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Mohawk Valley Volunteerism can transform our community. Perhaps our Herkimer Village officials were embarrassed by derelicts milling about our Main St. area when an investor came to town. They shouldn’t have been. Even some of today’s most affluent cities, like Boston, have seen very hard times. Smart investors know that value is way more than skin deep. The above video shows how a community in Hawaii works together to share information about sustainability and manages events that drive their prosperity, promoting personal growth and self-esteem.
Habitat for Humanity is an example of an organization that provides the opportunity to learn, help and gain experience. We can also consider our community as an organization that can provide self-help through education and volunteerism. Together we can become a model community for Mohawk Valley redevelopment.
Teaching what we know enriches our community
Rather than be embarrassed by disenfranchisement and economic hardships, we should see a special opportunity. The unskilled, underemployed and unfulfilled in our community can become our most essential assets when we implement high value solutions through community volunteerism. Some call this approach an “each one teach one” philosophy. When individuals in our community volunteer in sharing their knowledge with others they enrich everyone.
Herkimer Village’s nearly 8,000 people have many skills. Some of us know how to do carpentry. There are also farmers, cooks, musicians, dancers and gardeners among us. Others know how to write. By sharing our knowledge and abilities, we can transform our village into a model community.
Take the first step towards community self-improvement
We wouldn’t be the first to take this important step in community self-improvement. In an impoverished corner of India, under a bridge and without a classroom, two shopkeepers are teaching 200 young students who otherwise wouldn’t receive an education. These unpaid teachers are sharing their knowledge. The space is free and the students eager to learn.
It’s easy to begin this process of community improvement through Mohawk Valley Volunteerism. Are you willing to be a volunteer? Are you willing to be a student? What would you like to teach or learn? Can you share land or space? Let’s bring our talents together now! Write to me at herkimerpost@gmail.com and let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Linda Kaidan
