Volunteering

I think a lot about this volunteering. I retired early and I am in good health and being single do not have family commitments. I can give what I can by my time and my interests. As another retired friend said – either you find the volunteer opportunities or they find you!! Working with different folks in different situations is always a learning experience.

Working with others is good because then you can share the duties.

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I am a retired librarian so volunteering in libraries comes naturally.

I am also following in my mom's footsteps.

My mom did lots of volunteering in her community – with her church and the hospital auxiliary especially. When I returned her hospital volunteer smock to the auxiliary – they said they would miss her. She had given many hours over many years. At her funeral, the minister spoke about her handicrafts skills. She had made many of the hangings in the church and also 2 beautiful needlepoint kneelers.

She never had a paid job outside the home – it was a small community and not too much market for her professional skills in biochemistry. At that time too mothers stayed at home to raise their family and that is what she did.

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I am on the Altar Guild at church as my mom was. I try to fill in and help out as much as possible because there is a shortage of volunteers and several of the older volunteers are no longer available.

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I went back to help reorganize the church library. I had done this many years ago. With two others, I was busy this summer discarding books, dusting shelves, adding new books, finding a new home for unwanted books and making the library more known and hopefully used more.

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I went to help with a Canadian Horse show as I have for the past few years. This year it was different than other years because it was under new management and I met some new folks. The weather was unpredictable and one day was sunny and the other was very wet. Being outdoors and running around some, I was tired at the end of bothdays and I slept well.

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I have been on the executive for the local ward of the Associates for the Sisters of St. John the Divine several times. This time I really was ready to be involved again. We are a small friendly group and know each other quite well. The prayer support is also very important.