Wednesday, February 8, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
17
Commenbary...
Of a cerbain age…
By Sue Stafford
Columnist
My first real venture
into volunteering, other
than projects with my
grade school or my Camp
Fire Girls group, was as a
“candy-striper” at Good
Samaritan Hospital in
Portland when I was 13
years old.
I loved taking the library
cart around to patients’
rooms to offer books and
magazines for them to bor-
row. My curiosity about the
medical world and meeting
all kinds of people were par-
tially what motivated me.
The biggest source of
motivation, however, was
the wonderful warm feel-
ing I got every time I put on
my crisp green and white
striped pinafore and walked
down the long sterile halls
of the hospital, with their
shiny wax finish. The up-
close-and-personal interac-
tion with the patients, and
knowing I was bringing just
a little youthful sunshine
into their day, more with my
conversation than any litera-
ture, kept me eagerly com-
ing back every week.
Those days at Good Sam
were the beginning of a life-
time of volunteering. As a
busy young mother, I was
the Cub Scout den mother,
elementary school room
mother, and Sunday school
teacher. In later years, I
spent three gratifying years
at the Washington State
Prison in Monroe facilitat-
ing personal-growth groups
for inmates, who confirmed
for me that when you
scratch the surface, we are
all more similar than we are
different.
I have canvassed my
neighborhoods for the
March of Dimes and the
American Cancer Society.
I have organized fundrais-
ing auctions and served as
a children’s advocate in the
court system. When my chil-
dren were young, we used to
sponsor an inner-city fam-
ily at Christmastime, with
the children accompanying
me as we made the deliv-
ery. I’ve always known I
couldn’t volunteer at an ani-
mal shelter. I know my lim-
its — I would want to bring
them all home with me.
I like to believe that by
the time most of us have
reached “a certain age,” we
have contributed to the wel-
fare of our communities, our
neighbors, our environment,
and causes close to home
and around the world.
For me, it’s never been
about financial support as
much as donations of time
and talent. The word volun-
teer comes from the Latin –
voluntarius – for “willing.”
For some, it’s easy to write
a check while for others,
the gift of money can be an
actual hardship.
Being willing to give
my time and talent to an
organization, a cause, or an
individual produces a much
deeper personal connection
to whatever it is I am sup-
porting with my efforts. It is
the personal gift of myself
that still produces that sense
of purpose and a warm heart
that began in my candy-
striper days in Portland.
As I interviewed the
people in Sisters for The
Nugget series on mentoring,
I heard from all of them a
consistent refrain stated in a
number of ways – “I think
I get more out of mentoring
than I give.” It is that often-
unintentional reciprocity
between a volunteer and
the recipient of their service
that makes volunteering so
satisfying.
The most recent exam-
ple in our community of a
huge volunteer effort with
great rewards for every-
one involved, is the Sisters
Cold Weather Shelter.
Individuals, organizations,
and businesses have opened
their hearts, their hands,
and their wallets to create
this badly needed resource
for those among us lacking
secure housing this winter.
Many of us “of a certain
age” are retired from gainful
employment, and we have
the time to give back in a
25th annual
Mule Deer Classic
& Fundraiser*
• Social Hour • Banquet
• Games • Raffl es • Live &
Silent Auctions • Firearms
• Camping & Hunting Gear
• Artwork • Golf & more
Saturday, March 11 • 4 p.m.
The Riverhouse Convention Center
Info & Registration, 541-420-1318 or 541-330-6218
—————————— *All proceeds stay in Oregon. ——————————
myriad of ways. The Sisters
(and Central Oregon) com-
munity is full of opportu-
nities to share our talents,
skills, experience – and
money.
Get involved in city gov-
ernment by volunteering
to serve on a committee or
board. Support the schools
and children through
ASPIRE, the Science Club,
SMART, or mentoring
for one of the nonprofits.
Provide support for the arts
and literacy through the
Sisters Folk Festival, volun-
teer at the Sisters library, or
try your hand (and voice) at
community theater or choir.
Offer your assistance
with one of the “big three”
events – Rodeo, Quilt Show,
and Folk Festival. Join the
Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis,
VFW or American Legion.
The Sisters Garden Club
and the Sisters Community
Garden are great ways to
meet new people and learn
that gardening IS possible in
Sisters.
Work for the environ-
ment with the Deschutes
Land Trust. For you bike
enthusiasts, join the Sisters
Trails Alliance or help with
the many biking events held
in Sisters. Faith communi-
ties are always looking for
volunteers to further their
community outreach. Help
promote civility in our com-
munity by volunteering
with Citizens4Community.
The opportunities are
endless.
Volunteering can provide
a sense of purpose. Be sure
that the mission of the orga-
nization or effort matters to
you or you won’t last long.
Do your skills match their
needs? If you need flexibil-
ity in your schedule, is that a
possibility? The right match
is what you are looking for.
Make that match, and you
can be of service for which
you will be rewarded.
Volunteering doesn’t
come with monetary
rewards but, for me, the
rewards of the heart are
much more important and
satisfying.
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
Artist Laura Waltosz (center) shows a copy of the 2017 yearbook cover.
She received a $150 award presented by Outlaws Photography.
SHS sbudenb receives
yearbook scholarship
By Ceili Cornelius
Correspondent
Sisters High School stu-
dent Laura Waltosz received
a $150 scholarship from
Outlaws Photography for
designing and painting this
year’s SHS yearbook cover.
T h e y e a r b o o k s t a ff
approached Waltosz, a senior
art student, early in the year
to design a cover for the year-
book that captures SHS and
the beauty that surrounds us.
Waltosz has been in
ceramics classes and
advanced art classes since
her freshman year. Laura
plans to attend community
college and pursue ceramics
as a career.
“I was thinking it would
be a great way to make my
mark on the school by doing
this cover. I wanted to give
back to the school because
of the amount of support I’ve
gotten from it, particularly
the art department,” Waltosz
said.
The cover is a water-
color painting of the Three
Sisters at sunset. It will be the
header of this year’s book.
Yearbooks are now on sale
for $45. To order or for more
information call Sisters High
School at 541-549-4045 or
order in person at the office.
A Beautiful Evening Begins
with our special Valentine’s Day menu.
Entice your
loved one with
Alaskan King Crab,
Filet Mignon,
or Fresh Salmon
Served 4 p.m. to close
425 Hwy. 20 W. (Next to Bi-Mart)
541-549-8620
Monday-Friday 11 am-8 pm, Saturday-Sunday 8 am-8 pm
Bar & Lounge 11 am-close daily