Volume 4, Issue 1 - February 2004

Who (and What) Is a Volunteer?
by Nancy LaRoche

“If I lived closer, I would be glad to help.”

“Managing my family is as much as I can do. Otherwise, I’d help.”

“I can’t volunteer—I have a job.”

These are comments I often hear from many of our members. And yet, we have volunteers who live very far away who come once a month to clean cages, people with families who come weekly to feed bunnies, people who drive an hour each way to groom bunnies and work in the office and the gift shop. I can think of only one volunteer (other than myself) who doesn’t have a full-time job outside her home. For instance:

Rene’ Ramsey, sometimes accompanied by her husband, drives all the way from Bailey once a month to help clean cages.

Heidi Harrell and Kathy Erbaugh are teaching their children to be generous with their time and energy by bringing them to help clean cages.

Jean Lindstrom began bringing Karen and Brian to help feed rabbits when Karen was only seven years old. She is now sixteen, and is still feeding rabbits once a week. Brian cleans cages every weekend.

So when you meet some of our volunteers, take a minute to thank them for the sacrifice they are making to help our orphaned rabbits. And take another minute to search your own heart about where your time is spent. Do you volunteer anywhere? If not, you are missing out on a deeply rewarding experience. Just ask any of our volunteers!