When it’s 112 degrees+, it’s hard to believe school will commence in a month. Back-to-school sales kick off tomorrow, as families rush to fill their weekends with last-minute vacations. This time used to be referred to as fall, however, I simply refer to it as mid-summer. (No, I didn’t steal that from Shakespeare; it’s simply an Arizona fact. A fact that seems to be trending further across the US, as the sweltering weather rolls on.)

Last week my blog focused on the need for mentoring, yet the need for volunteers is equally important. Recent studies have identified a dearth of those willing to donate their time to serve others. Little League and Pop Warner beg for coaches, Girl Scouts needs leaders, Big Brothers and Big Sisters need responsible adults, teachers need homeroom moms and dads, and most schools need ancillary tutors and field trip and extracurricular event chaperones. Where are the volunteers?

Working in full-time jobs. The number of both-parent working families has grown over time. Long gone is the 50’s nostalgic view of the stay-at-home mom, who bakes cookies for the bake sale, volunteers in Mrs. Brown’s classroom, and chairs the school carnival committee. Secondly, the rise of single-parent families has also contributed to the lack of volunteers. And the COVID pandemic turned America upside, when schools were ordered closed. Business and industry scrambled to figure out “work-from-home options, first responders had to work, and those in food and beverage service, recreation and fitness gyms were furloughed. Oh, damn! Who’s going to watch the kids? Who’s going to help the kinder students in on-line school? Not the grandparents nor aunts and uncles. In highly mobile, transient America, generational support is obsolete.

Mid-summer approaches. If you’re tired of the heat, disgusted with the politics, bored with mindless TV, weary of your friends, and in need of a stimulating rejuvenation, a kick in the pants, or a reason to get up in the morning, there are a plethora of organizations who need volnteers! The only thing missing is? U.