By Mayor Joseph Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

For many of us, this is the time of year we think most about giving to others. (To be fair, there are also those – especially the youngsters – who think a lot about receiving, too.) But for a very special group of our fellow residents, generous giving – of time, of energy, of creativity – is a year-round activity.

Take Shari Huval: Her first volunteer experience with the City came at the October 23rd SomerStreets “Monster Mash-up” event, where she ran the arts and crafts table. She enjoyed it so much that she’ll be working as a greeter at the Illuminations Tours this coming Saturday, December 17th.

Or how about Hazel Evans, who walked into the Holland Street Senior Center ten years ago, liked what she saw and has been volunteering regularly ever since. A military veteran herself, she is particularly supportive of military vets and God Star Mothers, but Hazel looks after everybody. She gives her fellow seniors rides to the doctor and to go shopping; she bakes for the center; she’s a bingo caller; she helps staff bazaars and other local events for seniors. She is an integral and cherished part of the Council on Aging team.

There many opportunities to volunteer all across the face of city and throughout our public schools: the PTA, the public libraries (where volunteers do things like helping with the English as a Second Language program and providing enrichment activities for kids), uncompensated boards and advisory committees, and much, much more.

And one of the pleasures of living in Somerville is that there are so many people willing to step up and get involved.

In fact, given the wealth of skills, knowledge and energy in our volunteer community, we decided this past year to launch a coordinated and systematic effort that brings together more of our non-school volunteer activity into a clearinghouse operation we call SomerServe. It’s a program that provides a single portal that connects volunteers to participation in annual events like SomerStreets, ArtBeat and the Illuminations Tours as well as in youth programming, senior services and even special governmental projects (including surveys and research). All SomerServe volunteers must undergo background checks and sign liability waivers, but it’s a simple process that opens the door to all sorts of interesting activities.

Volunteers may work for as little as an hour or two a week, or in a more intensive short-term activity, or in a regularly recurring annual program. They may be involved in just one or two events, or a larger project with activities spread throughout the year. They may work with seniors or teens. They may have an opportunity to hone special technical or social skills, like the ability to design a website or speak more than one language.

But SomerServe isn’t the only way to get involved: When a Somerville resident takes part in such efforts as the SomerVision comprehensive planning exercise, joins ResiStat, or simply attends a community meeting, she or he is making a vital contribution to our shared civic life.

It’s true that there are some self-interested reasons for volunteering in your city or schools. You get to meet some great people. It’s the kind of activity that helps people live healthier, longer lives. (This benefit is remarkably well-documented.) And it often adds an impressive credential to your professional résumé. Still, the very best thing about being a SomerServe or school volunteer, sitting on an advisory group, board or commission – or even just turning out for our annual citywide spring cleanup – is the feeling of connection to your entire community.

One of the pleasures of living in Somerville is that – despite our size and diversity – so many of our residents feel that they are truly a part of something larger than themselves. For thousands of us, community doesn’t just mean friends, family and neighbors. It means being part of a city that has a sense of direction and purpose; a city where an amazingly large number of residents embrace a vision of civic life that goes well beyond following the rules and paying your taxes.

So as we approach the end of the year, I’d like to thank Shari and Hazel, and all of our volunteers, for their inspiring service – and to ask everyone with the ability and the time to think about volunteering in the coming year. You won’t regret it.

(To learn more about SomerService, or to volunteer, contact Nancy Bacci at 617-625-6600 ext. 2250, or NBacci@somervillema.gov to arrange an appointment. To volunteer for the Somerville Public Schools, contact Jen Capuano at 617-625-660 ext. 6023 or JCapuano@k12.somerville.ma.us.)