By Capt. Marc Shaw, Commander of the Baldwin Park area office of the California Highway Patrol:
Thank you CHP
Volunteers
Throughout the year, there are numerous
days and weeks designated to honor groups and/or individuals. The
week of April 15th is designated as National Volunteer
Week and the men and women who comprise this very special group are
often under-recognized.
As the commander of the CHP office in
Baldwin Park, I am incredibly fortunate to have a cadre of senior
volunteers that exemplify exactly what it means to fill such a
special role. The ten men and one woman who give unselfishly of
their time and energy donated over five thousand hours of service in
2011. Some assist the support staff working in the office, others
participate in ride alongs with officers, many attend impaired driver
checkpoints and hand out literature to those driving through, while a
couple assist in the maintenance and preparation of patrol vehicles.
No matter what task they take on, it is always done with dedication
and a smile.
The volunteers come from a diverse
background and their lifelong experiences are beneficial to everyone
in the command. Many times, I find myself in awe as they share a
story about their past. Perhaps the most fascinating characteristic
of these amazing people is that they seek nothing in return. In
fact, they often thank ME for allowing them to be a part of our
program.
Each day I count my blessings and
remind myself how lucky I am to have Denis, Dennis, Henry, Jim,
Perry, Ray, Rich, Rudy, Sandy, Sam, and Sherm working side by side
with my team. They are amazing! Not only can they teach us a thing
or two about volunteering, every day they teach us how to be better
people.
“What we have done for ourselves
alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world
remains and is immortal.” ~ Albert Pike
Captain Marc Shaw
Commander
Baldwin Park Area CHP
