Step Up And Help Out!
The benefits of Volunteering
"Nothing we can do will bring him back." says Brittney Payton of her late father, famed Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton. "But he continues to live on in our work to help others."
Payton, 23, was just a teenager when the NFL legend succumbed to liver cancer almost 10 years ago while awaiting a transplant. She, along with her mother, Connie, and older brother, Jarrett, 27, manage the family's two Illinois-based foundations: The Walter and Connie Payton Foundation, which partners with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to provide gifts and resources to underprivileged youth, and The Walter Payton Caner Fund, which raises funds for cancer research and treatment.
In memory of her father, who had been on the transplant waiting list for more than eight months, Payton in 2001 spear-headed Youth For Life Remembering Walter Payton, and organ-donor awareness program designed to reach out to high school students. She also served as a spokeswoman for Illinois regional organ bank, Gift of Hope, along with Jarrett. After their father died, Payton points out proudly that Illinois went from having one of the lowest rates of organ donations to ranking No. 1 in registered donors.
Although she is proud of her efforts, Payton says she occasionally struggles with volunteer challenges, such as overcommitment and burnout, which she manages by setting clear boundaries and maintaining a balance of activities. "Giving to others provides my life with meaning and purpose," she says.
"Volunteering affords benefits to both the giver and the receiver," says Henry McKoy, a regional director with the Peace Corps, an independent federal agency that arranges for U.S. citizens to volunteer overseas.
Overseeing the African region, McKoy assists volunteers in leaving their homes, families, and friends for a minimum of two years to live and work in communities and villages in Africa. McKoy maintains that individuals who sacrifice comfort and convenience to improve the world often gain a sense of satisfaction, appreciation, and an expanded worldview. He adds, "Undoubtedly, serving others is a privilege and an honor."
Hip-HopTV24/7.org Incorporated suggest asking yourself these five questions before getting started volunteering:
1. Why do I want to volunteer?
2. What do I expect to give and gain?
3. What kind of organization or program do I want to help?
4. What skills and experience can I bring to the assignment?
5. What is my availability and how much time will I commit?
"Nothing we can do will bring him back." says Brittney Payton of her late father, famed Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton. "But he continues to live on in our work to help others."
Payton, 23, was just a teenager when the NFL legend succumbed to liver cancer almost 10 years ago while awaiting a transplant. She, along with her mother, Connie, and older brother, Jarrett, 27, manage the family's two Illinois-based foundations: The Walter and Connie Payton Foundation, which partners with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to provide gifts and resources to underprivileged youth, and The Walter Payton Caner Fund, which raises funds for cancer research and treatment.
In memory of her father, who had been on the transplant waiting list for more than eight months, Payton in 2001 spear-headed Youth For Life Remembering Walter Payton, and organ-donor awareness program designed to reach out to high school students. She also served as a spokeswoman for Illinois regional organ bank, Gift of Hope, along with Jarrett. After their father died, Payton points out proudly that Illinois went from having one of the lowest rates of organ donations to ranking No. 1 in registered donors.
Although she is proud of her efforts, Payton says she occasionally struggles with volunteer challenges, such as overcommitment and burnout, which she manages by setting clear boundaries and maintaining a balance of activities. "Giving to others provides my life with meaning and purpose," she says.
"Volunteering affords benefits to both the giver and the receiver," says Henry McKoy, a regional director with the Peace Corps, an independent federal agency that arranges for U.S. citizens to volunteer overseas.
Overseeing the African region, McKoy assists volunteers in leaving their homes, families, and friends for a minimum of two years to live and work in communities and villages in Africa. McKoy maintains that individuals who sacrifice comfort and convenience to improve the world often gain a sense of satisfaction, appreciation, and an expanded worldview. He adds, "Undoubtedly, serving others is a privilege and an honor."
Hip-HopTV24/7.org Incorporated suggest asking yourself these five questions before getting started volunteering:
1. Why do I want to volunteer?
2. What do I expect to give and gain?
3. What kind of organization or program do I want to help?
4. What skills and experience can I bring to the assignment?
5. What is my availability and how much time will I commit?
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