Jane, a volunteer, was late in making her daily call to Micky, a disabled person living alone. Jane received a call from Micky who said, “You didn’t call this morning.” Jane replied, “Sorry, I was about to call.” To this Micky replied, “Then I will hang up and let you call back because if you don’t call the PHONE WON’T RING TODAY.”
Many individuals count on “their” volunteers for basic human contact, something we often don’t think about because it’s always there for us. Television and the Internet, although allowing much of the world in, can’t take the place of a person. We need someone to say our name, know our favorite song is, “Fly Me to the Moon,” and that we used to dance every Friday night at the club. We need people to know there was a time when we were young, vital, worked hard and at times in exciting jobs; that our spouse had the most beautiful eyes and had a goofy sense of humor. We need people to know that we laughed, cried, traveled the world, enjoyed intimacy, ran a business, farmed the land. We were once young, independent and didn’t need. Now we do.
Volunteering is an exchange. Today you may be the person with the ability to help, but tomorrow you may be the recipient of someone else’s volunteer effort. Even now you may be on both sides of the service cycle; maybe you deliver meals to isolated people, while last month when your house was on fire the volunteer fire department salvaged your home. Volunteering helps you know your community.
Who volunteers? Not only those who don’t work outside the home or those who have retired; but everyday working people with families and a full list of to-dos. Your neighbor may need someone to mow the lawn, or weed the flower bed. A call from you to find out if a person needs something from the store is always welcome.
Daybreak Adult Day Service is a local adult day care for persons 18 years and older with special needs who cannot be home alone. At this time our youngest client is 31 and our eldest client is 96. The need for human contact and individual attention increases as a person’s health declines. Each of our clients has an amazing past and has much to give and teach. An exchange might be an invitation into this person’s life for you and having a friend who cares, for them. The exchange may be that you both feel needed and contribute something to each other’s lives. There are other ways to volunteer at Daybreak. An exchange may be marketing or fundraising you do for us and the satisfaction of seeing its success for you. Or an exchange may be as an administrative assistant for us and the experience of working “on the inside” of a non-profit agency for you.
Silvia was yet again going to receive an accomplishment pin at yet another recognition ceremony. She grumbled and said, “I don’t know why they bother with things like that, I don’t need it.” Silvia’s next remark carried more importance than any pin or ceremony could ever recognize; “I like helping these people. Helping them makes me forget I’m dying of cancer.” Please volunteer. The exchange is AMAZING!
Kristi Huffman is director Daybreak Adult Day Service, 279-4592.
