The Simple KEY to Success is Being of Great SERVICE
Volunteerism has been around since the beginning. Benjamin Franklin founded the first volunteer fire house in the US in the 1780s. In the 12th and 13th centuries, estimates suggest that no fewer than 500 voluntary hospitals were established in England. Fast forward to modern times and volunteering is part of human nature. Or at least, it has been in my life.
In my Junior year of High School, my mom was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer. It was the week before Christmas and my 5 younger siblings and I were faced with the reality of mortality. Our focus shifted from presents and traditions to really focusing on what matters most in life – family.
Our neighbors and friends stepped up in a way that I had never seen or expected. With my parents in regular doctor’s appointments out of town, the care and maintenance of the house fell to me as the oldest sibling. Every night, a fresh homemade meal was delivered by a different neighbor. Friends of my mom came and helped clean the house. My mom’s best friends wrapped presents in anticipation of Santa coming to the house. We were overwhelmed with volunteerism and the warm fuzzies that come from that experience. After treatment, my mom was able to go into remission and – to this day- is still with us.
In August of 2020, a team member at SRA-Newman Group experienced a similar reality when his father, age 53, was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. With COVID-19 raging throughout the world, contact was limited and the ability to help in person was impossible. Despite the restrictions, his family was helped by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Utah. The resources they provided allowed for remote volunteerism and opportunities to support the family in unique ways. His dad continues to fight and just last week announced he was in remission.
As I prepared to find volunteer opportunities for our office to participate in National Volunteer Month, I acknowledged our scope of physical impact would be limited. Thus, this campaign was developed to contribute financially this year. The #DonateADollar campaign was born. SRA-Newman Group is going to match the first $1000 donated to the 4 charities we selected. Each of the chosen charities mean something special to each of us in our office. So far, we’ve had several people donate more than $1, but even the single dollar donation will go a long way if we have multiple people adding to the list of volunteers. Every little bit helps.
Remember this – the simple key to success is being of great service. Please, take the time to #DonateADollar or more to these deserving charities and as always, thanks for your support of SRA-Newman Group.
Once you donate, send McKay a screenshot of your donation receipt so that we can match that donation! mckay@sanfordrose.com
McKay Tripp
