Volunteering: Opening Your Heart to Benefit Those Who Need Your Help

As Morgan Stanley celebrates its 10th annual Global Volunteer Month, employees across the globe are continuing to exemplify the firm’s core value of Giving Back. Volunteering is not isolated solely to the month of June, but something that employees embrace all year round.

Bill Shinners, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, shares some of the reasons he volunteers on a regular basis, and how he has seen Morgan Stanley’s commitment to the community take shape over his twenty five years with the firm.

What does volunteerism mean to you?
“Volunteerism allows me to share my time and talents with worthwhile causes. It means opening your heart and mind to benefit those who need your help. Volunteering allows me to step outside of my life to see life through different eyes. There is no better feeling than putting a smile on someone’s face while seeing a thank you in their eyes.”

What cause or organization inspires you to volunteer and give back? Why?
“As a firm, Morgan Stanley embraces Giving Back through the philanthropic efforts of the Morgan Stanley Foundation. One of the pillars of the foundation’s work is children’s health, as can be seen by the foundation’s longstanding support of New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital is currently my biggest inspiration for volunteering. As a member of the Family Advisory Council, I have the unique opportunity to see the groundbreaking work and advancements being done there. And most importantly, the hospital is all about the kids and their families. Each year, our complex hosts four different events (a baseball event, a Pirate Party, and Halloween and Holiday Parties). At each event we dress up in costumes and hold a party at the hospital while also making numerous bedside visits. Our eighth Pirate Day will take place this August.”

What is your earliest volunteering memory?
“My first volunteer experience was with Special Olympics when I was 14 years old. Believe it or not, it was five of us Little Leaguers who decided to volunteer. One of my teammates’ cousins was scheduled to participate and he asked us to go to cheer him on. The five of us were so energized by the event that we asked to help volunteer and did so the rest of the day. We actually went back each year for the next four years as a group, and I continued to volunteer through college and still do today, including this month at the Summer Games of New Jersey.”

How do you encourage others to volunteer?
“I don’t encourage anyone to volunteer, I simply ask. I believe that people see my heartfelt enthusiasm and commitment to help people and it becomes contagious. We share one’s passions for other’s needs.”

What message or advice would you give to those who want to get involved in volunteerism?
“What are you waiting for? Open your heart, give of your time.”

For more information about the Morgan Stanley’s dedication to service, please visit our site and follow the #MSGivesBack hashtag to stay up-to-date on the impact our people are making in their communities around the world. Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 43 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.