Very Healthy

One joy of small-town life is when a local effort bears fruit. This month, 35 teenagers completed a term in the Westhampton War Memorial Junior Ambulance, and many of the high school students will parlay that experience into college studies in medicine or related fields, and some will join the ambulance corps as full members this summer — a time when help is desperately needed.

Founded by former resident Mary Post, the junior ambulance program in Westhampton has grown under the leadership of Glenn Dorskin, Chris Isola and Patty Ziparo-Dalton. They’ve taken Ms. Post’s vision and expanded it, giving dozens of high school students a taste of running with the ambulance. That’s beneficial for the teens — “Some thought they were into it and found out it wasn’t for them, and for some who weren’t that into it, it became their passion,” Mr. Isola noted — but it’s also essential for keeping the ambulance corps healthy and adequately staffed.

Volunteers are all to be lauded, but there’s special praise for two kinds: those who use their experience to bring others into the fold, and young people who are willing to devote precious time and energy to these causes. This is an effort filled with both, and it’s a source of great pride.