Tim Richter and his wife, Linda, had taught for over 30 years near Buffalo, New York—he in computers, she in special education. “Teaching means everything to us,” Tim would say. In April 1998, he learned he would need a heart operation. It was the kind of news that leads to some serious thinking about life’s purpose.

Not long after the surgery, Tim saw a brochure describing Imagination Library, a program started by Dolly Parton’s foundation (基金会) that mailed a book every month to children from birth to age five in the singer’s hometown of Sevier, Tennessee. “I thought, maybe Linda and I could do something like this when we retire”, Tim recalls. He placed the brochure on his desk，“as a reminder”.

Five years later, now retired and with that brochure still on the desk, Tim clicked on imaginationlibrary.com. The program had been opened up to partners who could take advantage of book and postage discounts.

The quality of the books was of great concern to the Richters. Rather than sign up online, they went to Dollywood for a look-see. “We didn’t want to give the children rubbish,” says Linda. The books --- reviewed each year by teachers, literacy specialists, and Dollywood board members ---- included classics such as Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day and newer books like Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama series.

Satisfied, the couple set up the Richter Family Foundation and got to work. Since 2004, they have shipped more than 12,200 books to preschoolers in their area. Megan Williams, a mother of four, is more than appreciative: “The program introduces us to books I’ve never heard of.”

The Richters spend about $ 400 a month sending books to 200 children. “Some people sit there and wait to die,” says Tim. “Others get as busy as they can in the time they have left.”

Why is volunteering important?

When it comes to service work, it is important to realize that the actual goal should be getting the most out of your volunteering work.【小题1】

Gaining new/social experiences

Volunteering allows students to get involved with new things and develop social and academic skills that couldn’t be learned in a classroom environment.【小题2】

Giving back and helping others

Volunteers create better environments for others; they create healthier communities and they brighten lives. Jill, a senior student, has been a volunteer in her community for more than three years.【小题3】“They always tell me how great we sound and how they wish they had taken time to learn an instrument in their youth.”

Creating connections with people

【小题4】Not only does the volunteer work you do show who you are as a person, but it reflects many positive qualities that possibly employers and admission officers want to see. Volunteering allows you to meet a wide variety of people from all sorts of walks of life.

【小题5】

Volunteering isn’t one of the most attractive jobs, but it is one of the most beneficial and up lifting(令人振奋的). It’s taking some time out of your day and helping others. Volunteer work makes us feel good. It builds self-confidence and lifts up the spirits.

Looking around her childhood neighborhood, Shanta Mack, human resources associate with Entergy couldn’t help but share, “As a teenager, I never saw neighbors or local organizations come to my community to volunteer, but when the request was put out to revitalize (复活) the same streets that I grew up on, I jumped at the opportunity.”

This year, Entergy employee volunteers celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a series of volunteer events across the New Orleans Metro Area over a three-day weekend. Mack and her sixteen-year-old daughter Aalaina joined the United Way of Southeast Louisiana and other community members to help develop an urban garden and refresh a local playground in the Desire Area.

Mack quickly realized that her old neck of the woods, which was once full of life, did not look the same as it did when she rode bikes with her friends to the local candy store. It was important for her to not only show her college-bound daughter where she grew up, but she also wanted her daughter to experience what it felt like to give back, especially to her own community. “Volunteering with my daughter allows us to bond (联系), but I also want her to take these opportunities to invest (投资) her time when she can, meet new people, learn new skills and gain volunteer hours for her college applications, ”said Mack.

The mother and daughter worked hand-in-hand with other volunteers to build a picnic table for locals to have lunch or rest and a stage for local artists to perform during community festivities.

“The weekend was the perfect opportunity to volunteer and follow Dr. King — and others who have made sacrifices to bring equality and diversity to our communities. I was happy to get out to represent Entergy for MLK Day and will continue to do my part in serving our community, ”said Mack.