Volunteering is for all ages
Reena was a regular volunteer at the Food Bank near her home. In fact, she was now a veteran at that place, one of the oldest volunteers. Reena started volunteering at the age of 16 and has been an active participant at the Foodbank ever since.
Being a management professional working at an MNC, and a mom of 2 kids never hampered her volunteering spirit, even when she was tired and felt stretched due to her hectic routine.
One day, her neighbor commented, “Reena why don’t you stop working at that Foodbank, you have a stable job and I doubt this mere volunteering will have any impact on your resume. After all, you are not a superwoman and volunteering is what retirees are supposed to do”.
Reena was used to hearing such comments from her friends and neighbors. She laughed and asked her, “Why is volunteering only for retired people? We all live in this society and are impacted by what goes around us. Volunteering is a way for us to control and work on topics and things we are passionate about. And, when volunteering opportunities are matched correctly as per the age group, it is no longer tiring but instead becomes a way to rejuvenate ourselves”.
And, that’s how volunteering should be:
- It should be for a cause or thing we are passionate about
- It should be well matched with the capabilities of a person and his/her age
Reena’s whole family volunteered at different organizations.
Her husband is a manager with good connections and is often involved in the fundraising activities of different NGOs. Her son, who was a football player during high school now volunteers as a coach for underprivileged children, while her daughter volunteers as a social media manager raising awareness around girl child. Reena’s mother-in-law volunteers as a music teacher, while her father-law sits on the board of an NGO and helps plan strategies for upliftment and development of on-risk youths. In fact, her in-laws were the one who supported Reena in her journey as a volunteer at the Food bank, and helped her expand that single food bank to 10 different cities till now.
They understood the importance of giving back to the society and personality development that comes with volunteering, and wished to inculcate those values and morals in their future generation.
So, if you ever think that you are too young, busy or old for volunteering — step back and think again. It is quite possible that you have just not found the cause you are passionate about or the right manner in which you can volunteer. Because volunteering is for all ages!!
Do you agree with us that volunteering is for all ages? Join our volunteering community to promote the culture of volunteering across all ages by signing up as a volunteer. Visit www.connectfor.org to find out more and begin your volunteering journey today!
