One thing I learn from my parents has been the importance of volunteering ones time for causes or events on cares for.
Guess I spend too much time as a volunteer, but then someone has to and you who don't, can know someone else, is stepping up to the plate.
As a Kid I spent every election year trying to get out the vote for candidates and causes that my family supported and ended up even being a campaign manager for my mother when she ran for office, while I was in High School. She dropped out of the race when the news papers kept switching her photo with another candidate she was friends with. They really did look alike and there were a total of 16 Democratic candidates for county council that year. Her friend did win a seat and later was County Executive. Mom went on to serve on State Library board and was state League of Woman Voters officer. I also served on the student council and was member of a county school board committee.
While kids were in school I volunteer in the classroom and served a year as PTA President, after helping the school get a PTA charter.
After I became ill I stopped helping out at the schools, then when my daughter dragged me to a SF club, I was sucker into volunteering my time again and again, until I earn a place on the Balticon committee working each convention and barely getting time to run into the dealers room to check out the books and friends jewelry.
This lead to me also volunteering at local Faerie Festival as the Queen Mother, of the Unseelie Court.
Now instead of volunteering all my extra time, I'm a vendor at Faerie Festival this year. My jewelry is in the Balticon Art Show every year while I still am a committee member who now has to herd cats, I mean other volunteers.