Send Me!
A volunteer gives his or her time
and labor for the good of the
community. Volunteers may clean
up neighborhoods, donate blood,
fight fires, feed the needy . . .
The list goes on and on!
In America, formal volunteering
started with a guy you’ve probably
heard of. You might spot
his face on the $100 bill . . .
Ben’s Fire Company
Franklin
U.S. Founding Father Benjamin
Franklin knew his city had a
problem. Houses in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, kept burning down.
His solution? He said people
should be more careful carrying
coals from room to room. If a bit
of hot coal fell, a fire might blaze
out hours later. He claimed the
city also needed a club of
volunteer firefighters.
When the American
Civil War began in
1861, Clara Barton
jumped in to help.
She nursed injured
soldiers. She got them
needed supplies.
And she got a
nickname: “Angel of
the Battlefield.” After
the Civil War, Clara
brought Europe’s
Red Cross movement
to America.
Barton
Clara’s Red Cross
The Salvation Army
started in England with
a man named William
Booth. He preached
about Jesus to the poor,
homeless, and hungry
people of London—
people who might feel
uncomfortable in a
regular church. Soon,
over 1,000 volunteers
and evangelists joined
him. The Salvation
Army was born.
Booth
William’s Army
Today the
Salvation Army
does charitable
work. Volunteers
help people
recover after
natural disasters,
supply Christmas
gifts to kids in
need, and open
food pantries for
the hungry.
What will you do to help your
community? It doesn’t have to be big
like the work of Ben, Clara, and
William. But it could be!
If you have faith, then you have gifts!
What gifts has God given you?
How can you use them to bless
your neighbors?
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. — 1 Peter 4:10
(Your Name Here)’s
Thanks to Ben, a group of 30
men formed the Union Fire
Company on December 7,
1736. They met each month
to talk about preventing and
fighting fires.
The Red Cross assists
people during natural
disasters. Volunteers help
provide warm meals,
clothing, and places to
sleep. Red Cross workers
collect blood to be
donated to the injured.
They teach first aid, CPR,
and water safety. Out of
every 10 Red Cross
workers, nine are
volunteers.
Many Americans still serve
as volunteer firefighters. Of every 10 firefighters, about seven are volunteers.