Seniors Get Nude To Protect Local Volunteers
Did you see that? That’s what I’m talking about.
Recently I took a bit of flack here for a suggestion I made. A New Jersey volunteer squad was having their funding cut by the governor and there was a lot of online press with the squad members explaining how devastating this would be to the community and how essential their service was to the sick and injured.
I made two observations:
1.) If you are certain that your service is essential, the best was to make your point is to call the governors bluff. Start shutting the doors on certain days. … Stop providing the service.
2.) If the community feels your service is essential they will rally around you. No need to shout your own praises, they wil do it for you.
I took some e-mail heat from New Jersey volunteers explaining that the public can’t be trusted to understand what’s truly good for them. The idea of not responding to an emergency was reportedly reprehensible and the fear that the community wouldn’t understand what they had lost until it was to late was evident.
I disagreed. I still disagree. And to further stand by my claim, I give you The Pinnup Boys of Atlantic Shores.
Nobody needs to tell the residents of The Atlantic Shores Retirement Community about the importance of their volunteer rescue squad. They already know. In fact, when the Princess Ann Courthouse Rescue Squad needed funding help, the residence of Atlantic Shores decided to make a pin-up calendar of residence between the ages of 69 and 90.
Nine residents, including a local church pastor, got nearly nude for the calendar shoot. All proceeds from the calendar sale directly support the volunteer squad. I can’t imagine a more powerful show of love and support from the community than this. I doubt the volunteers in Virginia Beech go to work wondering if their community appreciates them enough.
I don’t know exactly what the folks at Princess Ann Courthouse Rescue Squad are doing to engender this kind of good will from their local residents, but volunteer squads who are fighting for precious funds could take a lesson from them.
Related Articles:
New Jersey EMT’s Rally To Protect Training Funds
EMT Charged With Patient Abandonment
Tags: compensation, EMT, job satasfaction, rally, volunteers
Familiarity leads to trust. And trust leads to intimacy. In an intimate relationship partners take risks for one another that strengthens the relationship.
Every EMS organization has a story to tell the members of its community. Telling that story will form powerful and beneficial relationships.