VOLUNTEERING SPECIAL
The Beginnings of My Journey into Volunteering
By Shelly Schoeneshoefer
When I think back to where it all began , I think of my grandmothers . Both of them did work for their communities and churches . One grandmother did bake sales and crafts with children , especially those in hospitals , since she had had more than 24 operations herself due to her frail bone structure , and she wanted to help others who had suffered just as much as she had . My other grandmother , who wasn ’ t the easiest person , turned out to be a super heroine for volunteering in Olivette , Missouri .
This I was reminded of while attending my uncle ’ s hundredth birthday party : My relatives all had stories about her , especially from the time of the Great Depression . Since theirs was one of the few families in their district that hadn ’ t lost their farm and had food and shelter , they decided that if people wanted to help out on the farm for a day or two , they would get three square meals and a place to sleep . These people were only allowed to stay a couple of days , since there were so many families in need working their way towards California , and my grandmother wanted to help as many as possible . She also made and sold quilts , using the money to keep everything afloat . She was always busy canning and preserving jars of food to hand out to the flood of travelers .
My volunteering started with becoming a Bluebird in second grade , which was part of the Campfire Girls organization , founded in 1910 by Dr . Luther Halsey Gulick and his wife , Charlotte Vetter Gulick , in Maine . Charlotte came up with a Watchword , WoHeLo , which means “ Work , Health , Love .” This was the first nonsectarian organization in the US , which suited me since I love meeting people from different backgrounds to expand my view of the world , which wasn ’ t easy for me since my family lived in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado , a popular place now , but back then , we were fairly isolated . In 1975 , the Campfire Girls decided to admit both boys and girls . I recently found my Campfire Girl vest and an old newspaper clipping from where we did volunteer work
26 Special Theme : Volunteering