Hi to all of you! This month, our writing team decided to send you a letter from all of us about how we feel about volunteering and what it brings into our lives.
From Kim:
Hi friends! I was smiling from ear to ear when I read in your letter that you are all being trained and learning about volunteering. It's wonderful that you are discovering how important it is to help others. You are so lucky that Tesfa, Kal, the psychologist and Mekdelawit are teaching you about how amazing it can be to volunteer and help other people. By learning these skills, you are not only making a difference in other people's lives, but you're also growing as kind, caring individuals. Volunteering teaches you how to work together, be thoughtful, and understand how your actions can brighten someone else's day. Keep up the amazing work—you are all doing something very special and making the world a better place!
When I was a teacher, I used to enjoy volunteering to coach Cross Country running. Cross Country running means running long distances (like 2 kilometres). Students would come to practice their running and then we would drive to competitions where they would run against students from other schools in our area. I used to stand at the finish line when students were racing, and I would cheer loudly as our students finished their races.
I used to love volunteering to coach Cross Country running because it gave me the chance to help students push themselves and reach their goals. Watching my students train hard and then seeing the excitement and pride on their faces when they finished their races was one of the best feelings ever. It wasn’t just about winning; it was about each runner giving their best effort, no matter how fast or slow they were. Seeing them cross the finish line, knowing they had worked hard, made me feel proud and happy inside.
How do you feel inside after volunteering and helping others? Do you feel happy, proud, or maybe even excited to make a difference? Volunteering can make your heart feel full because you're doing something kind for someone else. After you volunteer, take a moment to think about how you feel inside—it's a great way to see just how powerful your actions can be! Maybe you can tell a friend how it feels inside when you volunteer.
From Megan:
Hello to all of our friends! I get such a warm feeling in my heart when I hear about the volunteering that you have been doing at the shelter, at school and in your community! Doesn’t it feel good to support other people?? You are all setting amazing examples for your friends and classmates and even the adults around you!! I am so happy to see the Volunteer of the Month news and sending big congrats to each of you working hard to make a difference for other people by volunteering.
I love volunteer work because I like to meet people and remind myself of the things that are important in life. You get a new perspective and have a stronger purpose when you are a volunteer! I love volunteering with my Canadian friends for Hearts for Ethiopia, and I love volunteering in the summer with a sports league for children that have disabilities. Our friends started that group, and it has grown from 12 children to more than 80!! Do you see people in Harar who have disabilities and may not be able to run and jump and do the things that you do because of physical differences or mental challenges? We love making sure that children who have different abilities in our city can still play sports!!!
When I was younger, I used to go into a nursing home - that’s what we call a home for older people who aren’t able to live on their own - to play board games. I met some very special people and was able to listen to their stories, share games and jokes, and have some nice moments.
I believe that when you are privileged in life you should share those benefits and joys with others. That’s why I like to volunteer in different ways. I have the blessing of a safe home, loving family, a body that can move and skip and jump, a job that covers my needs and more - so I feel it is a requirement to try to help other people find joy and safety and have their needs met, too. We have a phrase we use in our organization, sharing your “time and talents,” so it’s good to remember there are many ways to volunteer and give back. You can spend time, you can share your skills, you can donate and make great projects possible by giving money.
Volunteering means different things to different people, but I hope you are discovering that it is a very joyful experience and a window into new opportunities. You are making us all SO proud with the ways you are helping your friends, classmates, brothers and sisters, and adults who help you at the shelter.
From Patti:
I learned to become a volunteer from my parents, so it’s been a part of my life for a long time. I learned by example. That is why we are so proud of you children for setting an example for others around you to follow. Our family’s motto has always been, “if there’s work to be done, then get up and get it done.” None of my family shy away from hard work because of that motto, even when the work does not pay a wage. Volunteer work pays us in different ways.
Sometimes my volunteer work actually directly benefits me, like when I volunteered in the church kitchen. We got to sneak a taste of the snacks before they were set out for the rest of the church members, and sometimes it was hard to remember to leave enough for the other members because the treats were so good. Sometimes my volunteer work benefits others more than it benefits me, like the work I do for Hearts for Ethiopia. No matter where the benefits lie, all my volunteer work makes me feel proud, reminds me that I am a helpful person, and fills my heart with joy because all of it is just a way to demonstrate love. Volunteer work is a way to give a big hug to people you sometimes don’t even see. I feel hugged by your volunteer writing team at the shelter every time we receive a letter. That’s a good feeling.
