In risk management, the response to an accident or other kind of loss often is the key to how quickly and how well the organization can resume normal operations…and in some cases, whether it can resume at all. I thought about this as I sat with 4,000 other attendees at Points of Light’s recent Conference on Volunteering and Service, and listened to J. R. Martinez tell the story of how he went from the soldier in a burning Humvee in Iraq to the man he is today — inspirational speaker,  author, radio host and activist for organizations dedicated to helping military veterans and burn victims. Many know Martinez best as the winner of the season 13 “Dancing With the Stars” competition, but there is much more to the man, and he credits the setback  he had ten years ago for the success and influence he is having now.

 

 

In the midst of what would be a three-year recovery (including 33 surgeries) at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Martinez said he wondered every day what he would do with the rest of his life, now that he no longer would be a soldier. He could not find a purpose. Then one day a nurse asked if he would visit another soldier, another burn victim, who had become withdrawn. He agreed, and in the conversation with that fellow veteran, Martinez not only gained an appreciation for his own recovery prospects, he discovered that he had a gift for communication and encouragement. Soon, the purpose for the next phase of his life became clear – showing others the value of making the most of every situation. Now he is doing that, on multiple platforms, reaching multiple audiences – including the 4,000 professionals at the Conference on Volunteering and Service, who make the most of their own situations and help their clients do the same, through the organizations in which they serve.

 

 

“I discovered it is what is inside a person that matters most, and I wouldn’t change anything…absolutely anything!” Martinez says.  He is a great example of turning a loss into a gain — a gain for others as well as himself.

 

Also noteworthy at the Conference on Volunteering and Service – the launch of One America (www.one-america.org), in which pairs of rivals are being recruited to work together to promote volunteerism. You can nominate rivals yourself if you want.

 

 

- See more at: http://www.volunteerinsure.org/2013/07/01/a-point-of-light-the-j-r-martinez-story/#sthash.XgXkpS7I.dpuf 

 

 

About the Author

William Henry is executive director of Volunteers Insurance Service Association, Inc., (an AL!VE Partner) a risk purchasing group that makes insurance programs and risk management services available to private-sector nonprofit organizations and public entities that engage volunteers, in every state and the District of Columbia. He is editor of VIS Connections, a quarterly risk management publication for volunteer managers and other senior nonprofit executives, and a frequent speaker on managing the accident and liability risks of volunteer engagement. - See more at: http://www.volunteerinsure.org/2013/07/01/a-point-of-light-the-j-r-martinez-story/#sthash.AvW92Dpr.dpuf

Published: 08/13/13