3월 13일 (토) Volunteer: Helping Others

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Volunteer: Helping Others

Volunteering is rarely easy. The basic meaning of "volunteer" is to offer to do something. Usually, the word is associated with offering to help someone out of the goodness of your heart. You are not expecting anything in return.
It could be volunteer work at an orphanage.
It could be some kind of activity helping those in need.
It could be helping sick people at a hospital.

I used to volunteer at a retirement home. Old people are often put in homes because they are not able to function well in society, and their families don't often make time for them. So I would sometimes go and spend time with senior citizens who felt really lonely and were happy to have a visitor. I also used to volunteer at a food bank, where food was donated so it could be given to those in need. I helped to distribute the food to people.

But volunteering does not always mean that your have to do something for some kind of charitable cause. It could simply mean that you are offering to help. You are choosing to do something, offering to help in a certain situation. If Mom is busy cooking, you can volunteer to set the table or volunteer to wash the dishes after the meal. You weren't asked. You simply volunteered. And you won't even be paid.
Volunteering is good for everyone... it can make you feel better about yourself. AND... the people you help will appreciate it A LOT.

TALK ABOUT IT
1 When was the last time you volunteered?
2 What kind of volunteer work have you done just to help others?
3 In what ways have you volunteered at home? At work? At school?
4 How often should people volunteer?
5 Do you wait for others to come up with ideas, or do you look for ways to volunteer?
6 If you had the time, where would you like to volunteer?
7 What do you think that doing volunteer work can teach us?
8 What kinds of rewards can you gain by volunteering?
9 Why do you think more people don't volunteer their time?