From Lisa:
I have more time to volunteer now that I am retired, although I have always tried to give some of my time to causes that are important to me. I have volunteered on a number of Boards and Committees for various agencies over the years. Being a Board or Committee member is important work, as you help to ensure that the organization is operating properly, making good decisions, and spending money appropriately. However, the most meaningful volunteer opportunities I have had have been ones where I was able to interact directly with the people who were receiving the needed service. Whether those people are children who need a free breakfast before school so that they won't be hungry during the school day, or a family that is experiencing financial difficulties and other traumatic circumstances, I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of -- even if it is a small part -- providing them with the help they need.
Almost everyone at some point is going to experience hardships -- either financial, physical, or emotional. Those of us with people in our lives who love and support us will usually be better able to deal with hardships. Without those supports, dealing with hardship can be very scary and lonely. The friend, family member, or volunteer may not be able to make the person's hardships disappear, but we can at least let them know that they are cared for and that they have more people in their lives than they realize who they can turn to for help, support, and encouragement.
Feeding a child a breakfast before they start their school day may not be a big action, but it's not just the food that is important. It is also the warm smile, the "good morning" greeting, and wishing them a good day at school as they walk out the door that makes them feel noticed and not quite so alone and invisible.
Small kindnesses matter. We are all capable of making a difference in other people's lives, even if what we do seems to be so small.
From Grandma:
Volunteering for me, helping others is what makes life meaningful, enjoyable, and fulfilling. I have found that when I spend more time thinking of others and helping others than I think of myself, I am a happier person.
My volunteering started when I was young like you. When you start volunteering at an early age, it just becomes a normal part of your life and something that you miss if you are not giving to and caring for others.
I have been a Sunday School teacher, a youth leader in the church and organized socials for teen girls, I took my dogs into a home for the elderly once a week for years to visit with old people who were lonely, I was a “Big Sister” to a girl from the time she was 9 until she was 18 and we would spend 4 hours together every week doing fun activities and I taught her different life skills and encouraged her to believe in herself and to be confident. Very recently, I became a “mentor” to a girl who is 11. I spend one hour with her every week in her school. She doesn’t have many friends, and she has some challenges that make life difficult for her. She really likes baking together and we have made cupcakes and cookies. She tells me she really likes spending time together and I can tell by her smile and her enthusiasm that our visits are helping her to feel special. Do you know what, she makes me feel special too because she shows me that our time together is meaningful to her.
I have had other volunteer roles in my life and all of those roles have not only helped other people, they helped me because helping others gives my life purpose, helping others fills my heart and has given me the opportunity to meet and get to know children and adults who became very special to me.
About 18 years ago, a retired pastor I knew was suffering with cancer. I offered to help him and his wife by driving them to the hospital for treatments, making meals for them and just showing that I cared. As he became sicker and had to go and live in a care facility, I visited him and also did things with his wife to show her care. That man’s wife (Lois) and I became very close friends and although she was 38 years older than me, I consider her to have been one of my best friends. The blessing of helping her husband was a beautiful friendship with Lois. I was with her in the hospital when she died, and she asked me to speak at her funeral. We truly loved each other.
I did not know that when I adopted Julia that I would start a whole new life that included two sons (Tilahun and Tesfa), two daughters-in-law and 96 grandchildren (all of you and Christina and Nati)! When I was in Ethiopia to bring Julia home to Canada, I saw the needs of women and children and I felt that God asked me to do what I could to help. Choosing to respond to the needs I saw has not only helped women and children in Ethiopia, but it has also given me blessings that I could never have imagined!! The love I feel for all of you and the love you give back to me is a gift that has no monetary value. You cannot put a dollar amount on love, can you?
What I have learned from volunteering is that happiness does not come from money, happiness does not come from having things, happiness and joy comes from giving of yourself to help others and we can all do that in the ways we are able.
I am so proud of each of you who has volunteered already to help those around you who are in need!!
I absolutely love the creativity, sensitivity, care and compassion you are showing. Each of you who has already volunteered is setting a beautiful example for other children and adults!
I want to ask you a few questions:
Can you think of someone you know who is lonely?
Can you think of someone who is sad?
Can you think of someone who needs a friend?
Can you think of someone who needs help?
Now that you have thought of a person or more than one person, I have a few more questions for you:
Is there something you can do to help that person?
Is there something you would like to do but need help from someone else?
If you need help from someone else to help the person you have thought of, please talk to Tesfa so he can help you.
When I come and see you again, I will be so excited to hear about your volunteer work and to learn how you feel about helping others. I will share your feelings about helping others with Kim, Megan, Lisa and Patti. They will also be very interested in hearing about your volunteer work and how you feel.