I'm addicted to volunteering. Is that selfish?

It just feels so damn good to help others and connect to my community. In that sense, I'm doing this for me.

A volunteering addict.
(Image credit: iStock)

"​You can use me as a last resort, and if nobody else volunteers, then I will do it ... not to sound like a jerk."

This was an actual reply from a parent after I put out a plea for volunteers for my kids' lacrosse club. Maybe the comments' brutal honesty should have irritated me. Instead, I fell in love with it. Why? Because it sums up what many parents feel but don't have the courage to say.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up