The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Local volunteers are the city's champions

By Stan Kawczynski

Want to be a hero? It's easy: become a volunteer. One of the distinguishing characteristics of American life is the prevalence of volunteers in our communities. The energy and talents of people who help their neighbors, who help raise barns or build schools, both every day and in times of crisis, have distinguished the American scene from the very beginning.

In a time when we are faced with the development of "virtual communities," which exist only in the intangible landscape of cyberspace, the real communities where we live every day still need the attention of citizens. The well-being of the community where you drink water, where you eat, where you drive, where you raise children and where you pay taxes depends on people taking responsibility for it.

Volunteers are an expression of that responsibility, and they directly and profoundly affect the quality of life for all of us in our "real" community. Volunteers, however, need a framework to be effective, and that is provided through the efforts of hundreds of community and nonprofit organizations that identify needs, marshal resources and harness the good intentions of citizens and businesses to care for our community first.

Although volunteers give their time, most people find they can gain much more than they give. The gratification that comes from touching lives and making a difference is among the most satisfying experiences that anyone can have.

And there are so many opportunities in community and nonprofit organizations where you can give the gift of time and resources--as much or as little as you can fit into a busy life. The willing and well-intentioned newcomer is as welcome to agencies as the experienced veteran, and agencies offer education and training for their volunteers, as well as experience and practical knowledge.

The field is truly unlimited--there is no shortage of community needs that can use volunteers for every function and skill: helping the sick and poor recover, or helping people stay healthy through prevention; teaching kids and adults to read and use the tools they need for success in life; bringing music and art into the lives of our residents; or preserving the environment we live in, for ourselves and our children's future.

When you make a stake by volunteering in your community, you become a partner for assuring a well-balanced society. The quality of life of our residents and the people who work here is directly affected by low crime rates, quiet neighborhoods and outstanding schools. As government resources for human services decline while human needs increase, volunteers will become even more important to our collective efforts to maintain and improve our communities. Volunteers are our community champions.

For all these reasons, the city of Sunnyvale has volunteered itself to host the first Sunnyvale Community Care Fair on May 31. Our goal is to help people make the connection between their desire to become involved in their community and the organizations who can use their time and energy. More than 80 organizations have already signed up to help enlist volunteers, and there will be fun, food and music to make it a great day.

The Community Care Fair will be held at Sunnyvale Civic Center between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Co-sponsored by National Semiconductor and The Sun, the Care Fair will celebrate the great potential that exists in Sunnyvale and the genuine results that come from citizens' engagement in caring for our "real" community.

Stan Kawczynski is the mayor of Sunnyvale.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, May 14, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.