The Importance in Giving Back

Hello, friends!

In my last blog, we talked about finding confidence in our decisions and coming to terms with the idea that the decisions you made in your past were the right ones for you at the time. My recent challenge to you was to think about a decision you made in your past and that if presented with the same choice now, you would have chosen a different path because of the experiences you gained since then. I hope that thinking about this did not bring back less-favorable memories and instead brought comfort in the fact that whatever path you ended up taking was the right one for you.

You will notice as we continue this journey of professional growth together that some of the challenges in each of my blogs will be the starting point for the next discussion topic – but sometimes they won’t! It is intended to keep you on your toes and constantly thinking about your personal growth and that you just might start finding the confidence you need to try something new.

For this week, let’s talk about the importance of being involved in our communities. The timing of this falls perfectly for me because I am currently in the weeds of gearing up for one of my favorite events in my town that has been happening for 31 years – the Poultney Rotary Club Chili Cook Off.

I have been volunteering for as long as I can remember. My mother worked for a small non-profit while I was growing up and one of my earliest volunteer memories was stuffing and labeling hundreds of envelopes each month to be sent out to their mailing list to keep people up to date on the happenings within the organization. My father has always been an avid snowmobiler and clearing trails and attending fundraisers was also a huge part of our life. (I still attend that Annual Pancake Breakfast!)

Since stuffing all those envelopes and clearing all those trails, I have found a passion for volunteering in my community. In the past few years, I have given my time to organizations such as the former Rutland Area Farm and Food Link, Rutland Young Professionals, Poultney Downtown Revitalization, Poultney Selectboard, Everybody Wins! Vermont, and currently, the Poultney Rotary Club.

Volunteering with each of these organizations has provided an opportunity to meet some incredible people, challenge myself, try something new, and give back to this place I call home.

However, I won’t sugarcoat this for you though. There were certainly times I spent volunteering where I exceeded my capacity and that is not something I would recommend. You must always make sure that the volunteer work you are participating in is bringing enjoyment to your life and still allowing for that “me time” that we all need.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of volunteering and giving back. You will grow in ways you never imagined personally and professionally. You will find out what matters and interests you the most – all while making a positive change in this world.

While I encourage you to volunteer so that you can make a positive change, it is also an incredible opportunity to build your professional career and dip your toes in a field or industry to see if you like it before you dive in.

Considering being a nurse? Volunteer at a nursing home.

Interested in the non-profit world? Go volunteer on one of their (many) committees.

Want to be a vet? Give some time to your local humane society.

Not only will you be getting a feel of things, but you will have also just added some impressive work to your resume. Volunteering also presents one of the best ways to network! But that is an entirely separate blog post in itself so stay tuned.

I imagine that you can guess your challenge this time around. Go research some organizations in your area that are in need of some volunteers and go check them out. Don’t commit to anything that you can’t guarantee! But at least go dip your toes. You won’t regret it. 

Now more than ever before our community, our state, and our country – need strong leaders. They need each of you. I am completely confident that together we can make a positive change in this world in a variety of different ways and levels of impact.  

So, go forth and give back! Give back to the place you call home and add it to your resume! You never know what it might lead to. If you are looking for me this weekend, you will find me on Main Street in Poultney at the 31st Annual Chili Cook Off – my favorite Poultney event! It is the largest fundraiser for our Rotary Club every year which does incredible work for the community and it is also just a damn good time.

Struggling to find a way to get involved or decide what organization is the right fit for you? Let’s talk!