Bellingham continues to rate as a “top ten” city over and over again in national magazines. Amidst this breathless buzz of journalists citing everything from incredible mountain biking options to best access for paddling adventures, I’d like to point out a more salient reason we’re a top ten city: people who live here give back to their community and we are all better off for it.
Whatcom County residents volunteer about forty percent over the national average, doing everything from trail maintenance to working with children with disabilities. Their contribution, valued at approximately $3.5 million alone in 2006, represents a substantial contribution of giving for charitable organizations and their clients.

About a six hundred volunteers came out en masse on October 27, 2007 for Make a Difference Day. On this one day, over 3,000 hours were committed to building affordable housing for people with low incomes, cleaning up streams that provide critical salmon habitat, tagging and bagging clothing so that all kids can look cool at school, and helping complete construction on a community center for people with disabilities.

On Make a Difference Day, a lot of kids volunteer for the first time in their lives. We call it a "point of entry". If those kids continue to volunteer, they’ll be 50% less likely to abuse drugs, alcohol and tobacco or engage in destructive behavior. They are also way more likely to vote and be philanthropic as adults. And odds are in their favor that they’ll be life-long volunteers and teach that tradition to their own kids.

At the Whatcom Volunteer Center, we see at least 10-15 new volunteers a week coming in for volunteer orientations, ready to roll up their sleeves. Their desire to contribute is one of the things that makes Whatcom County a great place to live. It’s an active element of the “quality of life” we hear so much about.

In directing volunteer orientations, the most common reason I hear about why a person wants to volunteer is “I want to give back”. After hearing this over and over, I’ve come to believe that this is an innate component of the human condition.

Giving is natural.
Wanting to make our corner of the world an even better place is natural.
Helping other people is natural.

Volunteering presents a dynamic range of opportunities to learn new skills, create meaningful change, and meet new and interesting people. You may recall reading about Ghandi’s urging to “be the change you want to see in the world”. Volunteering is the one direct way that residents in this community manifest this concept.

You can make a difference every day by volunteering. Call 734-3055, stop by Whatcom Volunteer Center, or visit us on the web at www.whatcomvolunteer.org.