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Inspiration, and plenty of perspiration
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| By: Madeline
Bayliss , Special Writer |
04/08/2003 |
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Business people lead the way as
volunteers in the community.
Staff photo by Frank
Wojciechowski |
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Business leaders like retired
Sarnoff civil engineer Liston Abbott, above, are a vital
link for nonprofits.
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| When John F.
Kennedy issued a call to all Americans to "ask what you can do
for your country," he launched a social movement that
continues to gain momentum even today. No longer solely the
domain of churchgoers and serial do-gooders, volunteerism has
been embraced by the mainstream, perhaps most obvious in the
public's groundswell response to the events of Sept.
11.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
found that an estimated 59 million people volunteered from
September 2001 to September 2002.
In
Mercer County, enthusiastic, talented volunteers — and the
organizations that rely on them — have always been plentiful,
and members of the business community have traditionally been
intimately and intricately involved. The face of the typical
volunteer is changing, and so are the ways in which they can
make a difference — opportunities that require a high level of
commitment and expertise, and those that require only a small
donation of time.
Liston Abbott, a
retired civil engineer with Sarnoff Corp., is a working model
of the business volunteer. After 33 years as chairman of the
board for Better Beginnings Day Care Center in Hightstown he
is still on the job — still providing leadership, still
maintaining the computers on site, and still donating an
average of 40 hours per week to the day care center's
cause.
"This has been extremely
satisfying," explained Mr. Abbott, who retired from Sarnoff in
May 2000. "I am inspired by the dedication of staff who are so
concerned about the welfare and future of children. If they
can contribute their careers — and at salaries that are not
great — then I figure I can do the same and dedicate myself
with my time."
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Always believing in giving
back, Mr. Abbott has given his time to a number of
organizations over the years. For 27 years, he was active in
the "Minorities in Engineering" program sponsored by Sarnoff,
a program to promote and encourage minorities in high school
to go into the engineering field. The program offered role
model days and career days in addition to providing
information on education requirements and the rewards of
engineering as a career. "I have a very strong feeling about
organizations whose goal is to motivate and inspire young
people."
Mr. Abbott also served as
chairman of the board for the Community Action Service Center
in Hightstown for 11 years. He used this leadership position
to reinforce what each organization was doing with shared
resources. "I also have a strong belief in networking," he
said. "By sharing resources and people, community agencies can
leverage volunteers and expertise."
Some
people donate their time and services as a way of giving
thanks to the communities that have nurtured them; others have
a more personal stake in the organizations they support. |
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Staff photo by Frank
Wojciechowski |
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Luz Horta, director of Better
Beginnings Day Care Center in Hightstown, looks over the
shoulder of Mr. Abbott, the volunteer board
chairman.
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| More information on
volunteerism in the state can be found through the Office of
Volunteerism Web site, www.njvolunteerism.com.
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| ©Packet Online 2003
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