You’ve Got to Give A Little
Earlier in the week, we mentioned that it’s National Volunteer Week. And in keeping with that theme, I thought I’d share a story from my past volunteering experiences that has always stuck with me.
At some point during my teen years, I caught the volunteer bug. I don’t know how it happened or why it happened, all I know is that the drive and desire to give my time to others was something I felt drawn to do. I know it didn’t come from my family because they actually couldn’t understand why I’d spend so much time “working for free.” I was kind of floored that I constantly had to defend my interest for helping others, but it never stopped me from doing it. In fact, I took it a few steps further and earned a degree in social work. I spent years working with local nonprofits and the government to try to do some good in the world.
Whether I actually helped anyone is up for debate, but there have been a few key moments in my volunteering history that have never left me. Many, many years ago, I volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House with a group from my high school. We signed up to cook lunch for the kids and their families and after lunch we took a tour of the house and spent some time with the kids. During our time there, I became fast friends with a little boy from Iraq who was in Houston for cancer treatment. He couldn’t have been more than 5 years old, but he had more life in him than I have ever had in my 33 years on this planet.
Since I spoke some Arabic, (though he did make fun of me for not being fluent) we were able to communicate fairly well and he had no problem taking the lead and dictating our afternoon activities. We looked at books, played games and just talked. Once our time with the kids was over, I found it really hard to say goodbye to my new friend. I made a promise to him that I couldn’t keep. I promised that I’d return to see him one day soon. I did return many years later as a more active volunteer, but I always regretted making a commitment I knew deep down I wouldn’t be able to honor.
Spending that one afternoon with the families at the RMH proved to me that even a few hours can make a real difference in someone’s life. Sometimes connections don’t take a lifetime to form—sometimes it only takes a few moments to form the kind of bond that lasts forever.
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I remember volunteering to teach Church School to 1st graders when I was in high school; boy was that a workout–but I wouldn’t trade those times for anything. Those kids were so great!
Ann Odle recently posted..Baby GoodBuys Give Aways
I think that’s a great example of how we can all do something right now with who we are, rather than waiting for some milestone in our lives that would make us more “ready.” I think I’ve always felt I need to wait but I need to find something I can do to help now.
Stacia Rogan recently posted..Vineyards at Southpoint