Community Activity

If there was a handbook for recently retired people on community activities, it would have a set of guidelines right up front along with the title page.  They would read as follows:

Lesson #1 = Joining is easy; participating is hard.

Lesson #2 = Volunteering is not a job.

Lesson #3 = Volunteering is not a social gathering.

Lesson #4 = Volunteering requires commitment….consistency…and patience.

Then, after reading this short list of alerts, the handbook would have one final warning --

“PROCEED WITH CAUTION”

My decision on where I would like to help my community almost made itself once I learned that the Hermosa Beach Fire Department was just starting a program for citizens to help in case of a local emergency or disaster.  I had just finished the CERT training and this was clearly an ideal choice for a community activity to join.  I sent off my email to the contact address and was ready to tackle this project with the same energy I applied to my ‘real’ job when I worked.  Then, reality arrived in the form of the lessons above!!

After one year, Hermosa Beach Disaster Service Workers (HBDSW) which covers both the CERT and Red Cross Shelter programs is still in its infancy stage as far as a community program is concerned.  However, we are moving in the right direction and recently had several positive events that will help us grow immensely. 

My role uses my management background more than my CERT training at this time.  Each month, I send out the meeting minutes from the previous month with the agenda topics to let the email list of members know what is coming.   This is helping to give the organization structure along with a new website, logo, and links to other city activities.  For me, I am on the way to meeting my original objectives for joining a community activity and the community is being helped by this. 

However, anyone interested in community involvement needs to join me in accepting as a mantra everything identified in Lesson #4…commitment…consistency…and patience.