It’s a funny thing about volunteering. When you donate your time and effort to a pet cause or a community fundraiser, you're really doing yourself a favor.

I learned this valuable lesson late in life, after hitting a low point in the spring of 2001.

A group of friends had asked me to participate in Detroit’s annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the famous fundraising event for breast cancer awareness and research. My paternal grandmother lost a breast to cancer, and I wanted to walk in her memory.

At the time, though, I could barely drag myself from the living room to the kitchen without two canes or a walker. Diagnosed with degenerative arthritis, I was on a waiting list for hip-replacement surgery that year. My athletic friends offered to push me through the race in a wheelchair, but I hated to hold them back. Feeling very sorry for myself, I opted out of the event and donated a check instead.

Not long afterward, I got my wake-up call from Maryl Tull of Sharing & Caring, a nonprofit Beaumont Hospitals program for breast cancer patients and their families. Tull had read about my writing workshops and wondered whether I could teach a “Journaling to Heal the Spirit” workshop at one of Sharing & Caring’s weekly meetings. 

It was the perfect volunteer opportunity for me. I couldn’t race for the cure – but I could easily share what I knew about writing with cancer patients.

Today, I’m back on my feet and able to walk a few miles for charity. But whenever I can, I still volunteer to lead writing workshops for cancer groups.

I’ve been humbled and inspired by dozens of courageous patients and survivors who’ve shared their stories with me. As one cancer survivor wrote: "I'm grateful for every beautiful day I'm given. And every day, I look for something meaningful I can do to make a difference."

Community service is a family value

People who make a difference are the heart and soul of Royal Oak. You’ll spot them cleaning up trash at local parks, raising funds for children at risk, supervising bake sales at grade schools or delivering meals to the homebound.

This month, I caught up with Dr. Shari Morningstar of Gustafson and Morningstar Dentistry while participating in the Walk for the Future fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Oakland County. Along with her husband and business partner, Dr. Steve Gustafson, Morningstar has given countless hours to community service.

For this Royal Oak couple, volunteering has become a family tradition. Through the years, they've enlisted their children, Rob and Anna Gustafson, to help with fundraising events for the Royal Oak Optimist Club, the Salvation Army and the Boys & Girls Clubs – to name just a few of the family's favorite nonprofit organizations and service clubs.

“It’s very rewarding to know that Steve and I have inspired our kids to follow our example. We encouraged them to give back to the community as soon as they were old enough to participate,” Morningstar said. “They’ve enjoyed it so much that they volunteer for their own causes, even while they’re away at college.”

The spirit of service also informs their dental practice. Now through the end of June, Gustafson and Morningstar are hosting their annual Smiles for Life teeth-whitening program, which raises money for the Boys & Girls Clubs. They're donating 100 percent of their time for teeth whitening, while the Discus Dental company is contributing 100 percent of the whitening supplies.

Steve Gustafson, who earned President Barack Obama's Lifetime Volunteer Service Award this year, reminded me that tough economic times make it twice as important for all of us "to reach out and do our best to take care of each other."

Finding ways to give your time

According to a report from the Corporation for National & Community Service, volunteering provides several health benefits as well as social connection. People who volunteer 100 or more hours to community service per year live longer – and have lower rates of depression later in life. 

But who needs statistics? Empty nesters are discovering firsthand that volunteering fills the void after their children fly off to college or move into their own homes. It’s also a great way for couples to spend quality time together.

“My wife, Dawne, and I found we had more time to get involved in the community after our daughters graduated from high school,” explained Mike Ripinksi, a Royal Oak resident and sales associate for Century 21 Town & Country.  

Ripinski serves on several volunteer boards for the city of Royal Oak. He’s also active in the Optimist Club because he believes strongly in the club’s motto, “Friends of Youth.” He got hooked on volunteering when he was a coach for his daughters’ soccer teams, then returned to coach boys teams later on.

"There's no greater satisfaction than when one of my former players thanks me for the difference I made in their life," he said.

Dawne Ripinski, also a Realtor at Century 21 and a member of the Optimist Club, claims that her commitment to volunteering is self-serving. “What I give comes back to me tenfold,” she said. “It provides a connection through all of the ‘communities’ of my life, strengthens relationships and the town where I live. I hope to keep serving for a very long time.”

If you’d like to find a way to make a difference, Mayor Jim Ellison suggests visiting the Volunteer Royal Oak Web site, volunteerroyaloak.org, which lists current service opportunities. Make a list of your skills and interests, then look for a fundraising event or cause that speaks to your heart and fits your schedule. If you can't run a race for your favorite charity, maybe you can cook meals for the homeless or lend a hand at the local history museum.

Once you get involved, you’ll be rewarded with plenty of new friends and a heady sense of accomplishment. And you might discover, as I did, that your own challenges seem so much smaller when you spend time with others who need you.

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure takes place May 21 at Comerica Park in Detroit. For information on how you can support the event, visit karmanos.org/detroitraceforthecure/reginfo.asp