To volunteer one's service means to give without monetary gain. You give of the greatest commodity — your time. It is without a doubt the most beneficial act for both the recipient and the giver. The recipient is helped to overcome, or at least forget his or her loneliness, the aches and pains and boredom of everyday life. The giver is compensated by doing something worthwhile, bringing a little sunshine into someone's life, especially the ones that are all but forgotten by their families and friends.

There are many avenues of volunteering, be it in offices, a dining room, coffee shops, organizations — a multitude of opportunities.

I volunteer at Jewish Home for the Aged, participate in the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation's annual Super Sunday (this year I raised $2,000). I was also this year nominated for the Anti-Defamation League's Distinguished Service Award for Volunteer of the Year.

The first time I volunteered, I felt 10 feet tall. This is eight years later, the feeling of a lifetime. It is to your advantage to volunteer. You are expected, you have a purpose for the day. Make no mistake, you are very much appreciated. Oh, I almost forgot — while you are volunteering you are not lonely, you don't have any aches and pains. Go out there and volunteer.