People never tire of hearing a good word. Good words give courage—the spark to continue forward. There's a word that seems to breathe a magic of its own, giving backbone, lifeblood and vitality to all it touches.

That word helps relieve those in distress. It's dedicated to a way of life that creates something of lasting value for everyone. It sees a need and chooses to do something, however small, about it.

That word? Volunteer! How valuable each and every one of them is. Each volunteer betters the lives of every member of the community because he or she is there.

Who is the volunteer? A living, breathing human, derived from the richest of the rich to the poorest of the poor. Educated or illiterate, male or female, child or senior, white or black or any color in between. There are no boundaries. No confines.

Volunteers are individuals who believe that as long as they breathe, they are somehow responsible to care for the needs of those who are their brothers by life association, as well as birth. They strive to make light the heavy burden of those who are hurting, hungry or just down and out.

Believing the best comes back brimful and running over. The more volunteers give and share, the more they grow and mature, becoming in fuller measure that which they can be.

Volunteers—thanks for the good word!