Volunteer

Volunteer: 1vol·un·teer

Pronunciation: \ˌvä-lən-ˈtir\

Function: noun

Etymology: obsolete French voluntaire (now volontaire), from voluntaire, adjective, voluntary, from Old French, from Latin voluntarius

Date: circa 1600

1 : a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service: as a : one who enters into military service voluntarily b (1) : one who renders a service or takes part in a transaction while having no legal concern or interest (2) : one who receives a conveyance or transfer of property without giving valuable consideration.

I was introduced to volunteerism at a young age. Helping my Dad when he had big projects or events at his work. Volunteering has led to some fun learning experiences and even a bit of travel.

I am very proud of my 5 year old girl. Today she had her first taste of volunteering. She helped the people at the LEGO interactive tent at the children’s festival take down all of their models and sort thousands of blocks into separate totes based on colour and size. She had a blast, and said that she thought she might like to help out like that again. She might not be doing something as fun next time, but that will be another lesson to teach. For now, she is a volunteer, and I am a proud mama.