Public service

As I looked at the young folks on the Advisory Council, some just launching their entry into community service, I was reminded of my 14th Summer in Rockaway New York. Another prompt for that memory was Mayor Dugan reading the proclamation which included him spelling out “L G B T Q I A +” a half dozen times.

Gotta admit, that’s a lot of letters! So, here’s my 1972 Summer in Rockaway recitation: “Long Island Jewish, Hillside Medical Center, South Shore Division, Craig Wiesner speaking, How may I direct your call?” That was me, running the switchboard, which actually involved taking a cord from the incoming circuit and connecting it to the patch panel hole representing where the call was heading.

That experience prepared me for age 30, training people on how to put together Ethernet networks with switches and patch panels. During that summer as a “Candy Striper,” I performed a myriad of tasks. I opened supply orders arriving in pneumatic tubes, loaded carts, and transported supplies to every department and floor. I transported patients in wheelchairs, with my favorite transport being when a patient was going home, such a joyous moment to be part of. I sold goods at the Gift Shop. I wheeled book carts and beverage carts from room to room. And yes, once in a while, I rushed a bedpan to someone who couldn’t wait for the professional staff to reach them. I worked three days a week all summer and loved almost every minute of it, except for the bedpans.

Nowadays I hear people lamenting about “these young kids’’ not being as involved in volunteerism, public service, or even paid work as they perceive they used to be when they were young. While I can’t attest to numbers, I can say that community service is alive and well in our area. Our county is wonderfully served by a Youth Commission, made up of 25 young people ages 13-21. I’ve had the pleasure of serving with several of them as liaisons to our County LGBTQIA+ Commission. The work these youth do every year and the projects they choose to take on are amazing! Check out smcgov.org/ceo/youth-commission to learn more about what they do. Then visit my friends at youthcommunityservice.org and you’ll see tons of more examples of young people getting out into the community and making a difference.

Of course it takes adult staff and volunteers to help make all that happen. AND, it takes adults in community service organizations to create meaningful, safe, age-appropriate, and engaging opportunities for young people, which is exactly what Youth Community Service has been doing, and helping other organizations do, for decades. The Kiwanis, Elks, Rotary Club, Lion’s Club, Samaritan House and Second Harvest, for just a few examples, are also excellent places where children, youth and families can do important work. We’re proud of our young employee, Theo, who, in addition to being a fantastic salesperson and all around helper in our shop, volunteers with Cake4Kids.org, baking and decorating custom birthday cakes for at-risk, underserved children and youth including foster kids. What a literally sweet gift! Lots of young people we meet are working to help people and the planet. You need only look at the opinion pages in this newspaper and the high school student writers to see that this next generation is deeply involved in crafting the next chapter of our nation’s story. Here’s the baton Aakanksha, Annabel, Eileen, Elise and Lucy.

So lamenters, have no fear, the young people are out there, waiting for you, to either lead them, be led by them, serve with or be served by them. Yay kids!

Craig Wiesner is the co-owner of Reach And Teach, a book, toy and cultural gift shop on San Carlos Avenue in San Carlos.