Reflecting on Volunteering: A Triple Win
Image details: Definition of a volunteer on yellow background: Agent of change. (What’s your definition?)
This morning, I decided to hit the pause button on my original post and take a different path— a path that acknowledges there are many tired, hurting, scared, and overwhelmed hearts right now for so many different reasons. My heart feels the immensity of this moment, too. My hands and feet are wondering what to do next when my mouth doesn’t have the words. Where can what the world needs, others need and I have to offer collide to result in a win, win, win?
So today, I’d like to reflect on what our hearts feel called to do and how our hands and feet can respond.
What can keep our hearts open, each other refueled, and have no financial cost but big benefits in many other ways?
Volunteering. Being of service to others.
In yesterday’s interview with Natalie Lu (If you missed it— we’ve got you— the link is at the bottom of this post) one of her wishes for communities is to volunteer. By volunteering, it allows us to slow down and and notice how we can be of service, experience something we may be less familiar with and if we were to sum it up in one word— it is a path to Natalie’s personal mission— connection. [1]
As we reflect on what this week has taught us and brought us, as well as what we can do with that— there is the opportunity to notice where we can serve and connect. Here are a few possibilities to get us started.
Please feel free to add your ideas— we just might help people get to the places they didn’t even know they were looking for or that such places exist.
1) Try this— each day, make a deal with yourself and the world around you to notice where you can be of service and act on it— it may come in the form of seeing an animal in need of assistance, someone at a store or on the side of the road who could use help, a fundraiser online, an opportunity to provide food, shelter, or kindness or more. What happens when we commit to notice where we can serve in kindness and compassion and act on that?
2) Make a phone call, schedule a visit or send a letter/card/note— who might benefit from connecting today? Perhaps a military member, veteran or their families, immigrants, family or friends, your mail carriers, community organizers, people who are sick, overworked, or isolated— or anyone your heart feels a nudge to reach out to connect.
3) Looking for inspiration of finding a more regular volunteering opportunity? Check out this website out of Colorado for opportunities or inspiration. The statistics around the benefits speak for themselves. Over 90% of volunteers say volunteering enriches their sense of purpose, improves their mood, and they feel they are helping make their communities a better place. Not only that— benefits around mental health, reducing stress levels, overall health, and more.
They offer in person and virtual opportunities, including mailing “kynd kits” to your home to assemble. Opportunities are for anyone— for individuals and organizations and you can choose the type of kits you’d like to focus on creating. To learn more, follow the link below.
https://projecthelping.org/benefits-of-volunteering/
There are so many opportunities to volunteer and serve— the needs are great and our possibilities to discover how to best use our gifts are abundant as well.
Where do you feel the tug to serve and connect with compassion and kindness?
Link to Natalie Lu’s Interview about connection, volunteering and more
[1] https://solidagovc.com/blog/natalie-lu-refueling-by-trying-new-things-during-trying-times
