Do all you can with what you have, in the time you have, in the place you are.
--Nkosi Johnson, a Zulu boy, born into dire poverty while also being infected with AIDS, who died at the age of 12. Found in Jim Wooten’s book, "We Are All the Same: A Story of a Boy's Courage and a Mother's Love."

Chigoke Adoma

I volunteer for a wide variety of reasons. More importantly, it is my wanting to help others in need. However, also I want to continue to learn and grow from new experiences. Adding my effort and skills to the work of others at the Alzheimer’s organization makes for a strong team. This will enable us to reach out in greater numbers and improve the quality of someone else’s life. When I think of volunteering with the Alzheimer’s organization, I am faced with the reality that life is a circle, a continuum, today I am the giver, tomorrow I might be the recipient.

Lois Pierce

Taking care of someone with Alzheimer's is extremely difficult even with help. I would never have been able to take care of my dad during his illness if it had not been for my children. I love working with the staff at the Alzheimer's Association and hope that I can return some of the help I was given.

Connie Assiff

My healing has come as a result of the volunteer work that I do for the Alzheimer’s Association. The Association literally saved my life. My work is a tribute to my grandmother’s legacy and keeps her alive by reaching out to others in need. I’m honored to be able to volunteer and let other caregivers know someone is there is help, listen and understand.

Mary Jane Kinnebrew

Obviously the first reason I volunteer for the Alzheimer's Association is because it does such great things for people with various forms of dementia and for their families and friends. On the practical side, I live close to the office, but because of the way the rest of my life works, I can't commit to a regular volunteer schedule. I'm able to drop in with little notice for a few hours most weeks and do what I consider meaningful work for a good cause.

Sarah Tocco

I enjoy volunteering because it gives me the opportunity to make a difference in an organization or someone's life. I also appreciate the friends and connections that form along the way.

Marcia Shaw, Helpline Volunteer

What a joy it is for me to be allowed to volunteer with the Alzheimer Association. My contact with the Alzheimer's Association began with my family's personal journey with the onset of my husband, David's, disease. The understanding the dedicated staff provided along with resources such as educational conferences , various referral lists,and my support group, offered the assistance and guidance we needed so desperately . My husband expressed his deep gratitude and hope for the future by donating his brain for research. Volunteering is my small way of saying a huge and a grateful "thank you" for all that was given to us.

Joanna Friesen, Support Group Leader

Why I volunteer? It's very simple, really.
The people in my support group are my heroes.
If it helps them for me to open up a room for an hour and a half once a month and listen them speak about their lives, it is a ridiculously small price to pay to be in their presence.

Geoff Johnson

I wish that I could say that I volunteer because I am just a nice guy, but actually, I volunteer mostly for selfish reasons. The biggest reason that I volunteer is because it makes me feel really good. The people who work at the Alzheimer's Association are very nice to me. They usually say "hi" to me when they see me, and they make me feel appreciated when I do stuff to help them. Also, there are some days when I am bored or stressed from work or whatever, and I come by and do some work, and it really gets me out of myself and cheers me up.

Volunteering also makes me feel useful. When I first started working at the Alzheimer's Association last year, I realized that there were many things that needed to be done at the Alzheimer's Association. Some of the staff were using painfully slow computers, their server was clinging precariously to its last bit of life, and their website was in need of organization and a facelift. Now, a year later, those problems are all pretty much taken care of, and it makes me feel very proud to look back at how far we have come. Even helping with stuffing envelopes helps the full time staff focus on more important things, and it feels good to have been able to play a role in accomplishing the Alzheimer's Association's important mission.

Probably the most selfish reason that I volunteer is because working at the Alzheimer's Association is beneficial to my career. I feel very lucky that I have found a place that is willing to let me participate in some pretty cool IT and programming projects. They have allowed me to build my experience and skills, and I have gained some decent accomplishments that will look good on my resume.

Marcia Usher

I volunteer for the Alzheimer Association of Houston because it is an opportunity and privilege to "give back" for the wonderful care given to my dad by the VA Hospital in Kerrville. My dad was placed in their Alzheimer unit at a time when my mother just couldn't care for him any longer at home. The VA hospital enabled our family to spend precious time with my dad in a secure and medical setting for eighteen months. It was obvious that the gentlemen in this unit were cared about and treated with dignity...something that this disease robs from its victims. My dad was such a proud, self-made man who fought in WWII and taught his four children to have true character and integrity. At the end, sad as it was, our wonderful memories of daddy kept us strong. I want to help others in this same position and I can do that through the Helpline. By assisting the personnel in the main Houston office, I can free them up to take care of much-needed fundraising and training of other support people. Thank you, Alzheimer’s of Houston, for allowing me to honor my father's memory by working with all of you fine, decent, and dedicated individuals.

In Honor of George Lewis Schulgen, Sr. January 3, 1922 to April 19, 2001

Crystal Cao

I volunteer with the Alzheimer's Association because my grandmother has Alzheimer's.

Additionally, I believe that Alzheimer's is a cause that does not get enough attention.