If you haven't heard, the Crestview News Bulletin for the next four months is celebrating nonprofit organizations and causes that strengthen our community.
The CNB — along with the Northwest Florida Daily News, the Destin Log, Walton Sun and Santa Rosa's Press Gazette — have joined GateHouse Media's more than 500 news organizations across the country for our Celebrate Community initiative.
We will publish stories and commentary about organizations that help children, women, animals, military personnel, homeless people, those with mental illnesses and people with addictions.
So far, the CNB has requested and received information on North Okaloosa nonprofits so we can kick off the series. As we sort through that data and prepare feature stories and lists on organizations and causes that transform our lives, www.crestviewbulletin.com and the newspaper will encourage community involvement at every turn.
And what better way to start than with the United Way of Okaloosa-Walton Counties' 22nd Annual Day of Caring?
The Crestview Day of Caring kicks off Sept. 17 with a 7:30 a.m. breakfast at North Okaloosa Medical Center's cafeteria, 151 E. Redstone Ave. You can bring non-perishable foods — even if it's just a can or two, organizers say — for distribution at area food banks.
Next, "volunteers will be assigned to a local organization where they tackle meaningful volunteer projects," a United Way media release states. "Some projects may include painting a room, cleaning out a flowerbed, or sorting canned food."
Volunteers work on those projects and then have an 11:30 a.m. lunch at the GFWC Woman's Club, 150 Woodlawn Drive.
Helping to beautify or otherwise serve the community should be enough motivation to consider volunteering, but if you need an extra nudge, the United Way offers these top 10 reasons to participate in the Day of Caring (with my commentary added):
●Networking. You likely will meet people who don't travel in the same social circles — and you never know what opportunities that could provide.
●Lose weight. If you're pulling weeds or painting, you're seriously working some muscles. That's the first step to avoiding a sedentary lifestyle. Think about it: this one day could be the beginning of a brand new you.
●Breakfast and lunch provided. Free food — need they say more?
●A day away from the office. If your boss will give you the day off, it's worth getting some sunshine and avoiding those sometimes headache-inducing fluorescent lights.
●Learn about the community. It amazes me when the News Bulletin reports on places the John McMahon Environmental Center and I read Facebook comments such as, "I've lived here 20 years and have never heard of this place! Where is it?" Everyone can get stuck in their own schedule and traveling paths, which can result in isolation and lack of community awareness. Solution? Day of Caring.
●Free T-shirt. Expand your wardrobe at no charge? That's always nice, right?
●It would make your mama proud. That's a given. (And, community service aside, isn't this one of those "should be reason enough" points?)
●Good karma. What goes around comes around; even if you don't believe that's a cosmic truth, the same result remains. Think about it: if you're volunteering and meeting people you didn't know before, new relationships will form, and something good is bound to come from that.
●It's fun! OK, this one's a tougher sell for some people. But as someone who volunteers a lot, I can say that although painting houses or cleaning up debris can seem like hard work, you eventually bond with others in the group and make games out of the situation. Before you know it, time flies. (And you know that only happens when you're having… that's right: fun!)
●When you reach out a hand to one, you influence the condition of all. Just like bad things beget bad things, goodness begets goodness. If someone does something nice for you, most likely, you will pay it forward in some way, even if you don't consciously realize you're doing it. That's just human nature.
So, there you have it: 10 reasons to volunteer for tomorrow's Crestview Day of Caring.
Keep reading the News Bulletin as we explore more ways you can Celebrate Community.
What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BONI: 10 reasons to volunteer for Crestview's Day of Caring