Volunteering - Why Do I Do It?

As I fumble with the peanut butter sandwiches for the kids' lunch boxes and curse the fact that I haven't washed the uniforms for tomorrow (and it is now too late to make a quick trip to the laundry), I think about the rest of my day. The washing for sure. Maybe there will be time to finish that elusive final chapter of my book, or perhaps a spot of dreaming in the garden? But it's Tuesday and I am rostered on to volunteer at the Neighbourhood House this morning. I will also have to put on my 'secretarial hat' later on as there is a meeting of the House Committee and l am its Secretary. So I guess that's it then - no book, no couch, no slacking off!

So why give myself all this extra work? One of the reasons is because I live in Warrandyte and want to know what's going on in my backyard. The House is certainly a great way to find out. I love to think that my time is still valuable, even though that stereotypical indicator of worth (wages) are no longer flooding into my bank account! And, most importantly for me, now that my children are both at school, I need the company. Even though I won't be reading my book, it's not a bad substitute to listen in to the craft group reading Yeats or discussing the latest hotbed of newsworthy topics - be it education, politics, or the latest movies! I have never underestimated the power of 'sisterhood' and know that I need it more as I get older (especially now that my own sister and I live in two different countries).
The women I have met at the House are kind, committed and interested, both in the way they see their community and in their offer of ideas and the volunteering of time to bring these ideas alive.
That's why I volunteer ...

Cherie Moselen, WNH Secretary and Volunteer