Empathy Makes a World of Difference
Volunteering is not just about meeting targets. Yes, the outreach efforts may have specific goals. But there are chatty seniors who love to engage in a conversation, to speak about their interests (i.e. gardening) or even what they used to do for a living.
By all means, be empathetic, stay put and listen. In fact, what I found is that they would be more open to listening to what you have to say as well!
Volunteering can be physically demanding, especially when you’re doing house visits. Thus, it is really important to build a good rapport with those working with you.
Some tips include being clear about your respective roles and responsibilities. Are you the one engaging the resident and sharing more information? Or are you the one taking down case notes? Agreeing to your duties in advance would make your volunteering experience a more productive and fruitful one.
From this experience, I learnt the importance of having a groundswell of community support to uplift vulnerable groups, deliver critical services and meet citizens’ many complex needs.
Making a Difference
This was the second time I have taken part in a COVID-19 related operation. The first was in 2020 when I took on the role of a call centre personnel.
Before that, I had been volunteering actively in the youth mentoring space. So I was game to serve a different community group confronting a different set of challenges and realities amid the evolving COVID-19 situation.
And this latest experience has been especially meaningful. It has inspired me to seize future opportunities to step up as a volunteer to engage senior citizens.
If you are looking to contribute to a meaningful community cause, I would definitely recommend it. You would be surprised by the immeasurable value you can bring to and receive from communities from all walks of life.