What does it mean to “Matter”? Jennifer Breheny Wallace, author of Mattering, states that “mattering is the feeling that we are valued and add value to the world. Mattering is the assurance that our presence and actions are significant to others,” So, how does one retain that sense of “Mattering” in a world that focuses so much of an individual’s identity on their paying career?
My friends know that I’ve struggled a little bit with feeling as though I “matter” in the community after retiring from my paying job in January this year. It’s funny…I was a stay-at-home Mom for 20 years (2 kids 8 years apart and a husband who travelled every week). I never questioned that I “Mattered” because I mattered to my family. But inevitably kids grow up and the need for something more grew inside of me. Not exactly boredom, a desire to give back. An opportunity fell in my lap to take a job with the Town of Murphy as their Downtown Development Director. At first, I couldn’t understand why they would want me. Sure, I have a Masters in Economics, but I had been out of the workforce for 20 YEARS. I took the job. It was a challenge because I was the first person in this newly created position. No predecessor to guide me. No handbook. Just a set of requirements established by North Carolina Main Street for a town to become a Main Street Community…my main objective…the reason I was hired. Well, I was damn good at the job. I was challenged. I excelled. I was interested. Maybe a little too interested. The balance in life was off. I can’t go half-way…I have to consume myself in what I love. I realized after 5 years that I needed to make a change. So, I “retired” even though I am only 57. Now what? How do I fill the void of “mattering”? A switch had been flipped by working in that position and that switch was not going to easily switch back. But my phone stopped ringing. Emails went away. I was not included. The community no longer sought out my opinion. Slight depression sets in. What am I going to do?
Volunteer! One of the bright spots after retirement is having more time to volunteer. I have tried a variety of different organization and have zeroed in on three that have been a big part of my life this year. None of them require a lot of time. But they do provide meaning and mattering in different ways. Manna Foodbank, Girls on the Run, and MountainTrue have received my volunteer hours this last year.
MANNA Foodbank serves all of Western North Carolina, including Murphy. MANNA is one of 200+ regional food banks in the Feeding America network that together serve every single county in the United States. Manna occupies a huge warehouse in Asheville (think Lowes but 2 or 3 times bigger) that contains food, household cleaners, and personal care products that have been donated or purchased through monetary donations. These items are then distributed to people in need throughout Western North Carolina through food pantries and schools. An operation of this size depends on many volunteers every day. Since February I have been volunteering on a weekly basis at their warehouse. They make it easy to volunteer with on-line sign-ups. This type of coordination is essential because every 2- or 3-hour shifts needs about 20 people. We do tasks such as date-checking and sorting donated foods, repackaging bulk foods into smaller packages, and packing weekly “MANNA Packs” (individual bags of food that are given to school children across Western North Carolina every week to help kids bridge the gap between Friday and Monday). The best part is getting to know other volunteers including retired school teachers, musicians, artists, and remote workers needing socialization…everyone has a story.
Girls on the Run is a national non-profit for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade girls. Their mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. This is accomplished through local clubs established at schools and community centers. In Murphy we are lucky to have a guidance counselor at Martin’s Creek Elementary School who has established a club. Every Spring students from the school are encouraged to participate in this after school program. I was lucky enough to participate as an assistant coach this Spring. What a joy to watch these girls grow emotionally and physically while cheering each other on. The season culminated in a joyful 5k run and celebration in Asheville with other clubs throughout Western North Carolina.
MountainTrue is a community-powered nonprofit working across the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains to protect our forests, safeguard clean water, and build healthier communities. We are fortunate to have a Far-West office right here in Downtown Murphy. This Summer I volunteered to help collect water samples on a weekly basis for the “Swim Guide”. The Swim Guide is an amazing source of information to know where it is safe to swim. Water is sampled on a weekly basis in lakes and rivers all across Western North Carolina and the whole country throughout the Summer. So, with an investment of less than 1 hour per week I collected water once a week for 16 weeks and delivered the sample to MountainTrue’s office in Murphy.
I have loved and been fulfilled by my volunteer activities this year. Most rewarding is that they are all 3 very different in their goals and who they serve. Volunteering has made a major dent in my desire to feel like I “matter” in the community.
–Laura Lachance: Volunteer at MANNA Foodbank, Girls on the Run, and MountainTrue
Volunteer Stories WNC 
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