LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS? SE MISSOURI IS A BEEHIVE OF EFFORTS

When President Clinton, along with three former U.S. presidents and retired Gen. Colin Powell, kicked off the recent summit on volunteering, a great deal of attention was focused on the call to Americans to get involved in their communities and, in particular, with the poor who need help.

While the spotlight was on the summit, millions of volunteers in thousands of communities like those in Southeast Missouri were quietly going about giving of themselves so others could have better lives.

It should not be overlooked that the president and the general didn't invent volunteerism. It already exists throughout the land -- and probably no segment of this nation has more volunteer involvement that our own.

Moreover, it must be remembered that top-down push for something as personal as deciding to give up time and effort to volunteer rarely does more than call attention to a national effort. Volunteering begins with one's personal choice to get involved. And the motivation for volunteer service is best developed in the home.

When former Michigan Gov. George Romney drafted his outline for the summit on volunteer in 1995, days before he died, his purpose was to raise the awareness of the need for volunteers. It can be hoped that the media events staged during the summit will, indeed, serve that purpose. But the real commitment to volunteerism comes from strong values that include doing unto others what you would have them do unto you. Families, churches and character-building organizations have long produced willing and commited volunteers who have made a significant difference in our society.

Yet there remains a need for even more volunteers. As a story in Monday's Southeast Missouri pointed out, even local organizations that have had the good fortune to attract large numbers of volunteers are in need of more helping hands.

The notion of volunteering already has a strong hold in our daily lives. Some schools are including volunteerism as part of graduation requirement. Countless organizations hold special events to honor their many volunteers who contribute thousands of hours each year. Performing volunteer work has always been one of the most personally gratifying ways to spend time.

If, somehow, the high-visibility summit can be combined with the already strong spirit of volunteerism that exists in this country, there is little doubt that the nation will be a better place for people from every walk of life and every socio-economic level.