ailyn

Volunteerism

Volunteerism is one of those things which does not cost much and yields many rewards. Volunteerism requires an ‘investment’ of time and Energy which produces profits beyond the investment. Volunteerism is the willingness to be of service which improves quality of life. Volunteerism is performing an act (or acts) of kindness, freely giving of one’s talent, time and energy without being motivated by financial gain. Volunteers may have special training such as rescuers, guides, teachers, etc. or may be unskilled and untrained. Volunteer acts may be a onetime event or may be reoccurring. A volunteer act may serve an individual, a community, an animal, or the environment. The benefits of Volunteerism are enjoyed both personally and professionally.

Personally, a volunteer act is most rewarding. One feels a sense of achievement and satisfaction. There is magic in the feeling of freely adding value. Ralph Waldo Emerson said it well, “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life that no person can sincerely try to help another without helping themselves”.

Volunteerism is a great way to teach values to children while being good for ‘family’ relationships. Doing a volunteer activity as a family is a good, shared experience for the whole family. Some believe that our modern society has lost the appreciation for the ‘value’ of service. Values are best taught by example, not lecture.

A great way to learn a new skill or behavior is through Volunteerism. If you are thinking of a career change, then volunteering is a perfect way to explore new occupations. In addition, many employers would prefer to hire a person who has volunteered over one who has not.

Etienne de Grellet (1773-1855) said, “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again”.

~ Loren D. Lasher

Kindness in Unexpected Places

Very heavy traffic on Highway One this evening on my bus ride from Jerusalem to Beit Shemesh. A couple of small children were making life very challenging for their parents.

A teenager approached the parents and asked if he could help. With the parents’ consent, the teen took the two small children to a part of the bus that was not as packed and played games with them.

They were entertained, they laughed, and certainly stopped the previous crying and complaining.

As the parents were about to get off the bus, they thanked the teen profusely, and noted that August is challenging for childcare. The teen, for his part, said that his August job had fallen through.

The teen and the parents exchanged phone numbers and said they would arrange babysitting. Thankfully, a couple of passengers on the bus said they knew the teen and could vouch for his good intentions.

So assuming the details can be worked out, the parents will now work a fuller schedule at their jobs with peace of mind about their children’s welfare over the coming month, and the teen had a summer job after all.

~ David Jablinowitz

A Journey of Kindness and Connection

My husband and I did a 3 month business working trip to South Africa, Scotland, Amsterdam, and London. While there, I started having terrible pain. Turned out, I needed ER Gallbladder removal surgery.

I went to a regional ER 2 hours outside of London and next minute, I’m being transferred to the major teaching hospital in London. My husband had no idea where they took me and I was in completely unfamiliar country and public hospital system.

I was getting moved from one room with 6 beds to another to another. Due to the extreme pain, I convinced the doctor to operate to remove my gallbladder at 10pm that night.

I had an elderly woman with dementia in bed next to me in this 6 bed room. Busy hospital, short staffed, and majority were elderly patients. I was in so much pain and put in a bed next to an elderly patient with dementia. She had beady eyes so she made me a bit uncomfortable. She would just stare at me.

Being a carer-type of person and due to lack of nursing staff, the elderly female patients were getting emotional and anxious. So, I was getting all the other 5 ladies out of chairs they’d been sitting in all day, settled into their beds, ensuring they were given their proper meds, and fed 1 hour after surgery. Me, Superwoman, up caring for and calming down the other ladies less than 1 hour out of surgery. I forget I’m humble sometimes.

When I went to get the woman in bed next to mine with dementia into her bed, for 3-5 minutes, she was coherent. I got her situated in her bed and asked her if she needed anything? She looked at me and said “You are kind”.

Touched my heart. I will never forget it. The way she said it and just her awareness for that one moment.

The male recovery nurse, who cared for me when I was coming out of anesthesia after surgery that night, he was telling me as he was trying to wake me up, that his desire and dream was to work 6 months in London to earn money, then go to war torn country, I’m sure it was Israel, to work with children in hospitals to showcase to them that not all people mean harm. 

After returning to my bed, I never saw him again nor remember providing him any of my contact details.

4 months after returning to Australia from our working trip, I receive an email from him. He said he arrived in country and was in airport lost and a gentleman approached him to ask if he needed assistance?

He wrote to tell me that he thought of me in that exact moment. He accompanied his message with a photo of him in a hospital with 2 young boys sitting on his lap.

He was making a positive difference to the lives of these children through his actions of service and kindness. He was being a Kindness Ambassador.

God is good! Kindness matters! And, I learned and promote it every where I go all because of our connection.

~ Ann Murdoch-Brown