The heart of a volunteer
It was Jimmy Doolittle of Doolittle’s raiders who said, “There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.” It is the volunteer who loves their community and country enough to contribute time, money, and resources to make a place better for the next generation. It’s serving a cause bigger than ones self.
Matthew 22: 34-40 says, “Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, a lawyer, tested Jesus with a question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
How do you love your neighbor? Your community? Are you a volunteer?
I am so grateful to the volunteers in our community who love their neighbor as thyself. They choose to volunteer precious time, talent, and treasure to make our community a better place. I’ve often said that democracy doesn’t work, you have to work it. It takes participation from citizens, it takes people willing to volunteer, it takes people who love their community and want to have a meaningful impact in the world around them to preserve our liberties for the next generation. The call to volunteer is a fulfilling one. The ability to help others is a feeling like no other. It is often a thankless job. In today’s polarizing environment it is refreshing to see folks get involved, grab the bull by the horns and lead. There are many organizations in our community that help but I would like to highlight a few in this newsletter. If you are interested in making a difference, becoming an active member of these organizations is a great way to start.
Lions Club
The Atlanta Lions Club meets at noon every Wednesday at Luigi’s Italian restaurant in Atlanta, Texas.
The Linden Lions Club meets at noon every Thursday at Fry Way 59 restaurant in Linden, Texas.
The Avinger Lions Club meets every second Monday at 5:30pm at the Main Street Education & Event Center in Avinger, Texas.
Rotary International
The Atlanta Rotary Club meets at the third Thursday of the month at 6pm at Luigi’s Italian restaurant in Atlanta, Texas. The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do is a test used by Rotarians world-wide as a moral code for personal and business relationships. The test can be applied to almost any aspect of life.
Scouting USA Caddo Area Council - BSA
The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Our local Packs, Troops, Explorer, and Adventurers are associated with local Churches or other Civic Clubs as their charter organizations. These groups help develop leaders and good citizenship just as they have over the past hundred years of scouting.
Amity Study Club
Atlanta’s Amity Study Club was founded in 1960 and for the 17th year, they have collected e-waste (electronic waste) annually. Since its founding, members have been doing some kind of public service nearly monthly. They meet monthly from September to May. Each month they pick a project to be involved with. They have been a big supporter of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for many years and have tackled projects from collecting e-waste, assisting with blanket drives, or supporting local literacy programs at the library. The Amity Study Club is constantly addressing needs in the community.
The Amity Study Club is an international organization. Locally, 12 clubs are in the Trinity District.
Atlanta Area Women’s Club
The Atlanta Area Women’s Club (AAWC) is an organization dedicated to promoting volunteerism and caring for community through the service of our members. The club consists of women from all walks of life who have a strong commitment to the improvement of society.
This group helps with youth scholarships as well as area beautification. If you’ve seen the painted fire hydrants around Atlanta, you’ve seen some of the unique talent from this group.
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Property Fraud Alert Program
Property Fraud Alert is an online subscription service offered to the public for free that allows them to have their name monitored within the County Clerk’s office in order to track possible fraudulent recordings that affects their property.
Volunteerism
It takes three kinds of people for any successful initiative. We need people who can build the door with sweat equity, people who can pay for the door with their financial support, and people who can open the door to new audiences through their personal social network. You can make a huge difference in your organization, community, and world if you know where you fit in and how you can contribute. I encourage you to find other like-minded people to work with for the betterment of our shared community.
Upcoming Events!
Men’s Breakfast July 25th at Mattie Lanier Richie Center June 22nd the Caleb Young Band will be at Music City Texas Theater - Call 903756-9934 for tickets or go to www.musiccitytexas. org for more information!
June 29th is Summerfest in Atlanta with Fireworks 6pm-9pm at the fairgrounds on Louise Street behind the Atlanta Fire Department 606 S. Louise Street.
July 25th is the Men’s Breakfast in Atlanta from 7am to 9am at the Mattie Lanier Richey Center in Atlanta July 27th Linda Davis will be performing at Music City Texas Theater - Call 903-7569934 for tickets or go to www.musiccitytexas. org for more information!
August 17th Hickory Hill will be performing at Music City Texas Theater!