Giving of yourself pays dividends
As we move into spring, now is a good time to plan how we want to spend the nice days that are so fleeting. I would like to suggest that each of us consider spending some of that time making a positive difference in our community or in the lives of others.
For some time now I have pondered why it is that it is getting harder to interest people in volunteering than it was even when I first came to Dover-Foxcroft in 1979. Yes, there are still the “pink ladies” at the hospital, but have you noticed they are getting older? And you can see some at Hibbard Nursing Home calling out Bingo numbers every day, or if you attend the occasional church supper, or the fabulous Pine Tree Hospice volunteers on whom many people rely for rides, companionship, small chores or just plain friendship. But this community has so many opportunities for people to make a difference in large and small ways by giving just a few hours that I am perplexed why more people don’t do it.
Giving time to help clean up the streets and storefronts in the spring is a brief way to help the town look its best in time for the Whoopie Pie Festival, which brings thousands of people to our town and for our summer visitors who are so important to our economy and to the town’s prosperity. Helping older homeowners clean up debris after the winter makes all of us feel hopeful and proud of our community. Sharing a few hours with kids at the Youth fishing derby can bring a smile to your face as well as to the children that lasts well beyond the event.
Not all volunteer tasks require long-term commitment. But sometimes the personal feeling of warm connectedness makes us come back for more after the first trial.
If you are looking for more sustaining involvement Pine Tree Hospice has numerous types of volunteers — not everyone has to have the courage to be with a dying person. If you like to drive, perhaps you can be a Lynx driver or volunteer to take people to Cancer Care of Maine for their appointments. If you like to garden perhaps you can help to beautify our town by helping the Garden Club. The Dover-Foxcroft Window Dressers project is a great way to help people insulate their homes while connecting with others in the community in a fun cooperative venture.
My point is that volunteering to do something for your town or your neighbors is very important not only for them but for you, and it can be tailored to your skills, time and interest. After all, we require all students in our school system to do “community service.”
Why do we do this? Because it teaches citizenship. Why is it good for our kids if it is not good for all of us? If we don’t live the way we teach our children to live then it is a hollow teaching, and kids will soon see through this.
I urge everyone, young and old, to start thinking of one small way they could give some of their attention to others and their community. Call a friend who is shut in. Make a meal. Call Pine Tree Hospice and say you are interested in volunteering. Check with your church or civic organization. Call Penquis, or the YMCA, or the Maine Highlands Senior Center (through me 992-6822). It doesn’t matter what. But our community needs you.
It is time to step up. And, I would like to know what you have done so we can begin to celebrate our common connectedness. So email me at lmfernow@rcn.com with a brief description of what you have done to help others and your community. That will make my day.
We invite Senior Matters readers to offer feedback about this column and to suggest topics for future articles. You may do so by contacting Meg Callaway of the Charlotte White Center at (207) 947-1410 or meg.callaway@charlottewhite.org or Lesley Fernow at (207) 992-6822 and lmfernow@rcn.com.