Giving Back Is My Personal High!
Some of you may say you don't have time to volunteer. If you ever had kids, I hope that is not true. I know when my son was growing up, I was his scout leader, assistant scout leader, and assistant baseball coach. My wife and I attended all his baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and basketball games, plus Tae Kwon Do classes and tournaments for 10 years until he attained his 3rd degree Black Belt. It was tough at times, but as parents we made the sacrifices. In the end, it was all done for strengthening family.
Volunteering for a personal cause or charity is a bit different. There is definitely more of a time commitment, either in hours or days. For some, it may be hard to take that first step to volunteer. When I was employed, I used it as an opportunity. I taught JROTC in high school to help my cadets learn how to volunteer. Annually, the cadets collected food and money during the Thanksgiving holidays to deliver to students in need. We used the money collected to purchase and donate turkeys, milk, eggs, and bread. During deliveries, my cadets saw how little some families had. For many cadets, it was an eye opening experience. My last year teaching, we collected 4,000 pounds of food and $2,000, donating it all to the local food pantry. I also asked cadets to volunteer by cleaning-up trash along the Ohio River, scrape the paint off a WWII ship, the LST 325, and cadets taught flag etiquette in middle schools and more.
Since my retirement, I have more time for volunteering. Before moving to my 55+ retirement community, I volunteered at our local VA Clinic in Indiana once a week. After moving to Arizona, I stepped up my volunteer efforts. Within 6 weeks I started a Veterans Club with 11 members, which has now grown to over 365 members, where I serve as president. I volunteer in clubs by being the treasurer or other club officer. I help collate our monthly magazine by inserting fliers into it, paid by advertisers who support our community. I take prospective home buyers on an individual tour of our community explaining, in detail, our finances and numerous amenities. I volunteered for 3 years as a member of the Board of Directors in our 2.500 home community, and served on community committees. I also spend 3 hours per week volunteering at our local police station.
For my physical and mental health, I enjoy playing pop tennis, water volleyball, golf, bocce, acting with the theater group, and participating in multiple card games. Socialization is key to a healthy lifestyle and longevity. Volunteering gives me a personal high that is extremely rewarding. I hope you can find some small way to give back and get your own type of personal high, knowing you're helping others.
