S is for Service-Deepening Connections through Volunteering
“Only a life lived for others is worth living.”~Albert Einstein
“No Act of Kindness no matter how small is ever wasted.”~Aesop
Serving people and giving back to the community is equally beneficial for everyone. It allows you-the doer of good deeds-the OPPORTUNITY to show kindness, help those in need, and the chance to deepen your understanding of others. As a mother of three young adult children, I have tried to instill the importance of community service from the time they were very young. Volunteering has been part of our family and has taken many forms: Donating toys & clothes to the Angel tree at Christmas, filling new backpacks filled with socks and supplies, donating canned goods to various outreaches, mission trips to repair homes, build ramps, and paint homes in severe need, building and painting cubbies for a preschool and serving Thanksgiving meal at a soup kitchen were some of the ways we served as a family giving back to our community.
For a few years, I volunteered for a women and children outreach. I created classroom murals, painted a dedication door for a beloved volunteer, tutored children, helped plan events, and raise auction items for the gala fundraiser event. My most cherished contribution was the rock garden at the entrance of the facility. The entrance was a bare patch that needed some TLC. I presented my idea of creating a Rock Garden from the theme of the children’s book, Only One You. By obtaining donations from a local landscape company and enlisting my husband and two sons, we transformed a once bare area into a colorful, welcoming area. The rocks in the “river” were hand-painted with inspirational quotes, words, pictures by women and children who obtain services. The Rock garden is a tangible tribute to the facilities success of helping women and children. The sign I constructed and painted stands in the rock garden. It’s a quote from the book. “There’s only one you, in this great big world, make the world a better place”. Hopefully when others see that, they are inspired to give back.
The benefits of Volunteering are two-fold: helping others offers vital help to people and community in need, but as a volunteer, you reap benefits as well. Making new connections with people, strengthens ties in your community, learn a new skill are some social benefits. The physical benefits of giving back to others helps to reduces personal stress and anxiety, keeps you mentally stimulated, and instills a sense of purpose and fulfillment to your life. Having regular social contact with others helps to develop a support system and protect you against depression. Humans are hard-wired to give to others and by doing so we feel happier, gives a sense of pride and keeps you physically active.
I’ve always tried to teach my children this lesson from my children’s book, A-Z For Me! Life Skills for Kids. “By doing one act of service, your kindness will spread outward like ripples in the water. Your good deed may affect others in ways YOU may never see. Be a good citizen and encourage your friends to volunteer. Your actions will inspire others to make a difference too.”
Share your skills. Look for opportunities as a family and individually. What causes are important to you? Think about if you prefer to work with adults, children, animals. Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team? How much time do you want to volunteer, daily, weekly, monthly? Visit the organization to get a feel for it first. Reach out into your community and find ways to dedicate some of your time and talents. You won’t regret it.
Listed below are some places to start:
VolunteerMatch – Find opportunities that match your volunteer interests, from location to type of work. (VolunteerMatch)
National and Community Service – Federal organization offering volunteer positions across the U.S. (National Service)
Volunteer – Directory of environmental volunteer opportunities. (Volunteer.gov)
U.S. Peace Corps – Offers volunteer opportunities overseas and includes a 50 Plus division. (Peace Corps)
American Red Cross – Volunteer in any of the Red Cross’s key service areas. (Red Cross)