I recently walked the small city cemetery here in the town I live in, looking for some graves to take pictures of for Findagrave.com. You see, some people who can't make it to the cemetery, whether it be because of disability or distance or whatever that keeps them away, request photographs of certain grave markers. Whenever I can get to one of the cemeteries listed to fulfill their requests, I do.
One weekend, I logged over 6 miles of walking in two days looking for markers and broke into a sweat both days as I walked back and forth amongst the rows of the cemetery. I got a good workout as I searched for graves of people I don't even know so that a person too far away to search himself or herself could have a photo of the grave.
It was a random act of genealogical kindness, or in my world, a RAOGK
The world is full of people willing to do random acts of kindness for strangers. In the genealogical circles, there are people willing to do look-ups of all sorts for others. Some of these people work anonymously, whereas others seek recognition. I myself enjoy what I do, and I don't seek accolades for doing it, though I do enjoy a very nice thank you. I look at doing these acts as a way to pay forward the help I received.
So I encourage any reader of my blog for whom genealogy is a hobby to find someway to help out, whether it be walking through graveyards snapping pictures, or offering on a forum to find someone's tax or marriage records at the local courthouse, to offering up info from your own family tree to someone who might want it without expecting any re-compensation. It'll do your mind, body and soul a world of good!
Some links that can help you find a way to help:
Find A Grave
Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness Wiki
US GenWeb Project
FamilySearch Facebook Research Communities
For those who may not yet be aware... GenerousGenealogists is now online. Stated most simply, GenerousGenealogists is a community of volunteers who agree to provide free genealogy research and assistance, as an act of kindness, to “those in need.” But, that simple statement does not define us totally. We are a vibrant, vital and growing community teaching and helping each other in the best methods and traditions of the genealogists of today, yesterday and hopefully tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteWe are online at: http://generousgenealogists.com Join us, add your voice and expertise in helping others as well as yourself.