Cactus Village Community

Volunteers by Hal Byron Becker

Aug 22, 2004

Volunteers
by Hal Byron Becker

Excerpted from a presentation at the Phoenix Police Department 2004 Honors Ceremony.
Volunteers are not born or made. There is no formula for creating a volunteer. We can describe volunteers, but they defy concise definition ?– because they are all different.
Few people set out to be volunteers. At some unpredictable time in their life, they undergo a metamorphosis ?– emerging in a new role, like the butterfly from the cocoon. Some are leaders, while others are followers. The distinction is immaterial to them.

Volunteers usually possess a heightened awareness of the world around them, seeing patterns while others perceive chaos. They have the self-confidence and courage to act while others watch from the sidelines.

Volunteers are comfortable placing the needs of others above their own; they truly understand the joy of giving.

Volunteers in America have a long history, dating back to the original fight for freedom and the founding of our country. Volunteers have been there every time our freedom has been threatened, often making the supreme sacrifice.
Volunteers continue to serve in countless roles at all levels of our society, frequently cloaked in anonymity. We need them; we depend on them; and we owe them a great deal. . . ☺