I joke that on Vashon, we all get dressed out of the same closet: Granny’s. Granny’s Attic is the greatest common denominator of island life, one of the strongest threads that binds our community together.

This summer, I joined the 1,000-plus other islanders who make this amazing organization live and breath. It’s one of the best volunteer jobs I’ve ever had.

What makes Granny’s so great? The people, the purpose and the proof that good intentions combined with lots of hard work can have a huge positive impact. If anyone has ever longed for a volunteer job that is meaningful, interesting and fast-paced, they should come on down and join the fun. Here’s what they can expect:

Your time won’t be wasted. There’s plenty of interesting work and volunteers feel part of the team right away. They can work as little as three hours a week. Granny’s flexible hours make it easy to find a schedule that will fit anyone’s needs.

Your opinion matters. You’ll be asked to weigh in on decisions about where the money goes, because Granny’s was set up so that the volunteers decide how the profits are distributed. There is no other organization on the island like it.

Room for advancement and new things to learn: Many volunteer jobs are dull, routine things, the kind of repetitive, boring work that can quickly become a chore. Not at Granny’s. There’s so much going on, so many new things to sort, price and stock. Every day I work there, I come home with a new appreciation of how amazing Granny’s is.

Those who have a few hours a week to spare won’t find a better or happier use for their time.

— CC Stone