The Value of One Volunteer

It's the quiet ones that get stuff done

Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash

Not long ago I locked the doors of a thrift store for the last time. The details of why we lost our lease might be a post for another day. Suffice it to say we didn’t have a choice.

As you might guess, when we announced the store was closing, everything shifted. We offered everyone jobs at our other stores but the distance made that challenging. With jobs plentiful, I wasn’t surprised that no one wanted to transfer. As a result, staff steadily dwindled even as the pace of work picked up. Still, we only had 30 days to be out and cleaned up. 

As a not-for-profit, we operate with a high percentage of volunteers. Some of the court-ordered types, which we appreciate. Others are truly there to help because they believe in the mission of our organization. They often pitch in for years.

The most dependable person throughout the whole closing process was a true volunteer. He had been a bit of a fixture in the store for years. I won’t call him out because he wouldn’t want that. 

While we wound things down he was there every day, working and informally leading, finding, and creating projects to work on. When paid staff called in to use up sick days, he was there. He worked more days in the last month than anyone. He didn’t show up to chat, he got stuff done.

Even as a retiree, he outworked everyone.

By the time we got to the last few days, I had to borrow paid staff from other stores to finish up. Still that all-star volunteer kept showing up. 

Eventually, we got to the last day. If you have ever moved after being in the same place for a long time you understand how hard it is to get to the very last thing. That last day was hard work. We mostly disassembled and loaded steel fixtures as you see at Home Depot or Lowes by hand onto a semi. This was hard physical work for a twenty-someting, much less a retired volunteer. 

Eventually, we cleaned out the nooks and crannies and swept up for the last time. Guess who was in the thick of it all day. Yep. 

After I sent borrowed staff off to their stores with full trucks it was down to the two of us. We turned off the lights for the last time and walked together to the front door. After 4 intensive weeks, he was the most consistent contributor, thank you just didn’t seem enough. 

He had been in management, he understood the challenges. As usual, he acted like nothing he did was a big deal. It was a big deal. He was a huge difference-maker.

After I thanked him as well as I could he asked me to call him when we are ready to set up the replacement store. I promised him he was volunteer number one. After he left I looked around one more time and made that final turn of the key. Click. 

He has been what people consider successful in life, had a great career, owned rental properties did lots of cool stuff. Yet he showed up for some of the most thankless dirtiest work. People like that always have a why. I still don’t know what his is. I hope he shares that someday.

Keeping a not-for-profit going requires a lot of things, a clear mission, financial support, community support, dedicated staff and board, and lots of other stuff.

It’s the quiet ones that show up and keep showing up that are the magic, the backbone, and the lifeblood of organizations like ours.

If you are one, Thank you! If you want to be one, please and thank you! If they help your not-for-profit or religious organization, thank them.

Thanks for reading!