Inspiration, and plenty of perspiration

Business people lead the way as volunteers in the community.

By: Madeline Bayliss

Staff photo by Frank Wojciechowski
Business leaders like retired Sarnoff civil engineer Liston Abbott, above, are a vital link for nonprofits.

   When John F. Kennedy issued a call to all Americans to "ask what you can do for your country," he launched a social movement that continues to gain momentum even today. No longer solely the domain of churchgoers and serial do-gooders, volunteerism has been embraced by the mainstream, perhaps most obvious in the public’s groundswell response to the events of Sept. 11.
   The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that an estimated 59 million people volunteered from September 2001 to September 2002.
   In Mercer County, enthusiastic, talented volunteers — and the organizations that rely on them — have always been plentiful, and members of the business community have traditionally been intimately and intricately involved. The face of the typical volunteer is changing, and so are the ways in which they can make a difference — opportunities that require a high level of commitment and expertise, and those that require only a small donation of time.
   Liston Abbott, a retired civil engineer with Sarnoff Corp., is a working model of the business volunteer. After 33 years as chairman of the board for Better Beginnings Day Care Center in Hightstown he is still on the job — still providing leadership, still maintaining the computers on site, and still donating an average of 40 hours per week to the day care center’s cause.
   "This has been extremely satisfying," explained Mr. Abbott, who retired from Sarnoff in May 2000. "I am inspired by the dedication of staff who are so concerned about the welfare and future of children. If they can contribute their careers — and at salaries that are not great — then I figure I can do the same and dedicate myself with my time."
   Always believing in giving back, Mr. Abbott has given his time to a number of organizations over the years. For 27 years, he was active in the "Minorities in Engineering" program sponsored by Sarnoff, a program to promote and encourage minorities in high school to go into the engineering field. The program offered role model days and career days in addition to providing information on education requirements and the rewards of engineering as a career. "I have a very strong feeling about organizations whose goal is to motivate and inspire young people."
   Mr. Abbott also served as chairman of the board for the Community Action Service Center in Hightstown for 11 years. He used this leadership position to reinforce what each organization was doing with shared resources. "I also have a strong belief in networking," he said. "By sharing resources and people, community agencies can leverage volunteers and expertise."
   Some people donate their time and services as a way of giving thanks to the communities that have nurtured them; others have a more personal stake in the organizations they support.

	Staff photo by Frank Wojciechowski
	Luz Horta, director of Better Beginnings Day Care Center in Hightstown, looks over the shoulder of Mr. Abbott, the volunteer board chairman.

   Jeff Perlman, a third-generation owner in Borden-Perlman Insurance in Lawrenceville, volunteers at Greenwood House, a home for the Jewish aged in Ewing. His mission, he says, is to make the home the very best facility. The reason: three of his grandparents passed away here, and his father served as a past president of the board. Mr. Perlman is on the board and executive committee of Greenwood House. "It is part of the culture of our family to be involved in the community," explains Mr. Perlman. "Our business depends on the success of the community. We stay involved to help this area be prosperous, not just financially, but also through better conditions for our families."
   "Family" values also led to Mr. Perlman’s involvement with the College of New Jersey, where he serves on the board and as chairman of the finance and construction committee. Both his mother and grandmother were graduates of what he calls the "finest higher-education institution in the state."
   There are significant differences between a director and a committee chair, Perlman points out. Board members can be involved as little or as much as they want; sitting on a committee, however, requires a significant commitment of time and energy. Young volunteers may not find this is the best role to assume right away, he adds. Often the path to leadership starts with a specific project, followed by another — a process allowing the volunteer to learn various aspects of the organization.
   Unlike Mr. Abbot and Mr. Perlman, whose volunteer roles are extensive and require a large time commitment, many people seek volunteer opportunities requiring less commitment. They may look to projects as the way to contribute expertise, rather than play a role in the longer succession plan.
   Fortunately, volunteer opportunities, like volunteers, come in all shapes and sizes, and nonprofits are beginning to recognize how to take advantage of this. The volunteer model is changing for many community organizations, reports Craig Lafferty, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Mercer County. "One model, like a size 42 suit off the rack, doesn’t fit all anymore," says Mr. Lafferty. Organizations today have to have a crisp plan in place to use volunteer time effectively and efficiently. They need a clear vision of what the volunteer experience is and what expertise they need."
   He draws on his own volunteer work as a perfect example of how organizations, by being flexible, can draw in volunteers: Mr. Lafferty selected to participate in a joint program with the Salvation Army that delivered food to the community on a regular basis. He chose to go out on the truck every six weeks on Friday night. This allowed him to plan ahead and to reconnect in a personal way with the hungry and homeless in the community.
   "By customizing the volunteer experience, I felt good about being in the community with people who needed help, and about the camaraderie of others doing the same."
   Mr. Perlman echoes that notion: "You have to enjoy what you are doing. And you can’t do it for selfish reasons. It has to be altruistic to be personally gratifying."
   Sarah Miller, co-founder and owner of Set Now Solutions, an Internet production company in Ewing, provides IT support to the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners and the Greater Mercer County Chamber of Commerce for those very reasons. "So much was given to me as my business has grown that I feel I want to give back. It takes a commitment to be actively involved," commented Ms. Miller, "and not just a name on paper. The motivation has to be that you genuinely care about the program."
   Ms. Miller considers it natural that business executives are directly contributing to community organizations.
   "The organizations are just like businesses, with the same components of finance, marketing, personnel and others. Business owners have experience in all these areas and can serve in a variety of ways."
   It takes a commitment to be actively involved," commented Ms. Miller, "and not just a name on paper. The motivation has to be that you genuinely care about the program."
   More information on volunteerism in the state can be found through the Office of Volunteerism Web site, www.njvolunteerism.com.