This month, Volunteer Spotlight focuses on the connection between a volunteer and someone seeking help. It is always difficult to process the loss of a client… Friend…
Unless you have had the experience, it is hard to explain. You are not family; some folks do not even see you as a friend, but we know this person, sometimes, better than anyone else.
While processing the recent passing of our Friend Fran, the team of volunteers became intertwined, and it was a beautiful thing to experience. But we needed some closure, so we took time to get together, share our emotions, and support each other. Here is a picture of two team members, Coco and Linda, joining me over a meal, sharing all the stories of Fran, her resilience, and her insistence on maintaining dignity and independence.
I asked Coco to tell us why she came to volunteer, and here is her story.
"I would like to share with you why and how I became a volunteer. My weakened bones sidled me into a reluctant retirement. Pre-K special ed teachers' jobs require lots of fancy footwork. An old cartoon of Gumby and Pokey comes to mind, plus a grueling work schedule and a troublesome commute. There was no time left for me to make inroads into the social community.
My life lacked routine, structure, and substance. The times they are a-changin.’ I read that volunteerism was the answer. Sharing is caring. AOASCC’s AmeriCorps Seniors program offers a variety of programs. I became a Pen Pal to an eighth grader at our middle school. This June marks my third year. It has been delightful!
Another one of AOASCC Americorps' Senior offerings is the Neighbor Helping Neighbor program. I chose to help Fran, a gentle and meek lady with a sweet nature and a kind heart. She faced many challenges, yet she persevered. You have to respect that.
Fran experienced a life-threatening health crisis that ended her life. Helping Fran humbled me and made me grateful for the abundance in my life. That sweet lady took a piece of my heart with her.
One of the tenets of Judaism is to leave the earth in a better state than how we found it. We are put on this earth to help each other. I plan to do this for as long as possible."
By Coco B.