Dec. 10—During the holidays, people want to find just the right present for those on their list. Those who want to show off might consider gold — about $2,650 an ounce — or a sparkly 1-carat diamond — with an average price of about $4,000.
Do you really want to give something expensive? How about an acre of Illinois farm ground? A farm in Champaign County sold in January for an average of $17,040 per acre.
Almost everyone, however, could give the most valuable gift of all — time. We’re not talking about an hour at the $7.25 federal minimum wage or even at Illinois’ minimum wage, which will go to $15 an hour on Jan. 1. We’re talking about real-time, unfettered time. Time to listen. Time to help. Time to care.
Many believe the holiday season has become too commercial, with everyone scrambling for this year’s hot toy or trendy clothes. Those types of gifts can break or tear and eventually wear out. Time endures.
Walden University in Minneapolis put together a list — 10 Creative Ways to Volunteer — that offers suggestions to those who want to put aside material things for something more meaningful. The list includes:
—Serve seniors: Volunteer at a nursing home; offer to help organizations such as CRIS Healthy Aging in Vermilion County.
—Mentor a child or teenager: Check with schools and groups such as the Boys & Girls Club to see whether they could use help.
—Help the homeless: With a shortage of shelter space in Vermilion County, efforts by groups such as The Dwelling Pace at 1st Presbyterian Church become even more valuable.
—Clean your community: Lend a hand during Keep Vermilion County Beautiful events or tackle simple goals such as organizing a group to pick up trash in your neighborhood.
—Make holidays special: Step up to help organizations such as Fair Hope Children’s Ministry with coat drives or Toys for Tots to collect toy donations.
—Help the sick: Volunteer at local hospitals or the Department of Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System. The VA uses volunteers in a number of roles. To find out more, call 217-554-4525 or visit va.gov/illiana-health-care-work-with-us/volunteer-or-donate/.
—Build a home: The local Habitat for Humanity chapter can turn volunteer time into housing for those in need.
—Coach a team: Area youth sports leagues and organizations such as the YMCA constantly look for coaches and officials.
—Organize a fundraiser: Help a favorite group, such as the United Way of Danville Area, by putting together a special effort to bring in funds.
For those who want to honor veterans, No Veteran Dies Alone seeks volunteers who agree to stay the final hours with ailing veterans who might have no one else in their lives. The local Illiana medical center has used this organization. For information, visit wehonorveterans.org.
In his book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” Rick Warren writes: “Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you’ll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.”
It doesn’t take much. Just a few hours a month can become a present everyone will treasure.