Community services often rely on volunteers. Teachers tend to have a fantastic set of skills to pitch in and help. I’ve had a few different volunteer jobs over the years and I’ve also had times when there was absolutely no time to volunteer for my community.
Volunteering can be something where working with children is all fun and games. There are local organizations in my community that work with children with all kinds of needs. I’ve seen people volunteering with kids who need help downhill skiing. There are volunteers who help students learn musical instruments or singing. There are volunteers who take kids on nature walks and other outdoor pursuits. Of course there are also opportunities to coach various sports or artistic endeavors. But teachers do not have to volunteer with children. Our skills transfer to all kinds of folks.
At times in my life when I couldn’t volunteer on a regular basis, I would sometimes clean up garbage around local parks. Just taking a few minutes to help can make a big difference. I would notice the litter when taking our dog or children to the local park or beach. Some of those volunteer efforts gave the whole family a chance to pitch in.
Working with adults has volunteer possibilities as well. I play a little bit of guitar, just enough to sound impressive to kindergarten children, but I’ve decided to work on it a little more and play during a sing-along time with a local group of adults. Some of the folks in this group have issues with their health and/or have very little income. They attend this group to have a sense of community, share some snacks, sing some songs, and play a game of bingo where everyone gets a prize. It’s a wonderful place to make friends.
Maintaining the work/life balance can be tricky and sometimes volunteering needs to take a backseat. A break from volunteering had to occur whenever I needed to focus on my physical or mental health. There were also times when my commitments to family and work outweighed my ability to volunteer.
I’m at a stage in life that gives me more time for volunteering than I’ve ever had before and I’m grateful for the opportunities. There are so many ways to volunteer and help our communities be wonderful places to live. Hospitals, nursing homes, arts classes and recreation programs are just a few places where we can meet like-minded people. We can’t always give our time but let’s keep an open mind for the right time to lend a hand.
Happy Volunteering,
(When the time is right)
Brenda
