Thankful for Volunteers

Melani Caron

Regardless of the size of any community, there is always one thing that every community needs: resident volunteers. April is National Volunteer Month, and I am grateful for the wonderful homeowners who have generously given of their time to serve. Quail Creek has volunteers serving in the capacity of one of the many POA committees, golf and landscape task forces, social advisory council, library volunteers, groups and clubs, charitable organizations, your Quail Creek Board of Directors, and the Architectural & Landscape Commitee members. Simply stated—they are neighbors helping neighbors.

Successful volunteers have these common traits:

* Kindness and genuinely liking people. A kind volunteer goes a long way, because everyone can use more “nice things” in their lives.

* Initiative and determination. A great volunteer takes ownership in projects and is there for the long term to help organize. They are willing to look at timelines, understand how to do the project, and consider who should be involved.

* Excellent communication skills. They ask questions, listen, and document their work. A great volunteer is willing to share knowledge and help others.

* Active effort to promote the community. They may not have all the skills for a specific project, but they recruit help from others and participate where they can.

* Willingness to learn new things. Volunteers may need to adapt to changes along the way. They recognize that flexibility is key to getting the job done, along with building relationships.

While the entire month of April is known for being National Volunteer Month, the week of April 16 through 22 is celebrated as National Volunteer Week (yes, a whole week of celebrating!). Congratulations to all of the wonderful people we have at Quail Creek who, regardless of frequency, have volunteered this past year. On behalf of the board of directors, myself, and the entire staff, we all thank you very much!

If you have a volunteer story that you’d like to share with me, I’d love to hear about it. Please contact me at [email protected].