Like this:

Volunteering in the United States: A very recent Federal Report issued the following: “Volunteers are resolute in their commitment to serving their neighbors and communities, with 62.8 million adults volunteering almost 8.1 billion hours in local and national organizations in 2010, service valued at almost $173 billion.”

What is interesting to me is that the above is data collected in a formal process. It is a wonderful report but it says nothing about the hundred of thousands or even millions of informal volunteers who do good things without any formal recognition. People like you. There are more than 100 people in the past three years who have helped me and they are not included in the Federal Report. I am sure that the untold number of informal volunteers like you would add significantly to the number of people who help their neighbors both near and far.

Financial Support: And speaking of wonderful volunteers, since my last post I have received very significant financial contributions to fund school supplies for Las Joyas. Thank you Rocco (and parents Ken and Denise) and Jeanne Hartley for support. And thank you Canadian supporter Amanda Ayles for your very generous pledge.

Rocco in training

Jeanne with me at LA book signing

Clothing Drive USA:

Lindsey and Margaret at Las Joyas

My plea for clothes, shoes, handbags, etc. has been met with big boxes from Jeanne Hartley (California) and Lindsey Easom (and family and friends in Michigan). Teenagers Lindsey and Margaret were in Zihua earlier this year (with their moms) discovering the joys of volunteering as they spent some time teaching English at Las Joyas.

Las Cruces comes a Volunteering: I think the most amazing part of today’s post is the responses I have had from residents of my new home town of Las Cruces. I have clothes donations from camera shy librarians Estella Verrett and Kelly Miller. They work at the main library (they did this as individuals, not as an official library function). Estella also told me that my book has been checked out three times since I gave the library a copy two months ago!

I have donations from local artist Lois Smith (currently showing at City Hall) and neighbor Ronda Gryniuk

Artist Lois and Ronda

I have 3 bags of clothes from Adrienne Duran at restaurant Tokyo Sushi …

Adrienne (l.) with co-worker Emilee

I have a new family of friends and supporters, books buyers and pledged clothing at El Tiburon Restaurant. They have roots in Mexico and know exactly what I am trying to accomplish. They are very special people. If you go (504 E. Amador) be sure to tell them Memo sent you!

Memo, Annie y Maria

Zihua bound: I am off to Zihua for 3 weeks this next Sunday. I am afraid that I can’t get all the donations to Z town this trip, but I am going back in January, so it will all get there. We will hold two clothing sales. One in October and one in February. All the money from the October sales will go towards the purchase of school supplies. I think I will use the money in February to give to directly to the volunteer teachers who work so hard at Las Joyas and receive no payment for their efforts. How they do it I still don’t know.

So I will report back in about 5 weeks. Meanwhile, thank you for all your support and for taking the time to read this. Bill, aka Memo

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