Volunteers

No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor is given by what he gave. ~~ Calvin Coolidge

We visited Veteran's State Park last July. However, the trip wasn't quite as enjoyable at that time due to the heat and the swarming gnats. This trip was much more pleasant.

We arrived on Friday evening. Jeff built a nice fire, we cooked hotdogs and s'mores and then turned in for the evening as we had a busy day planned for Saturday.

During our last visit, we took the Sam Shortline train. While we did enjoy this, the main complaint I had about it was that it didn't spend enough time at each stop to really enjoy them. One town in particular that I had wanted more time in was Americus, GA. So, we drove to Americus on Saturday morning to tour the Americus historic area and visit the Global Village & Discovery Center.

We went to the Global Village & Discovery Center first. They no longer charge an admission fee but do ask for voluntary donations which goes towards Habitat for Humanity. They show a video describing the work they do, then you tour examples of housing used by poor families all over the world. Then, you tour examples of homes that Habitat for Humanity has built in different countries. Children are given a map and when they enter each home for the various countries, they can stamp their map. It sort of reminded me of Disney's Epcot where you get a different stamp for a passport as you visit the different countries.

Habitat for Humanity is truly one of my favorite charitable organizations because it's not about giving a free hand out. I volunteered in college and helped build houses with Habitat for Humanity and it was truly an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I learned something new about Habitat for Humanity that I'd like to share with my fellow RV'ers. It is called "Care-A-Vanner." This is a program where people who own RVs can travel to help with Habitat for Humanity home building projects. To learn more about it, visit the link I have provided.

After visiting the Global Village and Discovery Center, we were ready for lunch. This time we decided to try lunch at the Windsor Hotel. This hotel was built in 1892 and it is absolutely gorgeous inside. We ate in the hotel restaurant. They serve a buffet which costs $8 per person. I'm not sure what the cut off age is for children eating free but Rachel and Anna ate free. The lunch included a full meal complete with salad, soup, and dessert. The buffet menu included fried chicken, roast beef, green beans, potato salad, rice, greens, and other items. The desserts included peach cobbler, lemon cake and banana pudding. It was delicious and definitely a bargain for what we got. Specifically compared to the restaurants at the Lake Blackshear Resort which I was told charges around $9 for a hamburger.

Shortly after lunch we returned to the park as they had a special program about raptors at 2 pm. The husband and wife team that presented the show normally do it at Rock City. They did a phenomenal presentation and we all enjoyed it. I even volunteered for one portion and Jeff got it all on video tape. The cost was $3 per adult and $2 per child; and worth every penny and more.

We spent a short period at the playground and then the remainder of the evening at our camper.

We enjoyed a special treat on Sunday morning. While in Americus, I learned of a special Sunday school being held at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, GA. For those who are unfamiliar, Plains, GA, is home to the 39th president of our country; Jimmy Carter. President Carter (or "Mr. Jimmy" as the locals call him) presented the sunday school lesson. We attended this and were very fortunate that we were visiting at a time of the year where the tourism is slow. We arrived about ten minutes prior to start time and was able to enter the church and get a seat with no problems. Well, we were able to enter the church after the Secret Service agents scanned us all to ensure we didn't have weapons and such. Rachel and Anna were amused by this. We did hear though that during the busier times, we would not have been so fortunate to enter and find a seat as easily due to the crowds. While my views differ in many areas politically with President Carter, I do respect him as a person and enjoyed his lesson. After church service, everyone was allowed to get a picture with President & Mrs. Carter outside of the church. I know our children didn't fully appreciate how special this photo below is but we sure do. It may be the only time in my life that I'm ever photographed with a United States President. I was extremely pleased with the photo. You only get one photo and I just knew the kids would have an odd look or one of us would have our eyes closed....you know, the typical family photo. But, not this one. We may have to use this for our Christmas card this year since it turned out so well. LOL!

We ate lunch at Mom's Kitchen in Plains. I'm not sure but I think it may have been one of the only restaurants there. Plains is a very small town. The food was good and reasonable. It was $6 for the meal and it was served cafeteria style. Again, traditional southern fare.

We had to return to the park after lunch to return home. There are still other activities in the area that we did not get to do this visit so I know we will be back. There were people flying their remote controlled airplanes in the park. They have an area for people to do so. The girls enjoyed watching these miniature versions soar through the air.

I chose the opening quote on this blog because I think it encompasses the spirit of the post; volunteers.

The state park that honors our Veterans who serve our nation to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Those who volunteer their services through organizations like Habitat for Humanity and others to help build better communities for their fellow man.

And, the couple who works to educate the public on birds to help protect our wildlife.

A former President of our nation who uses his position to help his local community and to help spread Christianity to people around the world.

I think all too many of us have such full plates that we can't see how we can give to help out. For those who have the money but not the time, give money. For those who have the time but not the money, give of your time which is even more valuable in many instances. And, for those who have neither time nor money, you can always still help your fellow man in small ways...recycling or picking up a piece of trash left by the roadside or providing a home to a stray animal, etc. There are ways we can all help make the world a better place.

And, in parting, I leave you with this thought from Winston Churchill:

You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.