Omo…when it comes to volunteering work and community service, my experience with it is quite limited, I must say. This is not something I’ve been opportune to do as much as I would have liked to. Funny enough, it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, but for one reason or the other, I just couldn’t. At first, I thought that when I went into the higher institution, I’d be able to start chasing my dreams of being a volunteer.
Well, I was wrong. Right from my first year up until my final year, I didn’t really take part in much volunteering service. My HND was even worse because then I wasn’t able to make time for anything that wasn’t work, school, or just sleep. That was how it was for me, and now that I’m out of school and trying to find my way in life, I’m still yet to find one that I can take part in.
Now, this doesn’t mean that I’ve not volunteered at all, however, the little that I’ve done is linked to the church. All my acts of service have always been inspired by church, and so far, I’ve not been able to do any outside the church, no matter how much I wanted to.
I’m Catholic, and I’m also a member of the Legion of Mary. If you’re familiar with that society, then you’d know of what we call our Legion Work. It varies, depending on the presidium you are, the location of the presidium, and some other factors. I’ve been a member since my days of being in the First Holy Communion Class and all through the years, my Legion work has varied. I’ve had jobs that were as simple as me leading the Holy Rosary before the mass, or leading the Catena after every evening mass.
There were times when I had to wash the toilets in the church or sweep the entire compound or even clean the pews and chairs in the church. But then, all these were small chops because I soon moved on to the adult presidium and that was when the main job started. I started visiting hospitals and visiting homes, especially homes with old and sick people.
At the hospital, there wasn’t much that we could do, it’s not like we have a medical degree or anything. We also didn’t have money to give. However, we just went there to spend time with the patients, pray with them and share the Word with them. Believe me, you’d be surprised at the number of patients at the hospital who are all alone, with no one visiting them. Coming around just to talk to them, ask about their health and pray with them was usually enough to put a smile on their faces. Sometimes, we spent a minimum of two hours at the hospital, trying to touch as many patients as possible before we left.
When we visited homes, it was a bit different. We didn’t just share the word, we also helped them out. Old people who live alone usually don’t have people around who would do the heavy lifting, or bending that we young ones could easily do. That time, we did it so often that many of the old folks used to look forward to our visits. We never did these for money or anything, but the thanks and prayers they showered on us always made it worth it.
I did all these in Lagos before I went to school. I also did it in the village, during my time there and I did it in school as well. However, during my HND, I could no longer make out time as I used to. Now in charge of my own schooling, I had to work for longer so I could make enough money. And since then, I’ve not been able to return to a presidium meeting.
It’s been a while since I did such volunteer work, going on two to three years if I’m being honest, and I really want to get back on that saddle. Even more, I want to do try volunteering in causes outside the church as well. Like prison work and orphanages. Just doing things for the sake of doing them and the fact that it makes others happy. That is one experience I’m yet to have.
Sadly, the time is the problem. I’ve got so much I’m doing right now, I don’t want to start something that I’ll find it hard to commit to. That is a problem I’ve found myself facing in recent times. So, I’m still actively looking for ways I can be of help, to my friends, family, and neighbors. And of course, to total strangers. I’m sure that with time, I’ll be able to figure something out.
