Letters: Volunteer to help your community; Time for EV owners to pay up

Volunteer to help your community

Many of us want to live a life of purpose — contributing to bettering the world as well as doing something that we deem meaningful.

Research by the Stanford Center on Longevity found that 90% of us say we would like to volunteer, but only 25% do. Volunteers report better physical health as well as increased social interactions, better relationship quality, and decreased loneliness. So why do so few volunteer? Stanford research found three commonly cited barriers.

Time constraints and inflexible volunteer schedules. Interestingly, retirees volunteer at lower rates than people between the ages of 35-44 who are employed and may have young children. Volunteering at a younger age tends to result in volunteerism throughout our lives. Most nonprofit organizations are happy to find roles that suit our needs. Some may prefer to volunteer from home, working online, while others prefer an active social environment.

Lack of information coupled with uninteresting volunteer roles. Interviewing volunteers at organizations to find a good match is a good place to start. Websites like Volunteer Centre County can help locate opportunities locally (volunteercentrecounty.org/about-us).

No one asked me. This may be the case, but it doesn’t keep us from contacting an organization’s membership or volunteer coordinators. Many organizations are eager to match volunteers’ interests and experiences with their needs.

Volunteering brings us closer together with those in our community. It helps us to better understand others and how to work together to achieve common goals.

Time for EV owners to pay up

Beginning January 2023 we Pennsylvanians are now paying a $0.61 per gallon gas tax, representing a $0.03 increase. We are No. 2 in the nation behind only California’s $0.68 per gallon tax. That in itself is a tragedy.

I understand that our roads and bridges need to be maintained and repaired and the gas tax provides the much needed revenue to do so. My only objection is, why don’t the owners of Electric Vehicles (EV) contribute to the cause? Since they are able to escape the pain at the pump, how do they contribute? Do they not benefit from the newly paved roads, the repaired bridges, the snow plowing, etc? They do indeed. In fact EVs of today and tomorrow will be the cause of more wear and tear on our roadways than their gas-powered counterparts. For example the forthcoming electric Chevy Silverado will weigh 8,000 pounds as opposed to the current gas-powered version of 5,000 pounds. According to a recent survey from the U.S. Department of Energy, carmakers are rapidly shifting their EV lineups away from sedans and toward trucks and SUVs. More weight, more wear and tear.

It’s time for the EV owners to pay up. No more free rides. Come on PA legislature. Let’s be fair and equitable here. Don’t let the non-EVers carry the load. My guess is, if EV owners start paying their fair share then a decrease in the gas tax could be in the cards.

Learn about electric cooking

Are you or anyone you know looking to upgrade your commercial kitchen operation? Not sure where to begin or how to navigate the latest tech, rules or rebates?

For the first time ever on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at RE Farm Cafe in Patton Township we are holding a first of its kind workshop where we will be showcasing an all-electric kitchen live.

Come learn about Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s new Cooking in Healthy Electrified Commercial Kitchens (CHECK) rebate program for K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and nonprofits whose missions focus on health care or community services.

This 100% free workshop is open to anyone interested in learning about induction cooking and potentially installing this equipment in their commercial kitchen. However, space is extremely limited, and seats are at a first come first served basis.

This story was originally published January 16, 2023 at 7:00 AM.