be tomorrow's multi-million dollar, influential and powerful organizations that change laws, change public opinion, and shape society. Others will continue to be the invisible glue that connects people's connections that form the framework for strong communities. In a thousand ways, board members and volunteers in all-volunteer organizations are the grassroots leaders and “keepers of the spirit” upon which so much of community cohesiveness and social change depend.
Join me at Vital Signs, also accessed at http://www.vitalsigns-ruidoso.blogspot.com to see what symptoms and solutions can be defined in the area of volunteerism in our neighborhood.
See you there, and a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Our youth, our community, our future

We have watched in amazement and appreciation as the Community Youth Center Warehouse has taken shape at its site on Church Street across from Community United Methodist Church. Thanks to many volunteer hours and donations of muscle and money, the 4,500-square-foot facility is almost ready to open to the youth of the community.
Only one thing is missing – and it could be you.
Did your New Year’s resolutions include anything about being more involved in the community? Or do you have a passion you could share with young people? Could you simply sign up to be on-hand to help support the goal of providing a safe and secure place for our community’s youth?
The Warehouse features a large space, with a recreation area, a commercial kitchen, fully equipped computer lab, a stage for performances and state-of-the-art sound and audio-visual equipment.
Based on a national concept relatively new to New Mexico (but a growing movement in Texas), the program features a center-based location for youth, 7th through 12th grades, to have a safe, supervised place to meet, do homework, enjoy recreational activities, take informational classes, produce concerts and much more, after school, in the evening and on weekends.
The goal of Warehouse Director Cathy Thurman is to have 50 volunteers in place during the hours of operation, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays through Saturdays. Volunteers may download an application from the Warehouse Web site, ruidosoyouthcenter.org, and a background check will be required.
For additional information, you may contact Thurman at 257-4170. Your generous gift of your time will help make the center a success.

Feeling like no one cares about a project you have given 20 years to must be quite depressing. The Ruidoso Concert Association has announced that without the involvement of new board members and volunteers for shows, their curtain will close for the last time at the end of the 2008 season. (See ¡Vámonos!, Jan. 25.)
Money ... volunteers ... audience - all seem to be lacking, to one extent or another, so several questions could be asked:
• How can the 501(c)(3) best entice music-lovers to put in volunteer time to continue to bring such acts as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington orchestras to audiences in Ruidoso?
• How can an organization that has been largely dependent on lodgers tax dollars (with declining amounts over the last few years) attract sufficient donations to continue to provide quality performance to a largely local audience?
• How can the group boost their resources to attract an audience for their shows?

Anyone care to weigh-in on this issue?