FAITH IN HUMAN KIND BURNS BRIGHT
Rep. Mike Morley
With seven of our nine children still at home, a quiet Sunday afternoon is a bit of a rarity, so I guess I should have known when one came along a few weeks ago that it couldn't last. However, I was not expecting to receive a phone call from our security company informing me that the fire alarm at my business had been activated and that I needed to meet the Springville City volunteer fire department at the site. I hurried to the office and was very grateful to find that it was a false alarm. Almost immediately, I felt guilty about the 15 men who had voluntarily left their families and homes to come, with all their equipment and vehicles, to my aid. I was and am so appreciative of these cheerful, dedicated men, for their professionalism and willingness to serve our community.
Ronald Reagan said, "No matter how big and powerful government gets, and the many services it provides, it can never take the place of volunteers." We can all recall scenes from the news or from personal experience--neighbors filling sandbags to stave off flood waters, blood drives, fundraisers, Christmas charities, search and rescue operations, community celebrations throughout the summer. In just a couple of weeks, an army of volunteers will descend on the planters along Spanish Fork Main Street to replace spring bulbs with summer blooms.
Such is the nature, the legacy of this wonderful area we call home. Each year, tens of thousands of hours are donated to our cities, our state, our religious organizations, to our neighbors and friends. The cumulative effect is a greater sense of unity and self-worth, of satisfaction and gratitude. Volunteerism engenders feelings of connection with our fellow human beings. A University of Michigan study concluded that volunteer work increases a person's mental and physical health. In addition, studies have shown that children who volunteer with their families are much more likely to continue their service as adults.
I thank all of you who give to others through volunteer work. Mother Teresa gave this wise counsel, "To show great love for God and our neighbor we need not do great things. It is how much love we put in the doing that makes our offering something beautiful for God." I renew my dedication to making a difference through volunteering. Together we will enrich one another, our community, our families and ourselves.
It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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