Do all you can with what you have, in the time you have, in the place you are.
--Nkosi Johnson, a Zulu boy, born into dire poverty while also being infected with AIDS, who died at the age of 12. Found in Jim Wooten’s book, "We Are All the Same: A Story of a Boy's Courage and a Mother's Love."

Connie Assiff

My healing has come as a result of the volunteer work that I do for the Alzheimer’s Association. The Association literally saved my life. My work is a tribute to my grandmother’s legacy and keeps her alive by reaching out to others in need. I’m honored to be able to volunteer and let other caregivers know someone is there is help, listen and understand. 
 

Marcia Shaw

What a joy it is for me to be allowed to volunteer with the Alzheimer Association. My contact with the Alzheimer's Association began with my family's personal journey with the onset of my husband, David's, disease. The understanding the dedicated staff provided along with resources such as educational conferences , various referral lists,and my support group, offered the assistance and guidance we needed so desperately . My husband expressed his deep gratitude and hope for the future by donating his brain for research. Volunteering is my small way of saying a huge and a grateful "thank you" for all that was given to us.

Joanna Friesen, Support Group Leader

 Why I volunteer? It's very simple, really.
The people in my support group are my heroes.
If it helps them for me to open up a room for an hour and a half once a month and listen them speak about their lives, it is a ridiculously small price to pay to be in their presence.

Geoff Johnson

I wish that I could say that I volunteer because I am just a nice guy, but actually, I volunteer mostly for selfish reasons. The biggest reason that I volunteer is because it makes me feel really good. The people who work at the Alzheimer's Association are very nice to me. They usually say "hi" to me when they see me, and they make me feel appreciated when I do stuff to help them. Also, there are some days when I am bored or stressed from work or whatever, and I come by and do some work, and it really gets me out of myself and cheers me up.

Volunteering also makes me feel useful. When I first started working at the Alzheimer's Association last year, I realized that there were many things that needed to be done at the Alzheimer's Association. Some of the staff were using painfully slow computers, their server was clinging precariously to its last bit of life, and their website was in need of organization and a facelift. Now, a year later, those problems are all pretty much taken care of, and it makes me feel very proud to look back at how far we have come. Even helping with stuffing envelopes helps the full time staff focus on more important things, and it feels good to have been able to play a role in accomplishing the Alzheimer's Association's important mission.