I was very blessed while growing up. Through school, church, the Girl Scouts and other organizations, I was given a plethora of opportunities to volunteer in the broader community. From bakes sales to raise money for charities, to painting the walls at an aging retirement home I had ample opportunities to connect with people, feel good about myself, and at least for a fleeting moment, think that I have made a difference.
However now that I am working, I’m finding it much harder to give back. Sure, I can donate a few dollars to a charity or religious organization, but as my mom always told me “time is way more valuable than money… anyone can donate money (even if it’s a small amount) but few people donate your time.” You see, donating time requires real commitment. It takes dedication to determine what skills you have to offer, what organization(s) or causes can benefit from those skills, and how to fit the donation of your time into your busy schedule. I’m in no way saying that donating money is wrong or not needed, because as anyone with NGO can attest – not-for-profits always welcome and are in need of donations. Rather, I’m arguing that to really give of yourself, to really make a difference, donating your time and skills can make a bigger impact – especially in your own life.
For the average person, when you donate money you may take some time to research where you want to donate. However, once the money is transferred, most people quickly forget that they even donated, and rarely if ever check up to see what their money resulted in. When you donate time, the impact to the volunteer usually lasts a little longer – remembering how you felt during the volunteer assignment, feeling the appreciation of others or even appreciating yourself. Now some may say that this is a selfish reason to volunteer, but I beg to differ. I believe God mad volunteering and doing good deeds ‘feel good’ because it is a good thing to do. There is nothing wrong with doing something that lightens your heart, puts a smile on your face as well as others, and generally leaves you with pleasant memories. With that said, even these feelings go away after time.
I believe the only way to really change yourself on the inside through doing good deeds, is to do good deeds on a repetitive basis. Now that I’m an adult, with real skills that can be utilized (like accounting and bookkeeping, fundraising, writing, and communication skills) I believe I have an obligation to give back to the community.
There is so much injustice and suffering in the world that I see, hear about and read about on a daily basis. I need to stop just feeling it’s wrong, and start doing something about it. But what can I do? Well the first step, is to research what is in the area. In KL I’m particularly affected by how beautiful the jungle is. As more and more developments go up, more and more jungle (and all the flora and fauna associated with it) are destroyed – primarily for profits. Maybe I can join a wildlife conservation society or environmentally-focused community group. I also am extremely moved by the number of people I see here with disfiguring illnesses and disabilities. This is shocking to me because in the US, most people have access to healthcare where they get treatment. The most appalling are the men who have lost limbs and whose skin is infected with sores. Are these sores treatable? Are they able to get medical attention? I could try to contact some medical professionals and organise a group to meet once a month and walk the streets and make on-the-spot consultations of medical treatments that can be done to help.
These are just thoughts for now. I’m interested to know what others in KL do to volunteer and give back. I’m open for ideas.
