On Volunteering

I've had a few good stories to tell from my recent weeks of teaching! Friday was one of the kids' birthdays at the Family Center (the homeless shelter where I teach twice a week), and her mom was really concerned that she wouldn't be able to have a good birthday because they were living at the shelter. Well, one of the parents at the girl's school found out about their situation and provided the obligatory cupcakes and balloons for her school party, in fact the exact same cupcakes the girl's mom had seen and wished she could buy! So her birthday at school was still fun and she didn't have to stick out as the only kid who didn't bring a treat for her birthday.

In the afternoon at the Family Center, we planned a "surprise party" for her, and had a teacher take her out into the hall for a talk while the rest of us hid and hung up a few streamers. It wasn't a big deal really, but when every kid jumped out and yelled "SURPRISE!" for her, she smiled so much that her face looked sore! For a half hour, the kids ate cake and sang along to the CD my boss had put in - a cheesy set of kids' songs that normally would have disgusted these oh-so-cool elementary students, but that day they were all singing along to "If You're Happy and You Know It." The girl's brother, especially, was enthusiastic about singing, and usually he just sits in a corner and glares at everyone. Seeing him be such a kid warmed my heart!

After the party, the birthday girl's mom told us how much she appreciated that her daughter's special day was a good one, despite their family's circumstances. She then revealed that the girl was less than 3 pounds at birth, and the doctors had said she wouldn't live to see the birthday that we celebrated. Doctors had even predicted that, in the off-chance she did survive that many years, she would be so severely disabled as to not really function. Well, this girl does have some developmental delays, but she is educated in a mainstream school and plays just like any of the other kids! I was so happy that we teachers got to be a part of her important milestone.

Even though my service is sometimes trying, it's still what I'd most like to be doing each day. I really think everybody should volunteer, not because it makes you a good person or anything like that, but because it will make you happy! People have this conception that "service" or "volunteer work" has to suck, like digging ditches or ladling soup to creepy old men. Hey, if that's what you like to do, then go for it, but personally I just like playing games with kids and taking photos for Habitat for Humanity. The practice I get as a volunteer photographer is worth more than any benefit the organization gets from my photos, so it doesn't really feel like I'm doing anything selfless.

So, my advice is - think about what you love, then volunteer to do it! I love photography, and I've found many opportunities to do my hobby in a way that can help nonprofit organizations. If you love numbers and the challenge of budgeting, volunteer to teach one of the money management classes offered to the low-income community! If you love cuddling kittens, go cuddle them at a no-kill animal shelter and help socialize abandoned kittens for their future owners. If you love babies, be a foster parent and say you can only keep infants. If you loved the excitement of applying to college, mentor a kid who is the first in their family to apply to a university. Service doesn't have to suck!

If you're still confused about how to volunteer AND have fun doing it, leave a comment for me and I bet I can hook you up with a fun opportunity that fits your interests.