Soon it will have been a year since back-to-back hurricanes devastated the Gulf Coast. The work of rebuilding both lives and property is still underway and it will take many more years before life returns to normal.


Looking back upon that time of disaster, what I remember proudly is how quickly Texans jumped up to help. How many people just filled the truck with spare gas cans and supplies, tossed in a chainsaw, and started the long drive to wherever they could pitch in?


How many others assisted in emergency shelters, donated funds or supplies, or offered a spare room? The number of individuals who did something to help cannot be counted easily, because there were so many of them.


Doctors and nurses, many from the Central Texas area, simply showed up at the Houston Astrodome and other emergency shelters after Hurricane Katrina to be put to work. Katrina evacuees locally were helped by volunteers with everything from finding shelter to assistance with getting prescription refills.


There were also a lot of toys donated for evacuee children who lost everything. Sometimes the smallest things that volunteers do may bring the biggest smiles.


I ask:  What is it about Americans in general  – and Texans in particular – that makes us so ready to raise our hands when the call goes out for volunteers?


Perhaps it goes to the core of our national and state identity, as we were formed through the actions of volunteers. This nation is the world's greatest example of "do it yourself" government. Our founding fathers were not professional nation-builders or revolutionaries. They took time away from family, business, and put at risk all they had.


They volunteered with the hope that a country founded upon a new idea – freedom – could come into being. They pledged their lives, the fortunes, and their sacred honors to this cause. It cost some of them dearly, but we are here in the United States of America today because of their voluntary acts.


In Texas, we have the example of the volunteers who remained to fight against impossible odds at the Alamo. When lines are drawn in the sand, Texans still cross them.


Our nation utilizes an all volunteer armed forces. We ask our brave men and women to willingly endure hardships and danger – and they do so. Our national defense also depends upon the critical services provided by our National Guard and reserve forces. These are men and women who may be driving a FedEx truck one week and be in an armored vehicle in Iraq the next.


However, one doesn't have to don body armor to make a difference. Every day, Texans give of themselves in ways both great and small. They do so as individual, through their churches, and as members of community-spirited organizations.


The role these folks play in making lives better is often under-appreciated. It is also under-utilized by the State of Texas as a tool to augment state government programs. We have many more opportunities to partner dedicated volunteers with the government agencies working on the same societal problems.


I had legislation in 2005 that sought to further the partnerships between faith-based groups and community organizations with state government. Time ran out before it could be accomplished during that regular session. However, I plan on filing it again in 2007 and believe it will receive a warm reception.


One of our great strengths is that we have so many citizens who just want to help out. It falls to us in state government to figure out ways to better utilize this valuable asset.

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