Volunteering Refreshes Your Soul
“Give back” activities have been a part of my life for many years, especially after I became a dad. School and church activities and involvement with friends, families and neighbors drove a lot of this. My love of animals drove many financial contributions, as shelters and animal rights groups typically get fewer and smaller donations (this, fortunately, may have changed in recent years). Other contributions to different causes such as St. Jude’s followed suit, and I felt that lending financial and physical support to my family I helped my wife and kids as they undertook local charitable efforts or church trips. I did some myself and had fun as well as supporting a group’s efforts. But it is really only in retirement that the sweetness of helping others or getting involved in a cause has really improved the quality of my own life and also helped me help others.
The opening of the food bank warehouse in Lake Forest was a great opportunity. I love the fellow volunteers I have met there, and the need is so great! I have met immigrants, disabled kids there as part of a group, fellow seniors from the area, and even high school kids and college students from Lake Forest College.
Less dramatically, an opportunity came up when I got a mailer from the Friends of the Lake Forest Library seeking volunteers to help with the annual book sale. I was a floater helping giving directions and advice or restocking shelves, and one day I staffed the desk and tables where people kept their purchases before checking out. What fun. I helped an elderly lady find a book called Being Mortal, a book about aging, decline, death and hospice, that looked so good I bought a copy myself. It is an important book. My fellow volunteers were seniors, many of whom had volunteered for years, as well as younger adults, and high school and college kids. What a blast! Definitely doing this year after year. I feel I’m promoting literacy and also helping people up close and personal…
Lectoring at church, participating in a men’s group, showing up in person and participating remotely for a prayer circle round out some recent activities, each one of which I enjoy.
What is the next opportunity? I honestly don’t know. None of the above have resonated with me as a day-to-day, full-time mission. Perhaps one of them will some day or I will engage with something new. I’m looking. Or perhaps, I’m seeking.