CAMP Connect

April is National Volunteer Month. After 13 years of serving as volunteer manager for a library system, I have the national recognition month committed to memory. However, I did "Google" it to check on this year’s theme. I was very surprised when the search listed Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom as setting aside a time to recognize the contributions made by their volunteers. (I’m sure other countries do too but are not English speaking so did not pop up in my query.)

In international circles, the United States gets high marks for volunteer spirit. We have learned that people care more about institutions when they donate time or money to them—they become part of them. The U.S. would require a greater percentage of our money in taxes if we did not have non-profits and the volunteers who make them successful. The 2007 Volunteer theme in the United States is "Inspire By Example." In Canada, it is "Volunteers Grow Community." The website for Australia speaks of volunteer’s work as "visible and tangible" while the United Kingdom’s website notes the "brilliant work that the volunteers do."

CAMP Rehoboth has approximately 400 volunteers. A few of them do work for us nearly weekly. Others take a week’s vacation from their job to help with a big event like Sundance while others come into the office to help with a mailing or special project. I think that many readers would be surprised at the numbers of volunteers that help with any event. Women’s Weekend, for example, will utilize volunteers to chair the conference, the golf outing, the entertainment and the brunch; conduct the workshops; prepare the informational mailing; organize conference folders; fill goodie bags for golf participants and different bags for conference attendees; set up chairs and tables at the Convention Center for each event; greet and check-in attendees; sell refreshments and merchandise and clean up after the events. Before the weekend is over, we expect between 60 and 75 volunteers will have assisted.

From CAMP Rehoboth’s board members to our "Rainbow Thumb" courtyard volunteers and from our event auctioneer to our Rehoboth Beach Library walking book sale promoter, certainly each volunteer "Inspires by Example." I think it is equally true that "Volunteers Grow Community." The results of the "brilliant work that the volunteers do" is surely "visible and tangible" in Rehoboth Beach.

Founders’ Circle

A large percentage of our volunteers are also donors to the Founders’ Circle Capital Campaign and vice versa. They offer still further examples of the community’s caring and generosity. While the Founders’ Circle is closed to new memberships, many members have chosen to add to or upgrade their own memberships. The result is that our current totals stand at $1,301,024.17 pledged with $1,008,172.37 of those pledges being fulfilled.

To each of you who volunteer and/or donate to CAMP Rehoboth, we offer our heartfelt gratitude. Your good deeds are an inspiration to us all.