Award Winning and Life Changing
Winner of the Winters 2012 Youth Day Parade Sweepstakes Trophy -drumroll please--Winters Friends of the Library (WFOL)! Yipee!!!
Making skirts, researching books with iconic images that spanned the 76 years to fit the parade theme, gathering to rehearse the hand jive and marching with our amazing once a year band was a blast. AND, we scored a much needed $200 to funnel back into our extensive library projects.
This awesome group of people has played an incredibly important part of our lives since before Dale was even born. You can do the math.
We joined the Winters Friends of the Library as soon as we moved to town. It was a smaller group then, with fewer members and activities, but dedicated to supporting the library in this small, rural town.
A few years later I found myself with a toddler in need of Story Time and no program, not even morning library hours. I asked WFoL if they would support me and my friends in starting a volunteer Story Time program. I would be asking for the county library to be open when we didn’t have hours, a major hurdle.
“Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Meade
Somehow I went from a new mom who wanted something her child and other children needed without driving 15 miles and messing up nap time, to a board member dreaming about building a new library, literacy and the cultural life of our community.
And the MOST amazing thing? This fantastic, kind, smart and loving group of creative, committed people welcomed my toddler at meetings since I couldn’t afford childcare. They encouraged my youngster helping at activities. And then they listened to him and encouraged him to implement his ideas as a teen board member.
We were part of a group of people who were willing to dream and toil, unpaid, for YEARS to make dreams come true. They were driven to provide community resources for all, though some of the hardest workers didn’t even use the library.
And they have volunteered joyfully. They are creative, fun-loving and innovative. What a huge, priceless gift for our community, our family, and my child.
When Dale was in school and when he left school, he had a place to make a difference. We had a community within a community where we could put our energy and creativity into making the world a better place.
We developed deep and lasting friendships born from commitment, caring, and collaboration. And fun, we all liked to have fun! And eat!
The takeaway? Get involved in your community!
Get involved with your children. Whether your kids are attending school, homeschooling or unschooling, find a cause that speaks to your hearts.
If you are child-free, there is a huge reward for volunteering for something you care about. Find a community of people that is working for something bigger than themselves. You can make new friends, learn new skills, having something new for your resume, and have fun while you make the world a better place.
What will you do? Let me know in the comments.
For fun, you can watch us here: