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Fulfillment Through Helping Others

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In every generation, many have found their greatest personal reward in helping others. This can take many forms. It can be the teacher who opens the door to a lifelong activity or career to others. It can be the EMT who responds to emergency calls and helps others, even saving lives, in his or her community. It can be the volunteer worker who brings meals to elderly shut-ins or provides legal help to the poor. The possibilities are almost endless. You are sure to find a need in your community which you can fulfill, and which will bring you true inner rewards.

A place many people look to volunteer is with those who are dependent and often helpless. Children need mentoring by patient, helpful adults. Seeing their growth and development becomes a reward for you. You are helping form a good future for society.
A similar place to do volunteer work is with animals and abandoned pets. The local SPCA is sure to need volunteers to care for its animals. You may also find an opportunity to care for injured wild animals, nursing them back to health. What a reward, to see an eaglet with a broken wing be able to fly again and live because you have nurtured it!

The elderly are another group often in need of help from volunteer workers. This may be as simple as an hour of companionship each day, or it may require a skilled laborer to fix a leak in the roof or some other task they are unable to do themselves.

When talking with neighbors or friends, be alert to needs they may have but are hesitant to ask for help with. Offer help if it is something you can do. If not, try to find someone else who can do it. Be sensitive to peoples’ pride. Dependency is intimidating. So try to make the person feel at ease about receiving help.

“Charity begins at home,” it is said. Don’t forget your own family’s needs. It is sometimes hard for parents to ask their grown children for help. But you know how much they did for you when you were a child and dependent. Try to be aware of their needs and the tasks they are no longer able to do as they age. You don’t want them going up on the roof themselves to fix a leak!

Teach your children about helping others. Plan to go as a family to help cook and serve a Thanksgiving dinner for the poor, for instance. Groups like the Salvation Army or the Red Cross can always use volunteer help. You may be surprised at how much your children enjoy the experience. You may launch them on a lifelong enjoyment of reaching out to those in need. It may even lead them to a career, such as a social worker or school guidance counselor.

The rewards of helping others are many. One is seeing someone else become better off and feeling their gratitude. Another is that it helps you put your own life in perspective, and makes you grateful for what you have.

Being a better person 101

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This time of year is when children start thinking about being good and helping other people. Follow their lead and start helping other people with these simple tips.

Many children are neglected by their parents and relatives. You can make a big difference in their lives as a mentor or a friend. Try the local Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate to start with. You can also help grateful pets at the SPCA, particularly if you have skills with uncommon animals like reptiles or large animals. You may also have a specific animal or breed rescue in your area. You do not need to adopt or foster to help; even volunteering for a couple hours a week can make an enormous difference.

You can also help the elderly or disabled in many ways. Volunteering to visit some for just a little time every month can cheer many of them up for the entire week, as many feel that no one cares about them. You can also bring them food or other necessities or help them lift things or tidy up; such actions become more difficult for them. Check with your local church or pay attention to your neighborhood to start; the social workers at your local hospital or department of social services might have some more names for you.

You might be surprised to see how many in your local community need help. If you see a tired mother loaded down with bags and struggling to control her children, ask her if there’s any way you can lighten her burden. If you see a homeless person, offer them a granola bar or sandwich and maybe familiarize yourself with the local shelters and food banks so you can help them get there.

You would be surprised at how many people are afraid to tell their family members they need help. Maybe your mother needs to move something heavy, but is too proud to ask for help. Maybe your niece could use help with her math homework but is too proud to ask mom and dad. Perhaps your uncle lost his job but your aunt is too proud to ask for food stamps. There are a million ways to help. It might be as simple as babysitting your cousins for a day so your aunt can go out to the movies but it will make a big difference to them and that is what counts.

Working in a community garden can help many people improve their access to quality food sources. If you have a green thumb this is a good way to help others.

Helping others is not just good for you but also for the people you help and the community you live in. You never know when you might need help yourself, too. It can help make you feel useful and appreciated in a time when many people are either overworked and underpaid or out of work entirely. If you are out of work. Volunteering someplace important to you might even lead to a job. Improve yourself and be a better person today; identify your best skills and put them to work helping other people.