Finding purpose through charitable work

Volunteering comes in all shapes and sizes. Volunteer work no longer is stuffing envelopes or doing other boring tasks. The nonprofit sector is hungry for leadership, expertise, and involvement that will allow their organizations to grow and be sustainable. Literally, thousands of opportunities exist for those interested in charitable work. Finding the opportunity that fits your interests and talents is important. Going through a self-assessment process can help.

Stephen and I have committed considerable time to the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation. We love that we can do this together, and impact eight different charities that benefit children in need. Our results make a difference to hundreds of children that are challenged by poverty, abuse, neglect, health care issues or the like. Helping these children have a better future is hugely rewarding for us.

Working together, our board and staff just held our annual patron dinners and auction. Leading up to this event, we had heard of the dismal results of other charitable wine auctions. Needless to say, we were worried. Happily, we successfully raised $925K which surpassed last year's results by $100K. In a year where charitable giving is down, those extra dollars will be appreciated by our beneficiary charities.

We feel great that a group of volunteer board members teamed with a dedicated staff to make the impossible happen. This volunteer work provides significant purpose and fulfillment to our lives! Where do you want to make a difference?