On Hilton Head, volunteering is a way of life

One sure way to make a great life in a new place is to volunteer. If it sounds boring - or like something the judge sentences you to for community service - think again.

My most favorite job ever was working as a docent at the city zoo in a former life. Since moving to Hilton Head Island, I volunteer for two local clubs that benefit the community in different ways. The social aspect of these organizations keeps my husband and me busy with functions every week.

Hilton Head offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities that appeal to every interest imaginable. From arts to science to health issues, one can learn some new tricks, or continue serving a cause that suits one’s skills.

One of those volunteers is Dave Gordon.

Gordon, 65, has been here for eight years. We met last week at the Shell Ring excavation site, where he was volunteering on the dig. Gordon is the president of the local chapter of the Archeological Society of South Carolina, an organization he joined in 2012. The former JAG lawyer has been fascinated by archeology since his grandmother gave him a book on the subject when he was twelve. When he retired and moved to Hilton Head, he was finally able to fully pursue his passion.

The local archeological group meets monthly at the Coastal Discovery Museum for discussion and lectures. They participate in local digs, maintain sites of interest such as the Green’s Shell enclosure on 278, and salvage artifacts prior to major construction projects.

If you don’t think around in the dirt will excite you, think again. I know from first hand experience there is nothing more thrilling than finding a shard of four-thousand- year-old pottery when “screening” through mud, while archeologists pat you on the back and tell you how cool it is. It made my day to watch it marked, bagged, and put with the other artifacts. And that was just one day of volunteering.

But not only is volunteering a fulfilling way to give back to the community, it is a great way to meet new friends. Let’s face it, in a transient resort like Hilton Head, most people are from someplace else and need ways to socialize.

Not into a regular schedule of meetings throughout the year? Then volunteer for an annual sporting event such as the RBI Heritage Presented by Boeing. Some of the Heritage staff has been volunteering for decades, and I have never met one who didn’t enjoy the work immensely.

Just Google “volunteer, Hilton Head”and take your pick.

There are gardening clubs, political clubs, organizations based on cultural heritage like the Italian-American Club of Hilton Head, arts organizations, music groups, and a camera club. And that’s just a sampling.

Get out your pen and paper and head to greatnonprofits.org/city/hilton-head- island/SC.

If you can’t find an organization of interest to you in those thirty-three pages, you may want to go back to working that day job.

This story was originally published June 22, 2016 at 11:09 AM with the headline "On Hilton Head, volunteering is a way of life."