Volunteer: Keep holiday spirit all year long

December 26, 2:13 AMSacramento Environmental News ExaminerHarry Osibin

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Hands On Sacramento

Most of us feel the generous spirit of the holiday season.  We are more likely to nod in a friendly fashion to a stranger on the street and might even venture a "Merry Christmas" or "Happy New Year" to a passerby in a mall parking lot.  This spirit extends to the donation of food, goods or cash to charitable agencies as well as the donation of time and service.  As laudable as this giving notion is, it tends to peter out after January 1st.

The need for the volunteer spirit and action is on-going.  My friend, Lisa Bloch of Blood Centers of the Pacific, says after the holidays blood donations take a "drastic" dip and there is always a shortage of blood in January.

There are other ways to do your part to make a difference.

Karen Baker, the Governor's Secretary of Service,  says lending a helping hand can be as simple as cooking a hot meal for a struggling neighbor or visiting a nursing home.

She continues, "Not only does volunteering help those we serve, it also provides significant health benefits and professional development opportunities so critically important during these tough times."  In other words volunteering could lead to steady, paid employment.

Karen Baker discusses the concept of volunteerism and provides concrete examples of the good works of Californians, including First Lady, Maria Shriver, who's active in at least on SoCal charity (One Voice) which provides "care" packages for needy families.

Karen Baker can be heard on this week's California Report which you can find here.

Beach cleanups, storm drain stenciling, community litter abatement and, yes, clearing brush are great green projects for us, but let's extend the ethic to include other areas of need.

Good Works are green!  One of my favorite quotes (by me).