What's hot in 2009? Volunteering

We enter 2009 with the economy in a tailspin blamed on, among other things, materialism, excessive borrowing and poor judgment.

It's no wonder trendspotters predict a change in values, habits and lifestyle for the new year. Marian Salzman says we're in for a reboot that will redefine just about every aspect of our lives.

"Rebooting isn't about getting everything back to the status quo, it's about moving toward a smarter status quo with a new understanding of what's desirable, what's possible, and what needs changing," Salzman told Daily Herald Staff Writer Jamie Sotonoff.

Part of that, she predicts, will be a retooling of values that define how we spend our money and our time.

Those who are less willing to pay for luxury might be more willing to pay for environmental benefits, for instance. Saturday afternoon window shopping might be traded to participate in a group park cleanup or chores for the elderly.

The United Way must have seen this coming. Its Live United campaign encourages people to donate time instead of - or in addition to - money. Timing of the campaign, which launched in June before the worst of the recent economic troubles, is serendipitous. As people felt their belts tighten and watched retirement funds drop, they were less willing to write a check for charity. The United Way's latest message says that's fine. Give some of your time instead. In addition, the agency is putting more focus on coordinating existing programs to use resources wisely.

These efforts paid off last year for the Northwest Suburban United Way in the form of a last-minute Thanksgiving meal in Mount Prospect and a school preparedness program with Arlington Heights Elementary District 25. Those aren't the only recent example of suburbanites' willingness to give time and money.

After vandals broke into Cross and Crown Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights, dozens of people called to offer time, money or supplies to get the church ready for Christmas.

In Elgin, Salvation Army officials expected to fall short of their $175,000 collection goal. With a week to go, they had already exceeded that goal and last year's total by 20 percent.

There are many more stories of holiday giving.

Now it's January. Decorations are put away. Toy drives are done. And the pleasant chirp of Christmas carols no longer fills the air to remind us it's the season of giving. Yet, as Charles McLimans of Naperville's Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry reminds us, "People don't just eat at Thanksgiving and Christmas."

There are plenty of people doing their part on a regular basis, like the 3,000 volunteers who staff 18 Northwest Suburban shelters organized by Public Action to Deliver Shelter throughout the winter. That's impressive.

But there are so many more who can make volunteering part of their 2009 reboot.

It's a message we already teach our children and hear about in our places of worship.

And, in 2009, it's trendy, too.