Giving isn’t seasonal and needs are continuous

By Cynthia Whitney

The holidays often remind us how fortunate we are, as well as how many of our neighbors struggle to maintain quality of life. Typically, there is a bit of an upswing in donating or volunteering, but the needs in our communities are not seasonal.

If asked why they don’t continue to help out, most would say they are just too busy. As busy as the holiday season is, people find time to help but then stop. Perhaps some people feel that once they “raise their hand” to provide aid or assistance, they will be asked to do more and more. While this does happen on occasion, most communities and organizations are grateful for any amount of volunteer time and energy. Indeed, there are many ways to provide assistance that require as little as an hour a week or a few hours each month.

People who volunteer throughout the year say they are able to see firsthand the difference they are making in their communities, and the difference volunteering makes in their own lives. 

“Volunteering has kept me more physically and socially active than I expected to be at my age,” said Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteer Marion Lafollette of Cherryfield. “I’ve met people from varied backgrounds and environments that I would never have expected to without being a volunteer.”

RSVP volunteers at the University of Maine Center on Aging are people 55 and older who are committed to investing their skills and life experiences to help children, seniors and veterans in eastern Maine year-round. Some volunteers give a few hours a month, some give an hour or two a week, and others give many hours weekly.

Our RSVP volunteers find their experiences so rewarding that 61 percent have been in the program for five or more years. For information on how you can join the UMaine Center on Aging RSVP, contact me at 262-7924 or email at Cynthia.Whitney@maine.edu.

Cindy Whitney is the program coordinator with UMaine Center on Aging RSVP Program.