RPCV Jim Sheahan says Volunteers' efforts aren't about money
Volunteers' efforts aren't about money
I take exception to Jim Wooten for castigating people who "volunteer" and are "paid" ("Thinking Right: mayors, AmeriCorps," @issue, July 5).
I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa in the early 1960s. It afforded me an opportunity to learn about a new culture and language and also allowed me to provide something of value to people less fortunate than I. For this I was "paid" $75 per month.
Those who volunteer are doing so for various reasons. Many of them are just out of school and may be having difficulty finding jobs. They want to do something positive rather than add to the unemployment numbers. Paying them what amounts to a subsistence allowance, in my view, is not only the right thing to do, it's economically sound and morally correct.
The spirit of volunteerism is inherent in the Judeo/Christian tradition upon which this country built its foundation. Being supportive of those who are willing to sacrifice for others is admirable and shouldn't be demeaned.
JIM SHEAHAN
Atlanta, Georgia
