Letter: Volunteering is the vaccine for what ails society

A strange disease has infected us. Upon initial infection the infected person actually feels good. Efforts to stop the spread of this disease are difficult but a vaccine is available. 

This disease afflicts us because it is out of balance with something we all love which is our money. We love our jobs. We love our paychecks. We also love to become volunteers. We love to volunteer at the hospital. We want people to feel better.  

We love to volunteer at the food bank. We do not wish hunger on anyone. Volunteering supplies the vaccine to control this awful infection of money.  

This imbalance spreads like a river of money with two feeding tributaries. Fast growth is the raging river. Developers aided by their supporters, as the past mayor and past person losing a seat on District One, continue to fight for fast growth. 

The ex-mayor does not seem to believe in democracy which provides the balance between profit and people thus preventing the money disease. Volunteers have fled from this imbalance.  

Tributary number two is the determination of the hospital board to sell the hospital because Insight, the buyer, recently declined further negotiations. It seems that this board wants someone else to do their job but still wants to be paid. This money disease is mighty. 

Only one remedy is available and that is volunteers, people who give time to help others. Volunteers help the sick, injured, hungry and those without a job. Because volunteers dedicate themselves without getting paid, they provide the healthy balance between the profit motive and the helping motive.  

This healthy behavior provides the balance that keeps our community healthy and free of the terrible money disease. Volunteers are gifts to everyone because they quietly choose to give their time, effort and money to help others. Volunteers are the vaccine that keeps us all healthy. 

Mary Zanger

Hollister