Volunteers - The difference makers

By Jim Irvine

We live in a great country. In spite of its problems, it is still the greatest country on earth. There are many things that go into being the greatest, but one of the key elements are the people. Americans donate and volunteer to make our country and indeed the world a better place.

After Hurricane Katrina shattered lives across the Golf states, volunteers flowed into the New Orleans with boats and busses to help rescue and remove survivors. Thousands more followed with food, water and medicine. They were followed by more volunteers bringing shoes and clothing. Church group volunteers are still making pilgrimages to help rebuild homes and neighborhoods. Corporations have donated millions in lumber, shingles, insulation, plumbing and other building supplies to the volunteers doing the work. While government, in the form of FEMA failed, volunteers succeeded. They saved lives. They changed the world.

Similar responses can be found in the response to the Tsunami that killed more than 150,000 in Indonisia, and Shrilanka in December of 2005, when tornados ravage areas our plain states, and in China following the devastating earth quake. Every day in our hospitals, patients’ lives are saved with blood that flows through the Red Cross from people who volunteer to donate blood.

In an election year, campaigns from city council to President of the United States are looking for volunteers to help get their message out. No matter how big or how small, volunteers are a key cog in the wheel that drives a campaign to victory. People come together for a common cause and help give a candidate the power to enact the changes the group of volunteers believes in. It really is that simple.

All of us have things we believe in and changes we would like made to our government. There are candidates that agree with you. It’s time each of us make a commitment to help effect that desired change. If not you, then who?

For every cause you believe in, there are others who are opposed. They volunteer their time to support candidates who will make your problems worse. Those candidates must be defeated. To that end, their volunteers must be out worked.

Some people can write checks. Some people can walk neighborhoods. Some prefer to make phone calls. Others would rather stuff envelopes or stamp post cards. Everyone is capable of doing something, even if that something is convincing others to join the fight and volunteer for a cause.

Some people volunteer in different ways. They teach concealed carry and hunter education classes. They work a table at a gun show or help with “Women on target” or other events. They get their gun store or club to post information so that others learn about Buckeye Firearms Association, the fight we are engaged in, and the importance of becoming involved.

For those who have already headed the call – THANK YOU! Your involvement matters. For many it matters more than you will ever know. I now ask you to help spread the word about Buckeye Firearms to your fellow gun owners. Educate them. Help them understand why it is so important to become involved. We have more obstacles to overcome to restore your firearms rights. We can not do it alone. We need the help of all our fellow gun owners, and we need your help to deliver our message to them.

Anyone who chooses to do nothing is really helping the other side. If you are not engaged in helping our side win, then you have become a friend of our adversaries. Gun owners have suffered too long because our fellow gun owners have chosen to stand on the sidelines and do nothing while our rights were taken away. Now is the time to join us so that together we can restore those lost rights.

The Ohio legislature has passed SB184. While the media focuses on big money in politics, the truth is that volunteers played crucial role in this legislation. Buckeye Firearms Association volunteers helped the legislature understand your issues so that good solutions would be included in the draft. Then we worked through you to build support needed to insure it passed. It is a bill that will save fellow gun owners legal fees and jail time. It will change their world.

Volunteers have made your world better. But we are not done yet. Please join us.

Volunteer to work with us so that we can continue our work to restore your rights.