“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.”

 – Woodrow Wilson

President Woodrow Wilson at a baseball game.

Service doesn’t have to be something you just do because you are required to. It can be something you volunteer to do on weekends, something you do because it makes you happy. I know what you’re thinking. Why would you do service on weekends when you have so many better things you could do with your time, right? Why would it ever make you happy to do service? What’s in it for you?

Now, this is where I think President Wilson’s words come into play. When we do service, we’re not just completing a task; we’re doing something that directly impacts people, something that helps them in their everyday lives and spreads the spirit of sharing what we have with others. And who doesn’t like to see other people happy? They say smiles are contagious. Making someone smile by giving a few hours of your time really will make you smile, too. Here at the Richter Center, we call it the “warm fuzzies,” the feeling of happiness you get by making a difference.

In the words of President Wilson, “You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” So go out and volunteer. If you don’t know where to volunteer, you can always come on into the Richter Center and we’ll help you find an organization that suits your needs. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and make the world a little brighter.

– Ambassador Becky

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