Wendy's WanderingsWendy Wilber

April 11, 2019

Happy National Volunteer Appreciation Month!

April is national volunteer's month and this week in April is volunteer's week. This provides me with the platform to stand up and proclaim that the Florida Master Gardener Volunteers are doing amazing volunteer work.

In 2018, the 4,000 active Master Gardener Volunteers (MGVs) donated 349,000 hours to the residents of Florida by answering questions in plant clinics, creating and maintaining demonstration gardens, representing UF/IFAS at events, and connecting with the public and youth in community and school gardens. Master Gardener Volunteers gave over 2,300 presentations to Florida gardeners; these presentations teach, demonstrate, and inspire with the best research-based, unbiased horticultural information from the University of Florida.

Master Gardener Volunteers are active in 60 of Florida's 67 counties and last year they contacted over half a million residents in 60 of Florida's 67 counties. MGVs reach the public with newspaper articles, newsletters, social media, and radio and TV programs; in 2018 the media reach of the Florida Master Gardener Volunteers was over 40 million contacts.

Our volunteers are invaluable to UF/IFAS, but the estimated value of a volunteer hour is $23.23, so the monetary value of the Master Gardener Volunteer contribution in 2018 was over 8 million dollars. Thanks to all the Master Gardener Volunteers for all they do for Florida.

Volunteering has its benefits to the person who gives back, too. Research demonstrates that volunteering leads to better health. Those that volunteer have lower mortality rates compared to their peers as well as higher functional ability and lower rates of depression later in life. By measuring hormone levels in the brain, researchers discovered that volunteering and helping others delivers pleasure or makes people happy. In fact the more you volunteer the happier you are.

We know that Master Gardener Volunteers are life-long learners and continuing their education is one of the biggest benefits that Florida MGVs enjoy. They also report enjoying the opportunity to give back to their community, to help people, to meet new friends, and to make a difference in people's lives. They share plants and vegetables with the public and many MGVs are great cooks and are more than generous with their talents.

A quote attributed to Aristotle is, "What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good." I believe that the Florida Master Gardener Volunteers have the answer to the philosopher's question and it shows every time they volunteer.

-- Wendy Wilber

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