Be the Change

To paraphrase Gandhi, if you wanna see change, you've got to make it happen.

My latest story is on the health benefits of volunteering. I interviewed two great volunteers, Ms. Ligon and Ms. Hunziker, who serve their church and school, respectively. But they weren't the only folks I chatted up.

There was also a 40-something from the Junior League of Tampa, a 20-something at the Grace House in Clearwater, and two retirees giving their open days to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and Moffitt Cancer Center. Yet I had space for just 700 words, which is never enough to give the whole story.

I could fill a book with all the joys and trials and tribulations of volunteering that I've witnessed.

There are so many worthy organizations out there that need your help, and not just during the holidays (as noted in the profile I did last year of Metropolitan Ministries).

Helping others often requires you to step outside of your comfort zone and into the world as it really is: a place with so much suffering buried beneath the thin, superficial skin of pop culture and material possessions.

Consider giving a little time and hands-on effort to someone in need in your community.