An Introduction to Volunteering

Rose was a huge baseball fan and adored the New York Mets. She always said the team was not the same since they traded Tom Seaver, and each time I saw her we would gripe about the team's place in the standings. I met Rose when I started volunteering at a nursing home as a seventh grader. She was very thin and confined to a wheelchair, but she was always smiling. That's what was so special about Rose - she was always in a great mood.

My school had a program that required you to contribute your time to a volunteer organization. At first this didn't sound like the most thrilling opportunity, but then again, I hadn't met Rose! It was almost as if I had a new grandparent. Each Tuesday and Thursday I looked forward to the walk from school to the nursing home. I would always stop at a candy store and buy a pack of baseball cards hoping I would get some Mets so I could give them to Rose. This was my introduction to volunteering and it is something I still really love.

Start 'em young
Volunteering for community service can be tremendously valuable for kids. Just ask Nathaniel Richards, a 17 year-old high school student, who started volunteering through a school program in seventh grade and has been hooked ever since. One of his favorite programs was the refurbishing of a local playground. He and his fellow volunteers re-sodded the grass, painted hopscotch courts on the asphalt, and helped erect a new swing set. When a woman came up and told him what a great job he was doing, he realized how rewarding helping others can be. "When you help someone in need, you feel pretty good about yourself. Plus, you're doing a service. And it's a good way to make friends." Nathaniel and his friends go back and fix up that playground once a year.

Because Nathaniel's school offered a volunteer program, he learned certain things you cannot teach in a classroom. Diana Bohmer, a youth mentor at a Boston church, encourages children to volunteer. "Volunteering puts kids face to face with the reality of poverty, homelessness, and hunger. You just don't get that in a social studies class. I can say after working with some of these kids that volunteering gives them self confidence and teaches them compassion."

Charity begins at home
Volunteering can be a super family activity. One of our FamilyEducation Network members wrote to me and explained how parents and their children went around cleaning up the graffiti in their neighborhood. She admitted that finding the time was tough, but after she and her family cleaned their block, they caught the volunteer bug. When they donated their time to a homeless shelter, there was a little apprehension about what to expect. But once they got their assignment of doling out the food and making sure people were comfortable, the experience "grabbed them completely." They have already signed up to volunteer at the shelter again.

Christmas spirit in July
It's easy to feel generous when you hear those Salvation Army bells ringing, or see boxes of canned goods during seasonal food drives. The truth is volunteer work is needed every day, not just at Christmas. There are so many organizations that need your time. So get out there and start coaching little league or teaching a crafts class! If you do, you'll see how great it is to brighten someone's day.

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