By Susan Summers
Volunteering comes as naturally for Vail residents as it does for many Americans. After all, it’s part of our upbringing and has been ingrained in our culture since the republic began. So you might assume that the “ReSources” volunteers working at ReSources Vail Food Bank and Vail Depot Thrift Store are an altruistic bunch of “do-gooders”—and they are—but the return on their investment of time is what keeps them involved.
Rhonda McMaster, a relatively new Vail resident, had a lifelong history of volunteerism which was cemented at a Wisconsin homeless shelter when she witnessed a homeless man give his boots to another man who needed them to start a new job. “My world shifted in that moment” and the idea of neighbors helping neighbors took on a new meaning. “Volunteering at ReSources gives me the chance to work with great people and meet great people while getting a closer look at what’s going on in my community. For me, it’s the right thing to do.”
Retired aerospace professional and now a Thrift Store volunteer, Jeanne Porter, enjoys a similar payback: “I love interacting with folks who need a helping hand, and that makes me feel important. In a world that is often very ugly, volunteering here is my way of trying to make the country a nicer, safer place.”
The Greater Vail Community Resources organization depends on local volunteers to operate the ReSources Food Bank and the “Depot” Thrift Store, and more volunteers are needed. It’s meaningful work and fun! To get involved, fill out the volunteer application online at www.ReSourcesVail.org or stop at the Depot or Resources Vail Food Bank.
