Letter from the Editor: Patch Give5 Day

To the Readers,

One commitment we have at Patch is to make the communities we're in a better place. This includes providing comprehensive coverage of all things going on in Westfield from sports to government to schools to business and other programs as well. One area that we are excited about at Patch is the Give5 program, where we volunteer with local groups in town during the year.

On Tuesday, in celebration of the opening of the 100th Patch in Morristown, Patch celebrated a nationwide Give5 day, volunteering our time with community groups in the towns we serve. Here in Westfield I spent the time volunteering at the Memorial Library. My time there was spent working to make sure the proper shelving of the fiction books. During my last Give5 in the spring, I worked with the schools in dismantling the student art show.

I want to thank the library for allowing me to spend some time volunteering today. The library is a worthwhile institution and volunteers do enhance the quality of the work the professional staff provides. I enjoyed spending time there and contributing to the vital work the library provides. What I did may seem minor, but it played a vital role in helping to make sure patrons can properly find the books they're looking for.

During the course of my volunteering on Tuesday I thought a lot about the various worthwhile institutions here in Westfield and how many of them need volunteers to keep going. Be it the Historical Society or the Neighborhood Council or the YMCA or the schools or the library and many more, volunteers remain the lifeblood of this community and are a great way to contribute to making Westfield a better place for everyone. I have had a chance to meet many of the great volunteers who serve Westfield and they work hard to make Westfield the great town that we all know. I urge everyone to volunteer if they can. Help out a group here in town, help make Westfield in to a better community.

And in one related sidenote, a lesson learned from my time at the library. Please, try to keep the fiction book in the right letter when putting them back, it really helps everyone.

Go Blue Devils!

John