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Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve. -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Volunteer Management

From the Front Lines

In "From the Front Lines," volunteer leaders talk about what they do and why they do it.

Tim Kaine, Governor of Virginia and Lifelong Volunteer Leader

What inspires you to volunteer? The great influences on my life -- my parents, heroes I have read about, a Jesuit missionary named Jim O’Leary who I worked with 25 years ago -- have taught me that serving others is what gives true meaning to life. My experiences in trying to follow that lesson have shown me again and again how serving others is a path to accomplishment and personal happiness. The message of service is at the heart of my own personal faith and is the best way to have a fulfilling life.

What has been your greatest reward as a volunteer? My best volunteer experience was taking a year off from law school to work with missionaries in Honduras. I ran a vocational school that taught teenage boys to be carpenters and welders. Through that experience I entered deeply into the life of a community that was very different from the place I was raised. That year in Honduras put me on a path of volunteerism and public service that has been ongoing now for 25 years.

List specific organizations you have volunteered for.

• Instituto Technical Loyola – vocational school in Honduras.
• Freedom House – ecumenical ministry providing shelter, food and clothing to homeless individuals in Richmond.
• Housing Opportunities Made Equal – nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing equal housing in the Richmond metropolitan area.
• Garfield Childs Memorial Fund – education program to help children living in public housing communities gain necessary educational and social skills.

Why are volunteers important? Volunteers make things happen. As Governor, I have traveled to every part of Virginia and I am always excited by local initiatives designed to better local communities. Most of these initiatives are being spearheaded by volunteers. Virginia relies on these volunteers and their excellent projects.